The Frederick County Family and Consumer Sciences Department is here to provide educational programs that help people live their best lives and achieve their health and financial goals.

Have you ever wondered how to prepare a healthy meal on a budget? How to safely can your own garden vegetables, preserves, or other foods? How to get or understand your credit report? Or even how to create a budget you can stick to? We can help with that! 

We offer educational programs in the community and at our office which are evidence based, easy to understand, and focused on helping you make positive changes that work in your life. 

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.

 


Receive email notifications about upcoming Dining With Diabetes classes 

Story Path Logo

 

Story Path is a fun way to get outside, get moving, and enjoy a fun book! You can find the Story Path in a variety of Frederick County Parks during the summer and fall months. Check the Livewell Frederick website for the schedule of books and a locations. Once you are in the park, look for the start flag. It will lead you to signs which are placed along a paved walking path. As you walk along the path, there will be signs that show individual pages of a book. By the time you reach the end of the path, you will have read the entire thing! Books are typically most appropriate for elementary school age children and focus on physical activity, healthy eating, gardening, getting outside, and more. 

Family and Consumer Sciences Breathing Room Blog

 

Check out our FCS Blog, Breathing Room. Every Thursday, our educators post articles with tips for living well, eating healthy, being active, managing your finances, understanding your health insurance and more! These aren't hard to understand, technical articles. They are short, sweet, and to the point posts focused on things you might find useful. 

Contact Us

Joi Vogin, FCS Educator
301 600-3573  or  jvogin@umd.edu

Linda Smith, FCS Administrative Assistant
301-600-1599  or  llsmith@umd.edu

 

Links to Resources and Articles

Health and Wellness Links

Finance Links

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau CFPB
  Credit Reports and Scores
  Mortgages
  Student Loans 

Federal Trade Commission
  Consumer Information
  ID Theft

Maryland Consumer Protection Division

National credit reporting organizations 
  Equifax 1-800 525-6285
  Experian 1-800-301-7195
  TransUnion 1-800-680-7289

Social Security Administration fraud line: 1-800-269-0271

Food and Nutrition Links

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line 1-800-288-8372 through December 23rd

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline 1-888-674-6854 10am-4pm & after hours recordings.  Or check out online USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline to search the answers to thousands of typical questions.

Land O'Lakes - Holiday Baking Hotline 1-800-782-9606, November 1 - December 24th

Ball Canning - Help Line 800-240-3340

UME Home Food Preservation and Canning

The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning can be found on the the University of Georgia website.  It is extremely important that home canners use only up-to-date, scientifically tested methods as improper canning presents a serious risk of foodborne illness from Clostridium botulinum.

Food and Nutrition Articles

The following News Articles were submitted to the Frederick-News Post on the dates listed, not necessarily the date that the articles were printed.

Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens Bring Good Luck In The New Year, 01-11-23

Beyond The Fry - Potato Traditions That Feed The World, 12-21-22

Cranberries - A Traditional Medicine On Your Holiday Dinner Table, 11-16-22

How To Beat The Candy Bowl Blues, 10-19-22

Simple Shrimp and Grits, 09-14-22

Spirit Of The Squash, 08-10-22

Have A Berry Good Summer, 07-13-22

Looking For Something New--Try Tapas This Summer, 06-08-22

Food Safety For Picnic Season, 05-11-22

Getting Excited for Maryland Blue Crabs, 04-13-22

Green For St. Patrick's Day, 03-09-22

Heart Healthy Treats For Valentine's Day, 02-09-22

Food Themes For Holiday Giving, 12-08-21

Frederick Fights Diabetes, 11-10-21

Time To Learn With Our 4-H Showcase, 10-06-21

Stock Up Now To Prepare For An Emergency, 09-08-21

Support The Buy Local Challenge, 07-14-21

Time For A Picnic, 06-09-21

Tea Time, 05-19-21

Our Kids Are Sweet Enough, 04-14-21

Personalize Your Plate During National Nutrition Month, 03-10-21, printed 03-31-21

Keep Up The Fight With A Healthy Immune System, 02-10-21

Motivation To Exercise At Home, 01-13-21

Celebrating With Family Favorite Recipes, 12-16-20

Versify Your Vegetables With A Bowl Of Soup, 11-18-20

Homegrown Haydays For Pumpkin Picking Pleasure, 10-07-20

Join Me For Fresh Conversations, 09-09-20

Kids Need A Healthy Breakfast For Optimal Learning, 08-19-20

Blue-tiful Recipes For Blueberry Month, 07-15-20

Dig Into Plant Based Meals, 06-17-20

Time To Savor Maryland Seafood, 5-27-20

Where's The Beef, 05-13-20

Thank God For Dirty Dishes, 04-22-20

Eating Right Bite By Bite, 03-18-20

Resolve To Sign Up For CSA, 01-15-20

Time To Bake The Cookies, 12-11-19

Fall Is The Time For Delicious Apples, 10-30-19

Store Brands Stretch Your Food Dollars, 9-24-19

Go Bonkers For Buckwheat, 8-28-19

Making Time To Eat Together Promotes Healthful Eating Habits, 8-14-19

Have A Plant Campaign, 7-10-19

Savor Maryland Seafood, 6-26-19

Join Us For Story Path by Carrie Sorenson, 6-12-19 (printed 7-3-19)

May Is International Mediterranean Diet Month, 5-22-19

USDA Launches Ace The Waste! Contest for Students, 5-8-19

New Campaign To Promote MyPlate, 4-24-19

Heavenly Dishes To Serve For Easter, 4-10-19

Give Your Diet A Spring Tune-Up, 3-27-19

Maple Syrup Festival, 3-13-19

AICR Launches National Campaign To Bust Myths-Present Facts About Cancer Risk, 2-27-19

Lettuce Teach You To Garden, 2-13-19

Warm Up With A Hot Bowl Of Soup, 1-23-19

"Terps Vs Pros" - Dorm Food Challenge YouTube Series, 1-9-19