Transylvania County Extension Advisory Committee

January 24, 2017

2016 Cooperative Extension Impacts in Transylvania County

• Made 24,697 contacts this year. • Volunteers gave over 4000 hours of

service to their communities • Brought in more than $50,000 in grants• 15 Success Stories

Volunteers• 77 Master Gardener Volunteers in the

community• 6 SHIIP Volunteers• 204 4-H Volunteers• At least 40 Advisory Council Members

Staffing changes

•Met the State strategic plan. •Horticulture- 20% County time•EFNEP- Now 50% Ag PA•FCS- Shared w/ district.

We’re in a great place

Doing great work!

Administrative Assistant- Maryann

The Main Goal of my job

Working with the staff to meet the objectives of Cooperative Extension

And here’s how I do itGreet clientele in person on the

telephone and through email andProvide accurate information or refer

them to the appropriate agent or department

Client asks for information

Do I know the answer?Yes - provide the informationNo - send the client to the agent who does

Assist other groups Provide office support and program information for Extension related

groupsSHIIP - Senior Health Insurance Information Program (Medicare info)Extension Master GardenersBeekeeping ClubCattlemen's AssociationTransylvania Natural Resources CouncilAgricultural Advisory BoardMarket County Extension's resources Update the Extension website

My other responsibilities

Keep track of the fundsProcurementKeep the office equipment running

And here is how you can help

Spread the word on what we have to offer the community and send them my way

Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development - “BIG M”

Belonging: HealthIndependence: HeadGenerosity: Heart Mastery: Hands

State 4-H Objectives School to Career: Youth gain STEM knowledge and Employability Skills

Leadership Development for Youth & Adults: increased knowledge and new/expanded leadership roles

Current Programs• Continued: Jan. 4-H News• New: Fishing Club at PCWE;

Sewing Group; Horse Bowl; Archery at Toxaway; Cloverbud Manners

Challenges for 4-HHow can you help?

• Awareness & appreciation of the value of 4-H and the Essential Elements by the community and elected officials

• Keeping 4-H in Sapphire/Toxaway• Volunteer recruitment & support for

“SPIN” Clubs

EFNEP Nutrition Educator and Ag Program AssistantSara Freeman

EFNEPEFNEP is a USDA, NIFA program that is administered by the land-grant universities at the state level and implemented at the local level through county Extension offices.

EFNEP’s MissionTo improve the health of limited resource youth and families with young children through practical lessons on:•Basic nutrition and healthy lifestyles

•Resource management

•Food safety

Adult EFNEP 2016 Federal Year• 5 Groups• 263 Lessons Taught• 213 Contact Hours• 46 Families Participating

Only 15 Participants Qualified for EFNEP• 7 Volunteers

Adult EFNEP ImpactsAs a result of participating in EFNEP:• 94% of participants improved dietary intake.• 44% now practice daily physical activity.• 88% practice better food resource management.• 44% have improved their food safety habits.

Youth EFNEP

Youth EFNEPDuring the 2015-2016 School Year

•35 Groups

•262 Total Lessons (averaged 7.5 lessons/group)

•198 Contact hours (averaged 5.67 hrs./group)

•786 Participants

•39 Volunteers

Youth EFNEP ImpactsAs a result of participating in EFNEP:• 83% of the students improved their abilities to

choose foods according to Federal Dietary Recommendations or gained knowledge.

• 56% of the students used safe food handling practices more often or gained knowledge.

• 26% of the students improved physical activity practices or gained knowledge.

Involvement with Other Extension Programs

And Opportunities to Support Agricultural Programming

Brevard Elementary Soil School

Farm Visits

The Nourishing NC Garden

Locavore Cooking 4-H Club

How You Can Help

Livestock and Row CropsAddison Bradley

Overall Goals of Programming:• Profitable and sustainable agricultural practices by teaching best

management skills.How am I achieving these goals:

• Hands-on farm visits: assisting farmers with vaccination programs, providing diagnostic tools (soil sample probe, pregnancy testing, feed analysis), seeking relationships with all producers in the county.

• Workshops: forage quality and testing, cattle health and handling, winter feeding and management, and keeping backyard meat rabbits.

Livestock and Row CropsAddison Bradley

How am I achieving these goals:• Community events: Transylvania Animal Welfare Coalition and

Transylvania Cattlemen’s Association, Beef Cattle Commission• Partner with local high school ag. Programs and F.F.A.

– Procured 4 pregnant heifers for Brevard High School– Arranged for various field trips to farms within the county

Strengths:• Approximately 1,800 face-to-face contacts in 2016• Success stories (B.H.S., Surviving the Drought, Riverfest)

Livestock and Row CropsAddison Bradley

Weaknesses:• Lack of participation or interest from producers.• Limited resources within the county (fairgrounds,

livestock facility, etc.).• Decreasing number of producers and aging

producers.Opportunities for the advisory council:

• Participate in programming.• Offer any advice or criticisms.• Provide public awareness of our programs and

events.

Note the position title change- I’m based in Buncombe County and provide program support to multiple counties in WNC as well as assist with programs approximately one day each week in Transylvania County.

Cliff Ruth- Area Agent and Regional Certification Program Coordinator

ProgramsAs my title indicates I primarily work with clients in a two county region- Buncombe and Transylvania- for reactive programming with the Green Industry and provide support to our two Area Specialized Agents- Amanda Taylor (Nursery/Greenhouse Production) and Craig Mauney (Commercial Vegetables-Small Fruits)My multi-county role covers most of WNC and I assist other agents in designing and implementing certification programs. (both initial training and post exam certification.

Programs and Impacts• Most of my programs are focused on workforce development by providing

CEUs or pre-exam training for one or more of 8 different certifications or licenses. These are done primarily as part of a regional team.

• Since August we have offered and I have taught/coordinated 4 Landscape Contractor re-certification classes and planned an additional 3 for this winter; assisted with 2 Pesticide Schools with 2 scheduled for this winter and spring; and been involved with new curriculum roll-out in response to new EPA/OSHA - Worker Protection Standards; in addition to several pesticide classes.

Local Success StoryChristmas Trees grown in Transylvania County- primarily sold as choose and cut- Extension supports these growers by providing a directoryGrowers this year reported an increase in sales that they attributed to the directory- per comments from customers. Increase in local sales: projected to be over $25,000

Bart- Admin/ local foods

What am I reporting on? # of producers who gain knowledge of:

• Local markets/ ability to market• Vegetable gardening• Improving fertilizer efficiency• Improving direct sales• Increase in gross sales

Master Gardeners• 2017 class is in 3rd week• Work out at Silvermont, Lake Toxaway,

Brevard, • Work at festivals• Plant sale• Farmers Market

Hemlock Cost share program• $60,000 program• Engaging private

landowners• Education is

fundamental

Local foods- Field visits

Local Foods- programs

Local foodsFarmers Market!

Local Foods- Bart

Working with homeowners to produce more of their own food.

Local FoodsCounty advisory committees

County Advisory Councils

Local Foods- Challenges• Perception of farming• Attendance/ reaching clients• Competition/ brand

recognition

Questions?

Getting the whole programStaff as well- District, MHREC, and NC State

In line with Transylvania County’s strategic plan:

• We are in a unique position to support all 6 goals outlined in the strategic plan.

CORE PROGRAM MODEL

Time Commitment? • 2-3 year term• Emails > Meetings!• Annual dinner to form our plan of work• Monthly updates of our events