ASRED Spring Meeting Minutes April 14, 2020
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
ASRED Spring Meeting Minutes
April 14, 2020
(Note: Due to Coronavirus, face to face meeting was cancelled and the meeting was held via Zoom)
10:00 AM
CT/11:00 Tuesday, April 14, 2020 – Session 1
AM ET
Call to Order and Welcome – Dr. Tom Dobbins, Chair, ASRED
Review Agenda
Recognitions
• Chair and Past Chair
• Recognition of Service
• Recognition of Distinguished Leadership
Review/Approval of Minutes – August 2019 Meeting
Appoint and Charge Committees
10:00 –
1 • Nominating Committee for 2020 - 2021 (See list of vacancies HERE; vote via
10:25
follow-up email following committee report). Tom appointed Ed Jones, Chair,
Rich Bonanno, and Damona Doye to serve as the Nominating Committee for
2020-21.
• ED Evaluation/POW/Budget Committee (See Accomplishment/Goals HERE and
Budget HERE; vote via email upon receipt of committee recommendations).
Tom asked Robert Burns and Laura Johnson to serve with him as chair.
• Resolutions Committee (Take action via email, as needed). Gary Lemme, Chair,
Laura Stephenson and Nick Place were appointed.
ASRED Chair Tom Dobbins called the meeting to order at 11:00 a.m.
Attendees: Attendees: Gary Lemme and Paul Brown (AL), Rick Cartwright (AR), Nick
Place (FL), Laura Johnson (GA), Dale Monks (NC), Damona Doye (OK), Tom Dobbins
(SC), Robert Burns and Michael Buschermohle (TN), Laura Stephenson (KY), Ed Jones
(VA), Gary Jackson and Steve Martin (MS), Jeffery Hyde and Angela Burkham (TX), Gina
Eubanks (LA), Ron Brown (ASRED), Eric Young (SAAES), Michael Fitzner (NIFA), Aaron
Weibe, Chris Geith, Fred Schlutt, Larry Lippke (eXtension).
Note: Ed Jones made motion to approve the agenda for April 2020 meeting. Nick Place
seconded the motion. Agenda approved with no additions.
Note: Chair and Past Chair Leadership transition: Tom Dobbins recognized Nick Place
for serving as 2019 ASRED Chair. Nick Place passed the gavel to Tom Dobbins who will
serve as 2020 ASRED Chair.
Note: Recognition of Service: Tom Dobbins recognized Rick Cartwright for service to
ASRED as he retires from Cooperative Extension at the University of Arkansas on June
30, 2020.Note: Recognition of Excellence in Leadership: Tom Dobbins presented ASRED
Excellence in Leadership Award to Ed Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Note: Gary Lemme made motion to approve the minutes of the August 2019 meeting.
Damona Doye seconded the motion. Approved.
Note: Ed Jones presented the nominating committee report:
Tom Dobbins - Administrative Advisor for Middle Managers Committee (Rick
Cartwright unexpired term through fall 2021).
Steve Martin - Southern Region Aquaculture Center Board of Directors Committee
(term ending in fall 2020 and new 3 year term through 2023); also now serving Gina
Eubanks and Gary Lemme.
Southern Region Excellence in Extension Review Committee (nomination deadline is
May 1, so this committee will need to do its work shortly thereafter).
o Composition:
Nick Place – ECOP Personnel Committee Member
Robert Burns ASRED Director
Laura Stephenson ASRED Director
Dwayne Elmore (OK) Specialist or Agent
Nick Place - AA for SERA 03 - Southern Region Information Exchange Group for IPM,
replacing Rick Cartwright.
Gary Jackson - AA for SERA 35 - Delta Region Farm Management and Agricultural Policy
Working Group, replacing Rick Cartwright.
Mike Phillips - AA for SERA 45 - Crop diversification opportunities to enhance the
viability of small farms, replacing Rogers Leonard.
Note: Ed Jones made motion to approve the nominating committee report as
presented. Gary Lemme seconded the motion. Approved.
Note: Following this meeting the following elections were done by email:
Gina Eubanks – replacing Robert Burns as PLC Administrative Advisor and Executive
Committee Member, term ending in August 2021.
Nick Place – replacing Robert Burns on the ECOP Legislative and Budget Committee,
term ending in fall 2023. Also serving on this committee are Gary Lemme and Rich
Bonanno.
Note: Directors will vote via email in regard to Executive Director Evaluation, POW, and
Budget upon receipt of respective committee recommendations.Note: The Resolutions committee will prepare recommendations for action via email.
State Updates/Innovative Practices vis a vis COVED-19
Provide one innovative procedure/practice that is working for remote program
delivery. Directors send regular State Updates for inclusion in the minutes.
Note: Directors reported on various state efforts. Directors are asked to send Ron
Brown a short list of innovative procedures or practices that are working for remote
program delivery – actual examples. Ron will send an email call for items and compile
responses. Some of the examples provided during this meeting include the following:
Alabama
- moving programs to online, with great increases in participants, e.g., 5000 for a
beekeeping webinar
Arkansas
- Master Gardener enrollment up
- FCS Homemakers making masks
- 4-Hers making educational videos
Louisiana
- Special media kit on how to sanitize home, grocery shopping
10:25 –
2
10:55
Florida
- Vegetable producers lost market, no one to harvest; plowing crops under
- Extension and Department of Ag are assessing losses
- 4-Hers making masks; using contests
- ANR and FCS developing victory gardens
- Increased interest in bee keeping and Master Gardening
Georgia
- Developed online project achievement contest
- Six sessions of online Pesticide Safety
- weekly webinar for internal stakeholders
Kentucky
- Worked with the Governor’s Healthy at Home initiative; weekly ag agency director’s
- Facebook watch parties with as many as 5,000 participants
Mississippi
- Already had an emergency contingency plan in place
- Did a needs assessment with agents
- Moved programs to remote instructionNorth Carolina
- Prioritized programs to move to remote instruction
- Agents had a heart to help
Oklahoma
- 4-H programs moved to virtual programs
- Gardening team TV – youth focus
- Initiated remote/drop off for soil tests
- Dicamba training online
- Groups making masks
Tennessee
- Continuing soil tests, variety trials and farm visits, using social distancing
- Master Gardeners doing virtual work/prepackaged videos
- Prepared meals for children
- 24 new health publications developed
Texas
- Considering budget implications and focusing on learning for the future
- 4-H digital art project with 15,000 shares and 12,000 completions
- Disaster assessment and recovery team in place; training for local government on
how to access CARES
- Medical supply transport
- Made 5,000 masks
- Training for childcare providers
Virginia
- Moved bull sale from in-person to online
- Moved field day to online; normal attendance is 40; 150 online with several hundred
using the archived program
- Developed packets of information for kids to pick up
- Training in how to access broadband
South Carolina
- Victory gardens online
- Pesticide training online
- 4-H at Home Daily Lessons – used by individuals from all 50 states
- Instituted virtual social hour
Note: See State Updates appended at the end of the minutes.
10:55 –
Quick Nature Break (if needed)
11:00Mini Land-Grant Meeting, 2022 – Eric Young
Note: Administrative Heads plan to hold a mini-land grant meeting in June or July 2022.
ASRED recommends a late-April timeframe to double-up with our spring meeting. Ron
Brown will share this recommendation.
NIFA Update, Reimagining NIFA initiative – Mike Fitzner
- Lost lot of good staff
- Currently in temporary facilities; permanent space will be at 805 Pennsylvania
Avenue (downtown)
11:00 – - Reimagining NIFA is in process; comments welcome
3
11:30 - Working hard to get capacity funds distributed
eXtension and COVID-19 Proposal – Damona Doye, Aaron Weibe
Note: Fred Schlutt discussed proposed $80M federal funding request supported by
ECOP and eXtension. Policy Board of Directors approved request. If this moves
forward, it would potentially be included in the second federal stimulus bill. Funds
would go to states proportionally to support innovation in virtual learning.
ConnectExtension.org was also announced – a collaborative audience engagement
platform with two parts, public and internal.
11:30 AM –
Lunch Break
1:30 PM CT
1:30 PM
CT/2:30 PM Session 2
ET
SAAESD Report – Eric Young
Note: Discussed infrastructure proposal as part of the Research Facilities Act $8 billion
over five years. It would include Extension facilities as well.
Meeting Schedule – Ron Brown
• August 24-27, 2020, Ft. Worth, TX
1:30 – 4
(bid at regional hub; rotate from East, Central, and Western sections of the
1:45 PM
Southern region)
• April 2021 – Georgia
• August 2021 – Florida
• April 2022 (late April Mini LG?)
• NACAA Meeting – Ed Jones
Note: NACAA AM/PIC for 2020 is scheduled for third week of July in Virginia Beach. Theboard is discussing options that include a virtual meeting, a meeting later this fall, or
cancellation.
Peer Review of Extension Educational materials – Gary Lemme and Tom Dobbins
Discussion occurred at the AHS meeting on peer review processes for Extension
materials. Clemson and ACES both have implemented renewed peer review protocols
recently. The discussion was around should there be a regional peer review process
and label for Extension products or should each institution handle it separately. The
1:45 – group asked that this topic be brought to ASRED.
5
2:00 PM
Note: The general consensus among the Directors is that states will continue with their
respective peer-review protocols. Of course, faculty are encouraged to serve as
reviewers and collaborated as authors across state lines. Damona was asked to work
with the Program and Staff Development Committee to lead development of a broad
set of principles for Extension peer-review within the southern region.
Faculty and Staff Evaluation/Reporting System – Ed Jones
2:00 –
6
2:15 PM Note: Discussed various options states are using to evaluate faculty and staff.
2:15 – 2:20
Quick Nature Break (if needed)
PM
Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) – Nick Place, Cooperative Extension
Liaison to EDEN
What is EDEN? How is it organized? How does it function? How does a state have
representatives? How involved are the states in our region? Overview and Feedback
2:20 – Note: Nick serves as ECOP liaison to EDEN and provided an overview of how EDEN
7
2:40 PM works. EDEN (https://extensiondisaster.net/) operates competitively with funds from
the USDA Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative (FADI). In 2018, the project moved to
Purdue University. EDEN provides a regular newsletter and has delegates and points of
contact from each member institution. Directors may contact Abby Lillpop at
alillpop@purdue.edu for information about their membership and status of delegates
and points of contact, as well as other information.
2:40 – Measure Impacts from Online Extension Programming – All
8
2:55 PMUnder current conditions online programming by Extension has increased significantly
and there are reports of astounding outputs, but how do we measure impact?
Note: For further discussion, ACES will produce a short video on concepts being
utilized. It will be shared with ASRED members on concepts being explored. Later, Paul
Brown shared the following about using the registration features of Zoom to capture
program participant data. A link to a recording of “Zoom Training for Public Extension
Programs” is: https://auburn.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=0f2101c9-
5566-4315-a4ee-abb70033bf35. The recording also covers how ACES dovetails the registration
features with the ACES plan-of-work, scheduling, and reporting system. The ACES Extension IT
team prepared the recording for wide distribution. It has been captioned (click the CC button
in the lower right corner.) Anyone with the link can view the recording.
Pending Items
• DEI Administrative Retreat Invitation
• ECOP Strategic Vision
• 4-H Council Update – Andy Ferrin
• Resource Allocation Best Practices: StratOp Process – Sadie Brown and Laura Johnson
• Farm Journal/Trust in Food initiative – Jeff Young, UK
2:55 – • Community Assessment: Guide to Extension Programming – Laura Stephenson (Overview
9
3:00 PM process used, show summary of results; more in-depth discussion of using the assessment data
and its impact on organizational structure, staffing and programs)
• Principles and Techniques for Allocating SL Funds vis-à-vis state funds, audits, reporting, etc.
• How can Extension measure up in a research university setting with priority metrics of research
dollars, student credit hours, journal citations, etc?
Note: The pending items will be carried over to August meeting.
Adjourn
Note: Laura Johnson made the motion to adjourn meeting. Tom declared the meeting
adjourned.
State Updates:
3:00 PM University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Update for
ASRED/AEA/AES Joint Meeting
April 14, 2020
UK Cooperative Extension Homepage
Significant Activities
Administrative Reorganization
A three broad-based transition teams were tasked with advising the Extension Director in anadministrative reorganization of UK Extension. A plan was vetted over the course of four
months with state specialists, county staff, legislators and stakeholders via website, feedback
forms, face to face meetings and video updates. The link to the transition site is
http://extension.ca.uky.edu/extension-transition . The new model reorganizes the
administrative structure to transition from 7 district director positions to three regional
directors who oversee a total of 28 Area Directors who will supervise 3 to 5 counties each. The
plan was to phase hiring through December 2020.
Community Assessments
2019, Kentucky Extension collected a comprehensive series of county issues surveys, focus
group data and feedback from locally elected officials. Over 38,000 surveys were analyzed in
addition to data from dozens of secondary sources. This information has been transformed into
individualized county reports and disseminated to counties. County reports contain information
regarding which issues the public sees as most pressing, in addition to future projections and
impacts. All information is being used to aid Extension agents in creating and maintaining Plans
of Work. Program leaders have identified three overarching interdisciplinary issues to focus on:
• substance use and mental health
• community pride, engagement and leadership
• workforce development
The county and state community assessments can be found at
https://extension.ca.uky.edu/communityassessment .
Staffing Changes
Regional Directors hired
Three regional directors were hired as the first phase of the new administrative structure. The
each had served as District Directors in the system previously. Anna Porter, Natasha Lucas and
Daniel Wilson began their duties as of February 2020. They are leading the hiring process for
the Area Extension Directors over 2020 and organizing the Regional offices across the state.
Program Highlights
4-H Youth Development
Youth must have their basic needs met first in order to absorb and apply life skills. When
homeless youth are given the same opportunities and support as other youth, research shows
that they are successful at applying chosen life skills, such as acquiring employment,
communication skills, completing a GED or high school diploma, and more. The purpose of the
Project YES program was to provide life skills programs for homeless and unstably housed
youth in Jefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky. The primary goal was for target youth to
increase the number of critical life skills they possess to become more self-sufficient (e.g.,
workforce prep, communication & conflict resolution). Findings for the long-term outcomes
delineated on this grant are as follows: Participants reported on the post-test that the program
taught them many different relational and workforce soft skills in the program. Staff at the
youth center observed 100% of participants were able to put in practice at least one skill theylearned during the program. More than 22 youth gained employment directly through the support of program staff or resources. Approximately 88% have been able to maintain employment or school attendance for at least 6 months. During the reporting year, 11 homeless participants gained access to stable housing with the assistance of site staff. Two youth accepted referrals to a GED program, and one obtained their GED. Eleven participants from the YDC site attended higher education classes. At the end of the reporting period, 35 young adults still active at the YDC site were working or attending school. Due to programming and outreach efforts, over 240 individuals, organizations, and businesses have gained knowledge on how to support youth in crisis, have assisted teaching life skills, or provided resource information. Family & Consumer Sciences Diabetes costs Kentuckians 3.85 billion annually. According to 2016 Kentucky data, more than 13.1% of Kentucky adults have been diagnosed with diabetes – an increase of 50% since 2000. Due to limited resources available in the county, community members and local healthcare providers frequently look to the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service for information for individuals managing diet-related chronic diseases. Taking Ownership of Your Diabetes was implemented to Kentuckians manage their own or that of a loved one’s diabetes through nutrition education. This series was hosted, and outcomes were reported by the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in 21 counties across the Commonwealth. As a result of the program, 300 participants reported they utilized a diabetes-specific meal plan to manage carbohydrate intake and increase fruit and vegetable consumption. As a result of the program, 398 people shared they checked their blood sugar at least 1 time per day and 464 had their A1C (long-term measures of blood sugar) checked in the past year, respectively. Because of the program, 212 individuals took part at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week and 258 individuals implemented at least 3 healthy eating practices to help address their weight (e.g. portion control). Agriculture and Natural Resources One of the five goals of the Campbell County Farmland Workgroup is to "Develop Agriculture Leaders." The lack of agriculture leaders is a major concern by most farm organizations such as the KY Cattlemen's Association, KY Farm Bureau and even the UK Cooperative Extension Service. In order to address this issue, Agriculture and Natural Resource Agents from Boone, Kenton, Campbell and Pendleton Counties developed and hosted the Northern KY Agriculture Leadership program. One of the foci of this program was to recruit younger farmers who would benefit from an agriculture leadership program and become agriculture leaders in their county and our NKY area. Extension Agents designed and implemented an eight-session program that addressed such topics as: effective leadership, diversity, communication skills, agribusinesses, working with local state and federal legislators, and policy organizations. Participants were asked to develop a project as part of this leadership program. They chose to use social media and focus their efforts in raising the awareness of agriculture in Northern KY. The young leaders developed a website called Where You Live NKY. This group of young leaders is using this website to post information about local markets, individual farmers and local farming issues.
Oklahoma State Report
ASRED Meeting – Spring 2020
Personnel
New Extension personnel since fall report include:
State 4‐H Program Leader and Assistant Dean, Steve Beck (recently at NMSU)
District Directors: Cindy Conner, West District; Nancy Johnson, Northeast District
Faculty positions:
o Courtney Bir, Agricultural Economics, 75%, Farm management
o Bizen Hu, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, 25% Urban and small farms
o Parker Henley, Animal Science, 25% Extension
o Kevin Allen, former 4‐H Program Leader, Natural Resource Ecology Management,
75% Extension
o Sumit Sharma, Irrigation/Water Management Assistant Extension Specialist
(supported by Reinvesting in DASNR funds from state legislature through
Oklahoma Department of Ag, Food and Forestry), non‐tenure track in Plant
and Soil Sciences
Extension Youth Safety Specialist, co‐ funded by Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Jim Rhodes
Multi‐County Health Disparities positions (supported by Reinvesting in DASNR funds
from state legislature through Oklahoma Department of Ag, Food and Forestry)
o Megan Montieth, Multi‐county Health Disparities, SW Ok
o Kelsey Ratcliff, SE OK
Department Heads (both those named happen to have been internal candidates
who previously had appointments that included Extension):
Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst, Agricultural Economics
Dr. Justin Moss, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
The search for a Department Head for Biosystems and Ag Engineering is in process.
We are advertising to refill an Evaluation Specialist position but searches are on hold.
Family and Consumer Science Program leader, Jorge Atiles, will become WVU
Dean of Extension and Engagement and director of the WVU Extension Service
June 29. Gina Peek will become Interim FCS Program Leader in June.
Current issues
All COVID, all the time. One of our county employees was OSU’s first case. All offices are
closed to public.
The number of telecommuting employees increases daily. Vulnerable employees should
telecommute which includes anyone 65 or older. Employees should be working while
telecommuting (with some admin leave exceptions).
We were hoping for a level budget year. Then oil prices tanked. Now COVID. We’ve
recently been notified to expect a mid-year call back of funds.
Soils lab is still open at present.
BC Updates (Before COVID)
We have a new website, extension.okstate.edu, and are continuing to build out pages. OSU has adopted a new logo and is focused on a unified brand. Future marketing efforts
related to OCES will feature OSU Extension (which is how we have been most commonly
identified historically).
We are now in the “public phase” of a building campaign for a new Ag Hall on
campus. The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources is now the
Ferguson College of Agriculture.
We still have personnel in all 77 counties though an increasing number have one
educator and an admin assistant.
We have a grand new McKnight Center for the Performing Arts. The New York
Philharmonic was the opening act.
Some program notes
Agriculture
Rotational Grazing Demonstration. In early 2018, grazing demonstrations were established
at two OSU Research Stations. The goal was to improve production efficiency of research
cowherds by managing winter feeding costs. The herd at these locations has remained
static in below average body condition, which in turn led to depressed conception rates.
Cow costs were much higher than desired, with feed costs making up a large portion of
expenditures. In addition, low calf weaning weights further reduced revenue. A plan was
implemented to make systematic improvements in forage management, and in turn
improve cow productivity and economic efficiency. This plan included a rotational grazing
strategy at a moderately high stocking rate with minimal purchased feed. Winter hay
feeding was reduced by 51 and 91 days at the two locations. Cow body condition scores and
conception rates were improved at both locations. Data from 2018‐19, showed a savings of
$15,240 over 272 cows at Valliant and a $4,245 savings on 42 cows at Perkins. The first field
days at the sites averaged 40 producers, but the reach of this project has been significantly
greater. This information has been shared in some form at 40+ meetings reaching over 1600
producers. Ultimately, this project will be used to develop a curriculum used by county
educators to identify, recruit and train a cooperating producer in their county. This
producer will implement the forage strategies proven to work on the research stations and
serve as a “local research unit” for hosting Field Days within each county.
Master Irrigator Program. Our irrigation extension program made significant steps forward
in 2019. Particularly, the team was successful in establishing their first Testing Ag
Performance Solutions (TAPS) project. They also, established two on farm demonstrations
of an integrated irrigation scheduling model. One cooperating producer plans to expand
his use of this technology. The other was somewhat resistant to adopt the technology and
requested trials for a second year with more validation. The experience with these
producers was the foundation for developing a Master Irrigators program. The team
focused attention in 2019 on identifying an incentive structure for the program. This
includes partnering with the NRCS to list the completion of the Master irrigators program in
their ranking system for cost share funds. They completed a draft curriculum of the Master
Irrigators program and recruited an advisory board that includes local irrigators. While they
continue seeking support from several agencies, they expect to launch the program in 2020.
Small Acreage Programming. Several years ago, educators in the Tulsa county Extension
office created a Green Acres program targeting individuals who were moving to the countryfor the first time. This is a customizable, entry‐level program to suit the needs of the
audience. Topics include setting up a farmstead, managing animals, horticulture, water,
waste management, and unwanted pests. This program is currently being revitalized with
new branding, Homestead Oklahoma. A team of local, area, and state staff are using
Microsoft Teams to share and edit presentations and handouts for this program. The Teams
site will be the place to find all resources on this topic.
Standardized ANR Evaluation Template. Ag educators and specialists were introduced to a
standardized evaluation template in spring 2019. A survey of approximately 150 ANR
educators and specialists in the summer found that 10 percent had already used the
template and 48 percent planned to use it. The standardized format allows individuals to
customize the questions based on content covered at an event. Attendees are asked to rate
their knowledge on a topic before and after the meeting. Additionally, they are asked to
indicate whether they; already use, intend to use, do not intend to use a practice discussed,
or (4) whether the practice does not apply to them. This question also serves as a needs
assessment. For example, a survey at a local cattle conference indicated that 70 percent of
the producers sprayed at least half their acreage while only four percent calibrated sprayers.
The evaluation template is gaining acceptance and we hope to aggregate data in future
years.
Disaster Preparedness. An interdisciplinary group of county, area, and state staff have
formed a Disaster Preparedness team. They created an OSU Extension Educator Advisory
Board for Disaster Preparedness and Response to guide training and education design for
OSU Extension personnel with regards to disaster preparedness and response. They
identified OSU Extension personnel to join formal strike teams for disaster response with
the intent to provide more intensive training for team leaders and team members on
resources and the Incident Command System structure. They have had the opportunity to
test procedures recently due to a wildfire in western Oklahoma and the coronavirus crisis.
Family and Consumer Sciences
The Co‐Parenting for Resilience program received national recognition through the
National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences: First Place,
Communications Curriculum Award; Second place,
Human Development/Family Relationships Award
o An FCS educator shared the direct impact this program made on one Oklahoma
family. “I had a dad in my co‐parenting class earlier this week who told me his
co‐parent took your class in another county. He said before she took the class
she was being very rigid about the custody situation for their four‐year old and
was reluctant to let him spend time with her. After the co‐parenting class, she
was singing a different tune. She threw out the custody arrangement she
originally suggested and decided to give him more time and doesn’t even want
any child support. After my class, the dad said he thought the two of them would
have been able to work things out if they had taken the class together a few
months back (before she filed for divorce.)”
The Reality Check program was conducted with 185 high school students during the
Unidos Se Puede summer program. Participants now have a better understanding of the
process of budgeting and how important school/job/career decisions are now and for thefuture. Students remarked, “I learned that having a budget and saving money are both
very important. I was surprised at how much money it takes to live and how expensive
kids are. I was shocked at how much is taken out of your check for taxes.” Evaluation for
this activity held in July of 2019 showed an increase in understanding in eight out of ten
personal finance outcomes.
The CNEP program expanded its reach to Payne and Greer counties, bringing the total
number of counties across the state to 30 of 77 counties.
The High Obesity Project, through the leadership of Dr. Janice Hermann, is
creating partnerships with Cooperative Extension Service, T‐SET, Eastern
Oklahoma Food Bank, Cherokee Nation and others.
An FCS educator reported a participant in the Live well, Eat well, be Active with Diabetes
program (LEAD) shared that five months after completing the program she has lost 13
pounds and her A1C was down 1.3 points. She attributed her improved health to the
class and wants to take it again.
A Farm to You evaluation for 3rd and 4th graders was created, piloted, and implemented.
This will enable the program, which reaches an average of 12,500 youth each year, to
measure its impact.
Finalized partnerships for Master Caregiver Volunteer Program, developed first three
curriculum modules, and began foundational work for collecting program and
participant data.
An FCS educator reported, “While teaching a series of exercise classes using the
Arthritis Foundation Land Exercise curriculum, one participant reported that when she
first started the exercise program, she could hardly turn her head to look over her
shoulder while driving. She went on to say that now she can turn her head and doesn’t
have to turn her whole body to see what is behind her. I agreed with her when she said
that the program has made her a safer driver.”
4‐H and Youth Development
2018 – 2019 4‐H Enrollment numbers indicated that 111,616 youth received a
variety of educational programs including STEM, Civic Engagement and Healthy
Living.
The Innovative Youth Leadership Summit trained youth to teach Ag Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and computer science projects, training 54
teen leaders who led 97 workshops that reached 5,505 learners.
Oklahoma 4‐H reports 25 service projects, with 2,279 youth and adult participants in
activities ranging from
Serving as “guest chefs” at the Ronald McDonald House in Oklahoma City to providing
backpacks to youth needing them.
4‐H Healthy Living Ambassadors have put together a program to offer families in the wake
of COVID‐19.
Programs will include mental health, healthy snacking, physical fitness and other self‐care
ideas.
In summer 2019, five OSU student were trained to teach 4‐H STEM lessons. They took
workshops to youth in 40 counties, reaching 2,733 youth in less than 4 months and used
eight curriculum kits featuring water and wind power, coding, medical technology,
biotechnology, structural engineering and photography.
Oklahoma 4‐H recently received the Altria Health Rocks grant through National 4‐HCouncil. A team of 4 will be trained on the national level and then provide trainings
around the state. Health Rocks! is a decision‐ making program to help young people
learn skills such as critical thinking, how to manage stress, how to handle peer pressure,
and how to communicate effectively. Special emphasis is given to avoiding the use of
tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs that are likely to cause harm or addiction.
$100,000 gift from Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma to establish permanent
endowment to support Oklahoma 4‐H Roundup and STEM.
$10,000 (Total – existing $5,000 increased to $10,000) pledge from Farm Credit
Associations of Oklahoma to upgrade prestigious Oklahoma 4‐H Hall of Fame
Scholarships from long‐time $2,500@ to now $5,000@
$2,500 pledge from American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) sponsorship for Oklahoma
4‐H Foundation 2019 Banquet. Replaces Devon Energy’s discontinued sponsorship
due to challenging oil and gas industry.
Clemson Cooperative Extension
ASRED Report April 2020
Clemson University Cooperative Extension received $ 1.2 million in new dollars to
support county programs and operations, as well as to start a new statewide program in
Agriculture Water Resources. We received funding to hire five (new) Agriculture Water
Resource Agents to assist farmers and educate the general public on Agriculture Water
use.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service Strategic Planning Committee
reported in May 2019 that Extension had reached 98% of the 2015-2020 strategic plan.
The committee began work on the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and completed it in
September 2019 for 2020-2025. As a recommendation of the Strategic Planning
Committee, we underwent three evaluations - external and two internal, as requested by
our strategic plan committee. The Extension System had an external review conducted
by Auburn Extension System, two internal by Human Resources and one self- evaluation.
These reports were compiled by Clemson University Human Resource Division in
conjunction with the Director’s office. As a result of these findings, Clemson Cooperative
Extension went through a minor reorganization in administration during the month of
January. These changes went into effect on January 15, 2020.
Program
Highlights
Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension provides science-based, peer-reviewed
publications written by Extension personnel and university scientists for
professional and academic audiences, as well as owners and managers of
livestock, horses, and land.
Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension ‘By the Numbers’ as of April 1, 2020:
• 40 publications have been published and posted on the new Land-Grant Press
website (lgpress.clemson.edu) since July 31, 2019.• There are almost two dozen submittals that are currently in different
phases of the structured review process.
• Over 90 publications - that were written for audiences that Land-Grant Press now
serves - were removed from Extension website in July of 2019 to be revised and put
through Land- Grant Press structured review process.
• Over half of currently posted Land-Grant Press publications are revisions from old
versions taken down last July.
• Over 9,000 unique visitors to Land-Grant Press website since July 2019 launch.
• Most popular publication – Homemade Hydraulic Ram Pump – over 5,900 unique
visitors over past seven months.
• Over forty-five authors have authored or co-authored posted publications.
• Almost a dozen ‘external’ authors who have authored or co-authored with Clemson
authors.
• Over eighty reviewers who have participated. One third of those are ‘external’.
• Out of the nine Extension Program Teams, seven are currently contributing publications,
plus one unit from the state agency, Clemson University Public Service and Agriculture
(PSA).
• Land-Grant Press publications are being indexed on Google Scholar.
• Publications that are appropriate for DOIs (digital object identifiers) are now being
assigned those by Clemson University Press.
• Publications that are related to Clemson University Experiment Station Research and
Education Centers projects and programs, are now being assigned internal TCNs
(transaction control numbers) for Hatch Project reporting.
Livestock and Forages
The average beef cattle operation in South Carolina maintains a herd size of
approximately 30 beef cows. With smaller herd sizes, South Carolina producers can
often be limited to local marketing options. Cattle coming from the southeast are going
to be transported (more than likely west/north) in large truck/trailers in what we refer
to as load lots (50,000 pounds) of cattle. While local marketing options are sufficient,
lack of calf history and co-mingled groups lead to decreased assessed value. Larger
operations have increased marketing options by grouping calves in load- lots, and
marketing like cattle with similar health history to buyers.
Clemson Extension works with local producers to group calves of similar weight, health
history, and genetic background for load-lots. Livestock agents across South Carolina
work with producers within each region to facilitate the improved marketing of these
cattle. The impact of this program is truly a work of multiple years of education and
outreach on behalf of Clemson Extension by each local agent and specialist. The
increased value below is representative of the basic management practices taught anddemonstrated through multiple workshops, farm visits, and phone calls. Workshops and
seminars include, Market Volatility workshops (3), Master Beef Producer (2), and local
presentations (on avg. 10/agent), all to address management to increase profit. The
team has facilitated improved marketing of over 4,000 head of beef calves in the past 6
months. The average increased revenue was $250/head or $1,000,000 total. Increasing
farm revenue leads to a decrease in anxiety, improved mental health, less mood
disorders, and increased family stability. Increasing farm revenue also has a trickle-down
effect in the community, with increased wages for farm workers, increased spending in
the community, and increased financial stability.
4-H Youth Development
SC 4-H
Leadership
4-H Day at the State Fair
October 12, 2019- South Carolina 4-H members from across the state rallied together
at the South Carolina State Fair to show their support of the 4-H program and fellow
members competing in contests held at the fair. Youth gather around the flag pole to
raise the flags and celebrate everything that 4-H has to offer.
SC 4-H Junior Weekend
February 7-9, 2020 - The 2020 SC 4-H Junior Weekend was held at Camp Long in
Aiken, SC. 119 youth and adults attended this year's fun-filled week. Youth gained
skills in healthy lifestyles, livestock, science, public speaking, and leadership.
SC 4-H Senior Weekend
March 6-8, 2020- The 2020 SC 4-H Senior Weekend was held at Camp Bob Cooper in
Summerton, SC. 87 youth and adults attended this year's event. Youth gained
knowledge and skills in science, dancing, public speaking, creating a 4-H portfolio and
archery.
SC 4-H Legislative Day
March 10th was our 2020 4-H Legislative Day. 339 4-Hers, volunteers and supporters
converged on the State Capital to share with legislators the importance of 4-H and to
thank them for their continued support.
National 4-H Congress
South Carolina was represented by 10 youth and 2 chaperones. One of the youth,
Jordan Snipes served on the Youth Leadership Team.
4-H Pinckney Leadership Program
4-H Leadership Round-up
In an effort to create a year-round program the 4-H Pinckney Leadership team
hosted its first Leadership Round-up bringing both students and adults from all overthe state of South Carolina. With over 150 people in attendance the event provided
youth and parents with tools necessary for creating next generation leaders. The
2019 4-H Pinckney Leadership scholarship recipients were also awarded during the
event.
4-H Healthy Lifestyles:
4-H Healthy Lifestyles Competition
Two Cloverleaf Teams, five Junior Teams, and two Senior Teams competed in the State
4-H Healthy Lifestyles Competition held at the State Fair. The 4-H Healthy Lifestyles
Challenge, modeled after competitions such as the Food Network’s “Iron Chef,”
challenges teams of 4-H members to create an assigned dish. Team members must
prepare the dish, present the dish, plan a menu utilizing the dish and prepare a fitness
plan. The presentation will include information about the serving size, nutritional value,
how to utilize the dish in a meal and the cost of the dish. The 4-H Healthy Lifestyles
Challenge allows 4-H members to demonstrate their culinary and food safety skills to
judges and observers.
4-H Healthy Lifestyles Summit
Nine Teams of four youth and one coach attended the 4-H Healthy Lifestyles Summit
which trains youth to implement Cooking Like a Chef camps in their local counties
during the summer. Clemson students under the direction of Dr. Marge Condrasky
helped to select the recipes and identify the skills needed to teach youth. Nine college
students also attended the summit to serve as group leaders along with local chefs to
teach the youth the skills they need to be successful.
4-H Science:
4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) Trainings
A NYSD Educator Training was held at Midlands Technical College – Fairfield Campus on
September 24, 2019. Jennifer Stevens hosted the event and presenters included Ashley
Burns, Dawn Stuckey, Terri Sumpter, and Abigail Phillips. The training was streamed live
online and recorded/posted online. There were 10 participants. In addition to the in-
state event, an NYSD Educators Training workshop was presented at the National 4-H
Volunteers Conference at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Georgia utilizing the SC-developed
materials. Facilitators for 20 workshop participants included Ashley Burns and Deborah
Jamison (UPIC Intern). Resources were provided to participants as well as 2019 NYSD
kits, Game Changers. Across the two trainings, 100% of survey respondents (n = 18)
agreed or strongly agreed the trainings were well organized, informative, and a valuable
use of their time, they will use NYSD activities in their 4-H programs on a regular basis,
and they gained valuable resources to help them in their work with youth. In addition,
94% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they will recruit youth to participate in an
NYSD event and have a stronger appreciation of the importance of CS experiences in
youth development. A state-wide NYSD registration site was developed and shared to
capture participation in NYSD across South Carolina. According to the registrations, there
were nine events reaching 389 youth and utilizing 22 adult volunteers, which did notinclude the 4-H Exhibit at the SC State Fair which utilized two of the three NYSD activities
this year and reached 4,500 youth.
National 4-H Council: CS Accelerator proposal
South Carolina 4-H is very interested in the Growing a Computer Science (CS) Pathway
for America’s Youth: Accelerator Award. We are primed for the next step in CS
programming and intentional development of computational thinking skills. Overall
participation in the Science, Engineering, and Technology 4-H activities continues to
grow, from 103,428 youth in 2016/17 to 109,037 youth in 2017/18 according to our most
recent ES-237 reports. Specifically, Technology and Engineering participation has grown
from 17,715 to 22,442 youth over the same period (approximately 27% increase). At the
South Carolina State Fair each year, National Youth Science Day (NYSD) serves as a focal
point of our exhibit. We engage approximately 4,500 youth at our 4-H exhibit at state fair
annually. Currently, we have a 4-H Science committee comprised of agents and a
specialist that represent all four 4-H regions in South Carolina. This committee
coordinates educator trainings (for 4-H staff, volunteers, teens, and teachers), science
programming for 4-H Club Camp, and the annual South Carolina 4-H Engineering
Challenge. Our 2019 Engineering Challenge offered a new coding competition as a direct
result of South Carolina's inclusion in the 2017 Google grant and the 2018 NYSD Code
your World activity. We also conducted educator and agent trainings to highlight several
new curricula and devices in 2018 and 2019. With additional funding support, we would
be able to enhance and expand our reach of intentional CS programming for new and
existing audiences. Our goal is to develop a cohesive structure for our South Carolina CS
Pathway, empower local 4-H staff with resources and materials to be successful in CS
programming, leverage local resources and partnerships, and implement a CS Educator
training for staff, volunteers, and teen leaders to effectively implement the CS Pathway
across the state. With the $20,000 received for the program from National 4-H through
their corporate sponsor Google, we will be able to develop and implement CS
programming to accelerate the computational thinking skills for youth of South Carolina.
4-H Natural Resources:
4-H Honey Bee Project 2020
The 2020 South Carolina 4-H Honey Project enrolled 41 participants across 15 counties.
New strategies to increase engagement included review of record book and materials
by the new state Extension apiculture specialist, an informational webinar conducted
by the project coordinator and apiculture specialist, the addition of a social media
toolkit with images and messaging guide for Extension personnel to use, and the
addition of a group component where groups of five or more youth can participate
together as a team to manage one colony and turn in one record book. A 4-H Honey
Bee Project Kickoff was scheduled to be hosted at the Charleston Community Bee
Gardens on Saturday, March 28 from 10 AM to 2 PM, but was cancelled due to COVID-
19.
4-H Wildlife Food Plot Project
The 2019-2020 South Carolina 4-H Wildlife Food Plot Project enrolled 70 participantsacross 23 counties in August 2019. New for this year, a group component was added
where groups of 5 or more youth (aligned with 4-H Club membership standards) could
participate together. Also, an online record book platform provided by ZingBooks
through Zsuite was piloted for a statewide project. Youth received memberships to
Rack Pack provided by QDMA, seed to plant 1/8-acre food plot provided by
Wannamaker Wildlife, 10 e-newsletters, access and instructions for using the online
record book, awards, and evaluations (one for participants related to the project and
one for anyone associated with the online record book to provide feedback).
Photographs were solicited from youth through the newsletter.
4-H Forestry Clinic
Nineteen youth from across South Carolina attended our SC 4-H Forestry Clinic held
February 21- 23rd at John De La Howe School in McCormick. During this clinic, the youth
learned hands-on forestry skills from Clemson Extension Forestry Agents. Skills learned
included tree measurement, compass and pacing, tree and forest health identification,
and topographic map reading. Our top scorers for the weekend were Tree Measurement-
Connor Dickson, Greenville County 4-H; Compass and Pacing- Harley Cochran, Saluda
County 4-H; Exam, Tree ID, Forest Health, and Topo Combined- Ivan Lopez-Perez, Saluda
County 4-H; High Overall- Josh Eubanks, York County 4-H. We also selected our 2020 SC
4-H Forestry Team that will compete at the National 4-H Forestry Invitational being held
this summer in West Virginia. The team members selected were Josh Eubanks, Nathan
Clark, Forrest Rozelle, and Samantha Mullinax. They are all members of York County 4-H.
WHEP Educators Training
The Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) is a national program that is engages
youth through a friendly wildlife competition and exposes them to potential careers in
the wildlife and fisheries field. In an effort to recruit more youth to natural resources
programs in South Carolina, Clemson University, Clemson Extension and South Carolina
4-H, implemented intentional programming to develop and expand WHEP. A one-day,
hands-on workshop was held at John de la Howe School for Agriculture in McCormick,
South Carolina, on November 8, 2019. It was conducted by the SC WHEP Committee,
which consisted of 4-H & Natural Resources Agents, 4-H Specialists, Wildlife Specialists,
and other professionals from the field. The morning portion featured presentations on
an overview of the WHEP program and an in-depth look at the individual activities
within WHEP. The afternoon portion, the participants were exposed to mock contests
modeled after the actual competition, and a question and answer portion. The WHEP
Adult Educators Training had twenty-one 4-H Agents, 4-H Volunteers, non-formal
educators, and formal educators in attendance from 18 different counties. All of the
educators that attended the training (n = 21) agreed or strongly agreed that the training
increased their skills in wildlife areas of interest to them, provided them
information/resources to successfully lead a WHEP team, and gave them hands-on
experience that will help them with future WHEP activities. In addition, 90% agreed or
strongly agreed that the WHEP training made them more passionate about youth wildlife
programs. There was also a project reach of over 668 potentially reached as a result of
attending the training.SC 4-H Horse Program:
All American Quarter Horse Congress
Five South Carolina 4-H’ers and their coaches traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to compete in
the 2019 All American Quarter Horse Congress. Aliza Allison (Lexington), Hartley Grant
(Anderson), Marie Elizabeth Grant (Anderson), Rebekah Floyd (Greenwood) and Langley
Vernon (Anderson) competed in educational contests at the 2019 All American Quarter
Horse Congress, which attracts more than 650,000 people to the Columbus, Ohio. The
team of Allison, Hartley Grant, Marie Elizabeth Grant, Floyd and Vernon took first place
on Oct. 15 in the Horse Bowl Contest, a quiz bowl contest where participants are asked
questions about horses and horse-related topics. Allison, Hartley Grant, Marie Elizabeth
Grant and Vernon continued to shine the following day in the Hippology Contest, again
garnering the championship. Hippology is the study of horses and the contest tests
participants’ knowledge of horse and horse-related items from any aspect of the horse
industry.
SC 4-H Horse Institute
November 2019-February 2020- Thirty-five youth registered and participated in the first-
ever South Carolina 4-H Horse Project Educational Course, called Horse Institute. This
online course designed to enhance the understanding of horses and horse-related items
from any aspect of the horse industry. Students will develop a deeper understanding of
breeds of horse, the history of the horse, tack, body systems, equine management and
much more.
SC 4-H Horse Project Kick-Off
January 4, 2020- The first annual South Carolina 4-H Horse Project Kick-Off was held in
Lexington, SC this past January. During this event, over 50 youth, volunteers, and parents
gain knowledge on 4- H record books, 4-H presentations, fecal sampling, horse judging,
4-H horse contests, scholarship preparation, equine reproduction, equine welfare,
equine genetics and much more.
SC 4-H Horse Project Creative Contest
February 15, 2020- The 2020 SC 4-H Horse Project Creative Contest was held on February
15, 2020, at T. Ed Garrison Arena. This contest was held in conjunction with the South
Carolina Horseman's Council's annual Horse Expo. Horse lovers from all across the state
(including 4-H members and volunteers) came to learn from world-renown horse
professionals. 4-H members were given free entry to the expo by simply wearing their
favorite 4-H t-shirt. At the 4-H booth, youth learned about 4-H and the horse project,
colored, learning fecal sampling and viewed over 40 SC 4-H Horse Project Creative
Contest art entries. Youth also enjoyed fun horse-related games and activities held
between speakers in the main arena.
Livestock:
Knowledge CollegeKnowledge College was held in January with almost 200 youth participating. Topics
included; Livestock & Dairy Judging, Beef Cattle, Rabbit, Swine and Poultry Skillathon
Information and Genetics and Nutrition CDE information. This event was made possible
with the support of SC Farm Bureau.
Shooting Sports:
Leader Training and enrollment
Conducted 5 volunteer instructor trainings - certifying an additional
75 coaches Youth Enrollment increased by 20% in past 6 months
Food Systems and Safety Team
In South Carolina there are more than 19,000 retail food establishments permitted by
the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC). Clemson
Extension Food Systems and Safety agents provide the ServSafeÒ Manager certification
course and exam throughout the state of South Carolina on a monthly basis to ensure
that retail food establishments meet the SC DHEC requirements of having a certified
food protection manager on staff, and to help reduce the number of foodborne illness
outbreaks in the state. In the past six months, 17 classes were held with a total of 138
registered participants and 69% of the participants passed the certification exam. Over
75 South Carolina retail food establishments were represented and it was estimated
that these establishments serve roughly 4,170 patrons daily. The National Restaurant
Association estimates that a foodborne illness outbreak costs an establishment
approximately $75,000. The economic impact of the trainings held by Clemson
Extension agents could be estimated at
$12,750,000 by preventing foodborne illness outbreaks at these establishments.
It is estimated that there are more than 200 food manufacturing and distribution firms
in South Carolina. To ensure that these firms are following the Food Safety
Modernization Act, as well as other state and federal regulations, the Clemson
Extension Food Systems and Safety team provides training to the food manufacturing
industry. In the past six months the team has delivered two Preventive Control for
Animal Food courses, one Preventive Control for Human Food course, and one Seafood
HACCP Course. The Animal Food course had 14 participants, which represented 11
animal food producing establishments in South Carolina. The Preventive Control for
Human Food course had 19 participants, which represented 16 human food production
establishments in South Carolina. One seafood HACCP class was delivered, which had
seven registered participants and represented four seafood firms in South Carolina.
Food2Market is a Clemson Cooperative Extension program that assists food
entrepreneurs in meeting the state and federal food safety regulations. Food2Market
personnel work closely with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, South
Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and Clemson’s Livestock
Poultry Health Department to deliver regulatory information and requirements to food
entrepreneurs producing foods for sale. The most common method of delivering this
information is through product testing. Product testing is required for shelf stable food
products (i.e. canned pickles, BBQ sauce, jams and jellies, unrefrigerated bottled
beverages, etc.) and baked and dried foods that are to be sold without refrigeration.
Product testing is provided by recognized process authorities and testing results gives
the entrepreneur and the overseeing regulatory authority information on how toprepare the food product to ensure safety. The most common tests utilized to provide
this information are pH, water activity, gluten and nutrition facts. In the past six months,
the Food2Market program has conducted food product testing and/or nutrient analysis
for 67 entrepreneurs and testing represents 190 individual food products. Upon testing
products, entrepreneurs are provided information on who will regulate their food
product, and how to begin producing their products for sale. Product testing related to
these products provide the producer guidance on how to produce the products safely
and can ensure consumers of the products that the food is safe for consumption when
testing is completed, and all regulatory requirements are met. During this time period a
Food Safety for Food Entrepreneurs course was also held. This course is for food
entrepreneurs who wish to learn more about producing safe foods for sale in the
marketplace and the state and federal requirements for their products. This course is a
seven-week online course, which concludes with a one-day in- person meeting to give
course participants time to talk with Extension food safety experts, and state and
federal regulators, learn about product testing through hands-on activities and network
with their fellow food entrepreneurs. The Fall 2019 course had 34 food entrepreneurs
attend. This course is held two times per year.
Horticulture Team Accomplishments
Agents are currently working remotely to adapt programming due to COVID19. Primary
activities include converting current programs to online delivery, developing new online
programs, writing and revising fact sheets and publications, assisting producers in
responding to COVID19 challenges, including working with the Food Safety, Agribusiness
Team and SC Department of Ag to develop resources to help producers sell the produce
as we enter harvest season for major crops like strawberries and other berries, spring
vegetables, etc. We are also working on developing new social media and online
resources, including a new Clemson Extension Horticulture Facebook page which has
reached nearly 700 followers in less than a week.
Commercial Fruit & Vegetable Production
Programs
Crop Production Meetings – Horticulture agents and specialists deliver training programs
to commercial fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop producers of any scale. Conventional
and organic producers participate in training programs that include horticulture
production practices, integrated pest management, on-farm food safety, and other
relevant topics. Examples below. Since September 1, 41 programs were delivered
regionally and statewide to over 1,500 participants.
• Apple Production (Upstate)
• Peach Production (Upstate & Ridge)
• Vegetable Production (Multiple)
• Strawberry Production (Multiple)
• Blueberry School (Pee Dee)
• Small Farm and Limited Resources (Multiple)You can also read
