Transylvania County Cooperative Extension presenting to the Extension Advisory Council on Tuesday January 24th, 2017

1. Transylvania County
Extension Advisory
Committee
January 24, 2017

2. 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

3. Volunteers
• 77 Master Gardener Volunteers in the
community
• 6 SHIIP Volunteers
• 204 4-H Volunteers
• At least 40 Advisory Council Members

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

5. We’re in a great place
Doing great work!

6. Administrative Assistant-
Maryann

7. The Main Goal of my job
Working with the staff to meet the
objectives of Cooperative Extension

8. And here’s how I do it
Greet clientele in person on the
telephone and through email
and
Provide accurate information or refer
them to the appropriate agent or
department

9. Client asks for information
Do I know the answer?
Yes - provide the information
No - send the client to the agent who
does

10. Assist other groups
Provide office support and program information for Extension related
groups
SHIIP - Senior Health Insurance Information Program (Medicare info)
Extension Master Gardeners
Beekeeping Club
Cattlemen's Association
Transylvania Natural Resources Council
Agricultural Advisory Board
Market County Extension's resources
Update the Extension website

11. My other responsibilities
Keep track of the funds
Procurement
Keep the office equipment running

12. And here is how you can help
Spread the word on what we have to offer
the community and send them my way

13. Essential Elements of
4-H Youth Development - “BIG M”
Belonging: Health
Independence: Head
Generosity: Heart
Mastery: Hands

14. 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

15. Current Programs
• Continued: Jan. 4-H News
• New: Fishing Club at PCWE;
Sewing Group; Horse Bowl;
Archery at Toxaway;
Cloverbud Manners

16. Challenges for 4-H
How 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

17. EFNEP Nutrition Educator
and Ag Program Assistant
Sara Freeman

18. EFNEP
EFNEP 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.

19. EFNEP’s Mission
To 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

20. Adult EFNEP 2016 Federal Year
• 5 Groups
• 263 Lessons Taught
• 213 Contact Hours
• 46 Families Participating
Only 15 Participants Qualified for EFNEP
• 7 Volunteers

21. Adult EFNEP Impacts
As 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.

22. Youth EFNEP

24. Youth EFNEP
During 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

25. Youth EFNEP Impacts
As 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.

26. Involvement with Other Extension
Programs
And Opportunities to Support
Agricultural Programming

27. Brevard Elementary Soil School

28. Farm Visits

29. The Nourishing NC Garden

30. Locavore Cooking 4-H Club

31. How You Can Help

32. Livestock and Row Crops
Addison 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.

33. Livestock and Row Crops
Addison 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)

35. Livestock and Row Crops
Addison 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.

36. 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

37. Programs
As 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.

38. 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.

39. Local Success Story
Christmas Trees grown in Transylvania County-
primarily sold as choose and cut-
Extension supports these growers by providing a
directory
Growers 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

40. Bart- Admin/ local foods

41. 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

42. Master Gardeners
• 2017 class is in 3rd week
• Work out at Silvermont, Lake Toxaway,
Brevard,
• Work at festivals
• Plant sale
• Farmers Market

43. Hemlock Cost share program
• $60,000 program
• Engaging private
landowners
• Education is
fundamental

44. Local foods- Field visits

45. Local Foods- programs

46. Local foods
Farmers
Market!

47. Local Foods- Bart
Working with
homeowners to
produce more of
their own food.

48. Local Foods
County advisory
committees

49. County Advisory Councils

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

51. Questions?

53. Getting the whole program
Staff as well- District, MHREC, and NC State

54. In line with Transylvania
County’s strategic plan:
• We are in a unique position to support
all 6 goals outlined in the strategic plan.

55. CORE PROGRAM MODEL

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