Updates from the ISU Extension and Outreach leadership team
Agriculture and Natural Resources
- The ISU Extension and Outreach farm management team held 12 Pro-Ag Outlook and Management Seminars during November and December, reaching 450 people with information on market outlook, profit potential, international ag and changes with cooperatives. A majority of attendees were ag lenders and other ag professionals, who walked away with ISU Extension and Outreach research-based materials that they could share with their clients. According to surveys conducted after the meetings, those in attendance will provide this information to an additional 3,400 people across the state.
- Three Master Gardener webcasts this winter will discuss managing vegetable pests, engaging with new audiences and gardening in containers. The one-hour webcasts will be shown at ISU Extension and Outreach county offices and are free-of-charge and open to anyone who may be interested.
Community and Economic Development
- The 2018 Community Visioning Program will be conducting a series of “transportation assets and barriers” focus-group workshops in 10 communities. The workshops are part of the assessment process that the program conducts in client communities to provide local decision makers a framework within which to make informed choices. In February CED specialists Abbie Gaffey, Eric Christianson and Scott Timm will assist in facilitating focus groups in Royal, Hinton, Coggon, Sumner and Walcott.
- Hosted by the Evelyn K. Davis Center in Des Moines, Master Business Bootcamp helps small business owners to improve their business outcomes through business workshops and one-on-one membership. Participants will be working on how to increase small business profit margins and sharpen their business practices. On Mondays in February, CED specialist Kameron Middlebrooks will be facilitating the bootcamp.
- During February, Hawarden, Paullina, Sheldon, Hartley, Sanborn, Sutherland and Boone will be participating in Marketing Hometown America. Community and Economic Development offers the program to help communities focus on what people are looking for when they choose a place to live and do business.
- During February, CED specialists will be conducting Township Trustee Training in Mills, Lucas, Louisa and Howard counties. Township trustee and clerk workshops help locally elected township clerks and trustees understand their roles and responsibilities. Iowa residents living in rural areas outside of incorporated cities rely on their local township government to provide a broad range of services, from vital functions such as fire protection to maintenance of public cemeteries and the resolution of fence disputes.
Human Sciences
- The Parent Education Collaborative in Linn County is celebrating 20 years of improving child outcomes. In 1996, Kristi Cooper, a human sciences specialist in family life, and the county director brought together people interested in parent education. Through all these years, the collaborative has engaged in a shared mission and with shared leadership. Extension and Outreach has remained a staunch partner. For more information, contact Kristi Cooper, kcoop@iastate.edu.
- Iowa State, Purdue, University of Illinois, University of Nebraska and University of Wisconsin participate in Growing Together, a multi-state SNAP-Ed and Master Gardener project to increase access to fruits and vegetables in food pantries. During the 2018 growing season 142,523 pounds of fruits and vegetables were supplied to food pantries and distribution sites, and 131,993 people with low income were served. In addition, 964 Master Gardener volunteers contributed their time and 615 community partners and agencies cooperated on the project.
- Kids in the Kitchen reach and results for federal FY 2018 are as follows: 778 youth were served in EFNEP-funded counties (Black Hawk and Polk); 45 percent identified with an under-represented racial group; 10 percent identified as Hispanic or Latino; 73 percent of kindergarteners through second graders improved knowledge in choosing foods consistent with Dietary Guidelines for Americans; and 79 percent of children in grades 3-5 improved knowledge in choosing foods consistent with the guidelines.
- Human Sciences Extension and Outreach will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the national Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) throughout 2019, in alignment with coordinated initiatives across the country. Watch social media for updates.
4-H Youth Development
- Norma Dorado-Robles will lead an Iowa 4-H Recruitment, Retention and Engagement pilot to better engage underserved and underrepresented youth, parents and volunteers in four focus communities: Ames, Marshalltown, Meskwaki Settlement and Cedar Rapids. She also is working on a multidisciplinary College and Career Readiness Work Group to help develop and test new family curriculum and wrap-around components to encourage post-secondary education and career opportunities for different cultural groups.
- Recent 4-H STEM activities around the state include: Cass County collaborating with Nishna Valley YMCA to offer a squeaky-clean magnets day camp for third through fifth graders; Dubuque County partnering with James Kennedy Public Library to offer an electrical engineering camp for third through fifth graders; the new 4-H club at Marshalltown’s Lenihan Intermediate School participating in “Engineering is Elementary” to learn about invasive species and water quality; and Warren County collaborating with the Irving Elementary School in Indianola and Heartland AEA to host the first STEAM Day with grades K-5.
- Eleven Healthy Living Ambassadors have been selected from regions across the state to be leaders for delivering wellness initiatives and providing educational opportunities for youth in their communities. These ambassadors will represent Iowa 4-H at the National 4-H Healthy Living Summit in February to explore all the areas of wellness through workshops, guest presenters, networking with other 4-H programs from across the country, and career panelists. They will gather new ideas and put together an action plan for how they can make our state a healthy and strong Iowa.