The Alabama Cooperative Extension System Food Safety team teaches ServSafe classes each year. These classes meet food service safety standards required by the Alabama Department of Public Health. The cost is $130 if paying online and $140 …
Approximately 40 species of snakes occur in Alabama, and only six of these are venomous. Yet these six attract a lot of attention. Get a crowd of people together and yell snake and you’re bound to get a reaction. Since early times, people…
As interest in wildlife has grown in recent years, the fascination of attracting birds to feeding stations has also grown. More than 62 million Americans feed birds around their homes, and many people maintain natural areas and plantings fo…
Alabama Extension teaches Cottage Food Law courses across the state. Find one near you.
Register Online
Food safety should be your first consideration in preparing food for your family or for your customers. Before you start to prepar…
Figure 1. Female black widow spider showing hourglass pattern.
Avoiding Venomous Spiders of the Southeast
Spiders are one of the most feared groups of animals on the planet. Even the word spider may bring to mind images of…
A drought is a period of abnormally dry weather that persists long enough to produce a serious hydrologic imbalance, causing, for example, crop damage and shortages in the water supply. The severity of a drought depends on the degree of moi…
The Alabama Cottage Food Law went into effect in 2014 and provides guidance and information for cottage food entrepreneurs. The law states that individuals can produce certain nonhazardous foods in their homes. Cottage food cannot be sold…
With planning, you can prevent some damage to interior contents and reduce the loss of important items. Some changes include moving items up and out of harm’s way; allowing materials to drain and dry faster; and making repairs easier to d…
When disasters strike, individuals and businesses all too often lose important computer files. You can replace equipment, but data may be lost forever.
Before Storm
It is important to back up your data and store it someplace besides y…
What is composting?
Mention the word composting and most people envision large wooden bins located outside with a deteriorating collection of yard clippings, leaves, and household food garbage that requires more time, space, and attention …
Edible landscaping is the practical incorporation of edible plants into the conventional landscape to create a sustainable and productive living space. It is a creative way to merge the vegetable garden and the ornamental garden into one se…
Drought conditions occur when there is no rain or other precipitation over a prolonged period of time. During a drought, there is a shortage of water and reduced soil moisture that greatly reduces the growth and quality of forage. Although …
Contagious agalactiae (CA) is a form of mycoplasmosis. Mycoplasmosis or Mycoplasma is costly for the dairy sheep and goat industry and can lead to incidences of mastitis (inflammation of mammary glands), arthritis (inflammation of joints),…
The Southeast is no stranger to drought, hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters that leave a path of death and destruction. That’s why it’s important to prepare, particularly for persons that have special needs. Anyone with special …
In recent years, excessive heat has caused more deaths than all other weather events, including floods.
You will likely hear weather forecasters use certain terms.
Excessive Heat Watch: Conditions are favorable for an excessive heat event…