Category: Kind to Your Wallet

Fishing on the Ocheesee Pond

Debbie Roney Smith on

Ocheesee Pond is a great place to enjoy a plethora of outdoor activities such as fishing, kayaking, and more. The lake is 2,225-acres with dark tannic water covered by cypress trees. Lake access is available by taking SR 69 south of Grand Ridge (1.0 mile); then turn left on CR 69A (5.9 miles) and travel left on Shady Grove Rd. to the ramp.

Be careful navigating while in the water; there are many exposed stumps and snags. Try fishing around the stumps and snags in deep holes, where fish often gather. The best baits for wildlife in the pond include grass shrimp, crickets, wigglers, or various colors of 1/16 to 1/8 oz. beetle spins. Try fishing in the early morning and/or late afternoon along weed lines or in deep holes in the lake. The best baits include spinnerbaits, crankbaits, dark plastic worms, or live shiners.

U-Pick Produce in Northwest FL Panhandle

Debbie Roney Smith on

July is the end of U-Pick Produce at Jackson Farms for this growing season until October. U-Pick is a fun, cheap, and delicious activity for those of all ages. From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can pick a variety of peak produce including tomatoes, watermelons, peppers, snap beans, eggplants, pickles and more. 

Jackson Farms also offers packaged produce that offers the same freshness as picking produce yourself; this is because they are picked and sealed at peak ripeness instead of being picked early in order to be shipped to a secondary location like your local grocery store. They have been offering homegrown produce for over 20 years. Visit them in Grand Ridge or visit their official website for more information. 

Tax Free Weekends

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Tax-free weekends are coming up quickly! Alabama’s back-to-school event is this weekend, July 16th-18th. Clothing, computers, school supplies, and more will be tax-free. Visit the Alabama Department of Revenue’s site for more information, including a list of specific exemptions. Florida’s tax-free event is longer and begins the last weekend of the month, July 30th to August 9th. Visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s site for more information, and be sure to mark your calendars. 

 

World Watercolor Month

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July is World Watercolor Month! It was founded by Charlie O’Shields, the creator of the popular online blog and community Doodlewash®. Watercolor is one of the most popular mediums for painters. It’s a versatile and inexpensive medium, making it a wonderful art to enjoy at all ages. You can participate by practicing watercolor yourself, with family and friends, or by supporting the official charity of World Watercolor Month by making a purchase on their website.  International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) is the official charity of the year; it “employs the universal language of art to cultivate schoolchildren’s creativity to prepare them […] and develop mutual empathy for a peaceful future.” 

Visit the official World Watercolor Month website for more information on the holiday. 

Blueberry Muffins Day & Local Spotlight

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Today is National Blueberry Muffin Day! The benefits of blueberries are numerous, including being rich in antioxidants, aiding in weight loss and healthy digestion, boosting mental health, protecting against heart disease, managing blood sugar levels, improving skin clarity, and improving the strength of bones. 

Fun fact: the term ‘muffin’ was first printed in English in 1703 and was also known as a ‘teacake.’ Combined with the beginning of blueberry cultivation in New Jersey in the early 20th century, blueberry muffins were a long time in the making.

Want to enjoy the fluffy, flavor-bursting creation that is a blueberry muffin? Consider skipping Walmart and head to one of the Panhandle’s local blueberry farms: Blue Acres Berries!

Blue Acres Berries is a pick-it-yourself blueberry farm located in Sneads, and is currently reaching the end of its season. A gallon bucket costs only $10 to fill! Don’t want to pick the berries yourself? No problem, they offer to pick the gallon for you at $20 a bucket. Visit their Facebook site HERE for hours and more.

Panhandle Watermelon Festival

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Today is the last day of the annual Panhandle Watermelon Festival. Head down to Jim Trawick Park in Chipley for the free festival from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a pancake breakfast, free music, vendors, and more! Visit the official website HERE for more detailed information!

Blue Acres Berries

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today’s local business spotlight is on Blue Acres Berries of Sneads, FL. It is a u-pick blueberry farm that has five Rabbiteye varieties: Climax, Brightwell, Tifblue, Savory, and Premier. The berries are all grown naturally. So visit to pick your own berries or call to place an order for them to fill for you. They are currently open every day, 8 a.m. -7 p.m. until the berries are gone or the July 4th weekend, whichever comes first. 

June COVID Vaccination Sites

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Are you looking to get vaccinated in order to protect yourself, your family, and your community? There is a COVID-19 vaccination bus traveling to public areas in the Panhandle area; view the image to the right for times, dates, and locations. You can also call for an appointment at the Calhoun (850-674-5645) or Liberty (850-643-2415) Health Department.

Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax

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From May 28th to June 6th, Florida is having its Disaster Preparedness 2021 Sales Tax Holiday. You can save on self-powered light sources such as flashlights, coolers, ratchet straps, batteries, canned food, and more! Find a full list of qualifying items at FloridaRevenue.com/DisasterPrep. 

National Water a Flower Day

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Today is National Water a Flower Day! Flowers are wonderful natural occurrences that have many beneficial properties. Humans use flowers for medicinal, therapeutic, and aesthetic reasons. Flowers, and by extension herbs, are used by scientists to help develop medicines and beauty products such as lotion. Studies have also shown that caring for plants and flowers can have a positive therapeutic effect on people.

Rember, the best time to water flowers is in the morning between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.; as the weather is cooler during this period, plants receive more water because there is less soil evaporation. Use today as an opportunity to celebrate the beautiful little creations by watering the flowers you have, planting some new ones, learning more about various flowers, or even by gifting someone you care about with some potted flowers in order to spread happiness.