Hello, Okaloosa County! I am Jill Breslawski, your new Family and Consumer Science agent at the Okaloosa County Extension Office.
I am so grateful to be here; not just because I moved from the frigid temperatures of Buffalo, N.Y., but also because I cannot wait to work with your wonderful community.
In New York, I taught Family and Consumer Science and Health, grades seven through 12, for eight years. Many of the courses focused on nutrition, food preparation and preservation, food safety, healthy living and personal finance. I have a B.S. degree in Health Science, as well as a master’s in Education from Buffalo State College.
During my “summer break,” I worked at several farmers markets, selling and teaching about peaches — yes, peaches grow in New York — apples, raspberries and other produce. This was a natural fit, considering I grew up on a large crop farm on the shore of Lake Ontario.
I am now working with the Okaloosa Saves and Family Nutrition programs. I hope to offer interactive programs about budgeting, savings, canning methods, healthy eating and more.
I am so excited to bring all of my experience to your community to share and develop essential life skills, but I am also looking forward to learning from you! This is truly a cooperative endeavor.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or the Okaloosa County Extension office at 689-5850 for information on our programs, or if you think there is a need in the community I can help with.
Jill Breslawski is an agent at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences' Okaloosa County Extension office in Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: New Yorker, now Okaloosa resident, to share life skills