The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is offering a series of six classes “The Sustainable Backyard,” in which folks can learn to grow their own food.
Classes will be taught by Extension educators from the campus of Auburn University and broadcast via video conference across the state. Locally, classes can be viewed at the Cane Creek Gardens of McClellan in Calhoun County; the Talladega County Extension office in Talladega; the Tallapoosa County Extension office in Dadeville; and the Coosa County Extension office in Rockford.
Classes will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 1-March 8. Registration is $60 for the series or $15 per class. Pre-registration is required; visit www.aces.edu/homegarden or contact your local county Extension office.
Ahhhhh … chocolate
The much-anticipated “Chocolate: The Exhibition” opens Saturday at the Anniston Museum of Natural History. The exhibit covers the history of chocolate from the ancient Mayans to today – but alas, there are no free chocolate samples. At least, not everyday.
Once a month, however, the museum will host “Chocolate Sundays,” when local bakeries and restaurants will offer free samples.
The first one is this Sunday, from 2-4 p.m., and will feature the signature chocolate fountain from Classic on Noble in Anniston. It’s free with paid admission to the exhibit.
For a complete guide to the exhibit, check out the special section, “Chocolate: The Exhibition” elsewhere in today’s Anniston Star.
Scale Back Alabama contest
Scale Back Alabama is a statewide contest in which four-member teams compete to lose weight over 10 weeks. Last year, more than 30,000 people lost almost 200,000 pounds.
This year’s contest is underway. You’ve gotta lose at least 10 pounds to be eligible for cash prizes, which range from $100 to $1,000.
Participants must officially weigh-in by Friday; for a list of local weigh-in sites, and more info on the contest, visit www.scalebackalabama.com.
McDonald’s vs. Vermont
Vermont — the country’s largest maple producer — has announced a settlement with McDonald’s Corp. over complaints that the restaurant chain was improperly labeling a new product as maple-flavored in the state.
Gov. Peter Shumlin said last week that the only maple ingredient in McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal was extracted from a bark of a bush that is a distant relative of the maple tree. McDonald’s has agreed to give customers in its Vermont stores pure maple syrup or sugar to add to the fruit and maple product if they request it. This will not apply outside of Vermont.
— Compiled from staff and wire reports
