Choctaw County-Alabama Extension

09/01/2026

Something exciting is hatching! Alabama Extension is launching new Facebook and Instagram pages dedicated to all things backyard poultry.
Whether you already have a flock or are planning to start one, follow along for research-based information to help you care for healthy, productive birds.

To celebrate the launch and National Chicken Month, we’re hosting a Backyard Poultry Photo Contest! Share a photo of your favorite hen, prized rooster or entire backyard flock for a chance to win.

How to enter:
-Comment on this post with your photo.
-Follow the new Alabama Extension Backyard Poultry page.
-Like and share this post.
-Don't forget to also follow on Instagram.

Two winners will be selected:
-Judges’ Choice
-People’s Choice, awarded to the eligible photo receiving the most likes

Photos may be submitted from Sept. 1 until noon CDT on Sept. 3. Winners will be announced at 4 p.m. CDT on Sept. 3.

Follow the new Alabama Extension Backyard Poultry pages:
Facebook: Alabama Extension Backyard Poultry
Instagram:

08/31/2026

🥖 Sourdough for Beginners! 🥖

Join us on September 24, 2026, from 1:00–4:00 PM at the Choctaw County Extension Office in Butler for a fun, hands-on afternoon all about sourdough!

We’ll cover:
• Maintaining a sourdough starter
• A discard recipe demonstration
• Taste testing
• Tips to help you get started at home

🎟️ The workshop is FREE to attend!
🫙 Optional sourdough starter kits are available for $10.

Registration is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot!

📍 218 S. Hamburg Ave., Butler, AL 36904
🔗 Register online at www.aces.edu/go/6731
📧 Email [email protected]
📞 Call 205-459-2133

Come learn the basics and leave ready to start your own sourdough journey! 🍞

08/28/2026

Alabama is home to a tree you won’t naturally find anywhere else in the world.

The Alabama Sandstone Oak is a rare, dwarf oak species found only in our state. First discovered in Etowah County in 1901, this unique tree typically reaches just 15 to 20 feet tall. Only about 1,200 are currently known in the wild.

So, what makes this oak so rare, where can it be found, and what is being done to protect it? Learn more about the Alabama Sandstone Oak and the importance of conserving this piece of Alabama.

Read more: https://www.aces.edu/go/6681

08/27/2026

If your out and about on this rainy day, come by and meet Extension Agent, Margaret Ann Snow.

🌸 MEET & GREET WITH AGENT MARGARET ANN SNOW! 🌿

Have questions about your plants, lawn, garden, or home landscape? Stop by the Choctaw County Extension Office for a special Meet & Greet with Extension Agent Margaret Ann Snow!

📅 Thursday, August 27th
⏰ 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Choctaw County Extension Office
218 S. Hamburg Avenue | Butler, AL

🌱 Bring your questions — and even your plants! Margaret Ann will be available to help with:

🪴 Plant identification — bring in a plant or sample you’d like identified
🏡 Home yard & landscape management
🌺 Flowers, shrubs & ornamentals
🌳 Trees & landscape plants
🌿 Gardening questions
🐛 Plant problems, pests & diseases
☀️ Plant selection, care & maintenance
…and more!

There’s no formal program or appointment needed — just drop in anytime between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

Whether you have a problem you’ve been trying to solve, need help identifying something growing in your yard, or simply want some advice for making your landscape thrive, bring it to Extension and ask Margaret Ann!

🌻 Bring your plants. Bring your questions. We’ll see you August 27th!

08/26/2026

Today we mourn the loss of an American icon, a beloved philanthropist and a proud 4-H alumna, Dolly Parton. Her extraordinary life was defined not only by her incredible talent, but by her unwavering generosity, compassion and commitment to helping others.

For generations of young people, Dolly embodied what it means to use your gifts in service of others. From her roots in 4-H to her lifelong investment in literacy, education and community, she showed us that true leadership is grounded in humility, kindness, and purpose. As Dolly once said, "storms make trees take deeper roots." 💚

A proud 4-H alumna, she reminded us that challenges can strengthen us and help us grow. That wisdom will continue to inspire young people and communities for generations to come. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and the millions whose lives she touched. Her legacy of hope, generosity, and service will live on. 🍀

08/26/2026

🌸 MEET & GREET WITH AGENT MARGARET ANN SNOW! 🌿

Have questions about your plants, lawn, garden, or home landscape? Stop by the Choctaw County Extension Office for a special Meet & Greet with Extension Agent Margaret Ann Snow!

📅 Thursday, August 27th
⏰ 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Choctaw County Extension Office
218 S. Hamburg Avenue | Butler, AL

🌱 Bring your questions — and even your plants! Margaret Ann will be available to help with:

🪴 Plant identification — bring in a plant or sample you’d like identified
🏡 Home yard & landscape management
🌺 Flowers, shrubs & ornamentals
🌳 Trees & landscape plants
🌿 Gardening questions
🐛 Plant problems, pests & diseases
☀️ Plant selection, care & maintenance
…and more!

There’s no formal program or appointment needed — just drop in anytime between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

Whether you have a problem you’ve been trying to solve, need help identifying something growing in your yard, or simply want some advice for making your landscape thrive, bring it to Extension and ask Margaret Ann!

🌻 Bring your plants. Bring your questions. We’ll see you August 27th!

08/23/2026

🌱 Chamber bitter (Phyllanthus urinaria) is a common w**d found throughout the Southeast and can be found across the entire state of Alabama. This highly adaptable plant thrives in full sun and warm soils, typically appearing in summer and persisting into fall until frost.

Its small, oblong or linear leaves are arranged alternately along yellow-green to sometimes reddish stems. The upper surface of the leaves can range from bright to dark green, while the undersides are lighter gray-green.

Tiny yellowish-white male and female flowers are produced on the underside of stems at the leaf axils. After flowering, chamber bitter produces very small, stalkless fruits that can range from green to red. Upon close inspection, the fruits are three-parted and covered with small scales.

Chamber bitter can make its home almost anywhere—from sidewalk cracks and gravel driveways to landscaping, gardens, nursery pots, forest margins, dry fields, and roadsides. Its extensive root system and large seed production can allow it to outcompete nearby vegetation or suppress container-grown plants.

Listed as a Class C noxious w**d in Alabama, it’s best to prevent chamber bitter from going to seed and inspect nursery pots before purchasing or planting to help prevent its spread. For more information, see this fact sheet - https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/chamberbitter/

🌿 Join the 2026 Year of Alabama Invasive Plants Project to raise awareness, improve identification skills, and take action against invasive species. Visit the ACES Year of Alabama Invasive Plants Project to learn more and take the pledge.