Updates from the ISU Extension and Outreach leadership team
Human Sciences
- The Human Sciences Extension and Outreach team serving regions 4 and 9 has developed a partnership with Gunderson Palmer Lutheran Hospital. First, the team delivered the “What About Me? My Wellbeing” series at the hospital earlier this year. As a result, additional programming was scheduled and delivered. The team presented “Caregiving Relationships: Conversations on Aging” to hospital staff. The two, one-hour sessions introduce the topic of caregiving, the changes families face and the skills individuals can use when facing later life situations. The sessions also build interest in the “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” series.
- Carl Weems, professor and chair, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, provided insights on childhood trauma in the Science of Parenting blog, July 2, 2018.
- A new “Buy. Eat. Live Healthy.” cohort began July 9: Abigail Spiegel, Dubuque County (new unit); Athena Speller, Black Hawk County; and Jamie Nyugen, Linn County.
- The human sciences team in regions 1 and 5, along with the program’s creative projects specialist, created “Do. Plan. Promote!” to assist county partners. The document provides a list of educational offerings that can be planned for, offered and promoted within Human Sciences Extension and Outreach.
- The ISU SNAP-Ed team underwent a management evaluation from the USDA regional office in July. The reviewers complimented our programming and partnerships. A full report of findings will be available by early September.
4-H Youth Development
- Individual enrollments of underserved youth into the Iowa 4-H program have nearly doubled since the 2013-2014 program year. Now 1,485 youth of color are participating in learning communities and clubs.
- From February through August, 60 Monarchs on the Move events will have been held at 40 locations in 30 counties, reaching more than 1,000 youth across the state.
- Thirty-nine young leaders have begun their terms on the 2018-2019 State 4-H Council. They will serve as ambassadors for the 4-H Youth Development program throughout the state and in their local counties.
Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Master Gardener registration is now available for 2018 training sessions. The trainings will take place in 43 locations across Iowa and are open to anyone who is passionate about volunteering and gardening. Training sessions will begin in August or September, depending on location, and the training locations are listed online. Iowa Master Gardeners donated more than 115,000 volunteer hours during 2017, providing the equivalent of $2.7 million in labor to help beautify Iowa and address ongoing food security issues.
- Farmland leasing meetings are being held across Iowa. The annual meetings address questions that landowners, tenants or other interested individuals have about leasing farmland. The 2018 meetings will focus on farmland ownership and tenure in Iowa, the latest on the economics of cover crop research, implementing conservation practices in leases, land values and cash rent trends, cost of production, methods for determining a fair rental rate, and legal updates that impact farm leases and land ownership. ISU Extension and Outreach farm management specialists will lead the meetings. More information is available through the Ag Decision Maker website.
- Managing Farmland Drainage workshops will be held on Aug. 7 in Mason City and Aug. 15 in Fort Dodge. The workshops are geared toward women landowners and will provide opportunities to discuss drainage issues that exist on Iowa farmland. The workshops also will cover different styles of drainage systems and how to address drainage water quality within the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Community and Economic Development
- The 2018 Community Visioning Program is in the design stage. Steering committees are reviewing preliminary community design concepts and design teams are presenting final concepts to the public. During August, design reviews will be conducted in Plymouth and Wapello. Public presentations will be held in Corning, Glidden, Peterson, Coon Rapids and Forest City.
- During August CED specialist Brian Perry will be meeting with several communities to discuss the Leading Communities program. He will meet with regional director Kraig Tweed and community development specialist Scott Timm in Decorah, regional director Paul Mariman in Dubuque and regional director Jeff Macomber in Tipton. The program is made possible in part by a Vice President for Extension and Outreach initiative and features the creation of an additional module addressing immigrant social capital.
- Susan Erickson, Lisa Bates and Diane Van Wyngarden will be attending the Iowa Downtown Conference Aug. 28-30 and providing an ISU Extension and Outreach CED presence as an exhibitor in Waterloo. The Iowa Downtown Conference is the premier statewide annual conference for professionals and volunteers involved in preservation-based downtown revitalization in Iowa and neighboring states.