We had another exciting week here in Black Hawk county, and it started with tabling at SingleSpeed brewery on Monday and Tuesday evening, where we collected surveys, handed out merch, and even recorded marketing material! On Wednesday, it was like school picture day all over again as we took the summer intern photo! Willa and Miles also had the chance to join Keziah and meet the students participating in RIYO this summer. After, we met with the admissions director of Ravenwood Specialty Care to get a tour of the facility and learn how we can collaborate to provide resources to staff and residents. On Thursday, Keziah and I got to go to ISU Extension and Outreach’s Dick Young Greenhouse at George Washington Carver Academy in Waterloo, and talked with Sheila Sartorius, manager of the greenhouse. We interviewed Sheila on what she does for extension, some of her hobbies outside of work, and asked about her favorite work memory as she prepares for retirement (congratulations Sheila!) On Saturday, we returned to the Waterloo Urban Farmer’s Market for Bee and Butterfly Day and attended the 30th annual Juneteenth Celebration at Sullivan Park. We look forward to another exciting and productive week six!

This week has been busy for both I (Olivia) and Claire in Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, and Sioux County

We started our week with outreach visits to local daycares. In George, we spent time at Little Mustangs Daycare, and in Sanborn, we visited Kids Express Daycare. Claire led engaging, hands-on lessons that brought joy and curiosity to the classroom. At Little Mustangs, she introduced children to the wonders of planting, helping them explore how plants grow through interactive arts and crafts. Later in the week at Kids Express, she switched gears to talk about horses, using playful, educational activities to teach kids about animals and spark their interest in agriculture.

Meanwhile, I had the privilege of presenting a community mural proposal to the Community Foundation of Sheldon. During the presentation, I shared a vision for implementing a public mural in Sheldon that reflects the town’s identity and celebrates its community spirit. I walked through the steps of mural development. From planning and budgeting to materials and design, offering options that would allow for community involvement and create a meaningful, lasting piece of art that belongs to Sheldon.

To end the week, we joined John Buntsma, one of Sioux County’s dedicated Master Gardeners, for a fun and educational planting activity with kids. Together, we taught them how to fold their own origami paper planter pots, followed by hands-on planting and discussions about how seeds grow. It was a wonderful way to combine creativity, sustainability, and gardening in a way that made learning fun.

This week in Story County our office hosted the First Lego League Camp, a 5 day camp for kids interested in STEM. With the help of inDesign, Mia forged flyers and volunteer recruitment forms which helped promote and gather volunteers for 4-H events.

Since Erin’s project is largely focused in Nevada (Iowa), we visited the Nevada Food at First Pantry and got a better understanding of their operation and what should be planted in the Nevada Community Garden for the upcoming years since she’s working on garden plans that work for both the garden plot and the pantry needs.

Tuesday we made our weekly visit to the Beloit Gardens and harvested LOADS of peas, kale, cherries, and broccoli. Megan has received a number of interests from 4-H Clubs on leading a fair activity which she’s working on incorporating into the fair schedule.

Thursday, Erin was shipped out of the office to do a container gardening class at SHOP, the Iowa State University campus food pantry with the Reiman Gardens Grow and Give Intern, while Megan and Mia were stuck in the office with people breaking the windows (contractors, not to worry).

And now? With garden maps being drafted, 4-H flyers being designed, fairs being planned, and glass being replaced, we’re excited to continue our projects and begin working on our final presentation!

This week, we headed back to Corn Country to visit Vicki St. James, on-air personality and podcaster. She interviewed us for her podcast, Vicki Chats, which aired last Monday on IowaCornCountry.com. Additionally, we met the Black Hawk County Extension and Outreach Council members on Monday evening and shared a little bit about our project. 

On Wednesday, Keziah joined the RIYO students to help weed and put plants in the ground. Meanwhile, Miles and Willa had the opportunity to partake in the Rising Star Career Exploration Day. We learned from professionals within each pillar of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. We also had the opportunity to catch up with fellow Rising Stars in other counties. 

We explored downtown Waterloo on Thursday and conducted surveys at various small businesses. Then, Friday began a weekend jam-packed with fun events. That evening, we attended Friday Loo, a free summer concert series held in downtown Waterloo during the summer. While local band Never the Less performed, we met community members and gave away ISU Extension and Outreach merch to those who participated in the survey. The next day, we attended Chroma63, a new sound and art festival in Waterloo. The festival hosted art vendors, skate demos, live music, and food trucks galore! We met a wide variety of people while finding out what people know about ISU Extension and Outreach in Black Hawk County.

The farmer’s markets are in full swing in Dallas County. Here is a little summary of the last two weeks as we work these events.

My name is Lauren and I am working primarily at the Adel and Waukee events to try to get kids interested in eating their vegetables. If kids are brave enough to try the samples I have, then they get a small token worth $2 to spend at the Wilson Farm Produce booth. Something I have learned about the samples thus far is that kids are more apprehensive to try a dip rather than just a plain vegetable. The first week, I offered cowboy caviar, a recipe via the SpendSmartEatSmart database, and kids were a little weary and needed some encouragement to try it. This is more of the result I was wanting. Trying to get kids to step outside their comfort zone and granted a reward because of their bravery. This past week I offered cucumbers and the results were also amazing. I gave away 25 tokens in one day at the Adel market. As I do source the vegetables through the Wilson Farm Produce LLC, I’m trying to meet in the middle and do a simple concoction such as a dip but maybe less complex as the cowboy caviar. Another reason why I want to have a simple ingredient concoction is that next week, I’ll include what happens in your body when you eat the vegetables I have to sample. This would include how the body digests vitamins and how they get utilized. I will use my dietetics educational background to try and convey this information at a 3rd grade reading level. So far these events have been a great learning experience and I’m excited to continue helping out the community. As for the Perry Farmer’s Market, I’m there just to aid Spencer in his project and hand out resources such as recipe cards, kitchen magnets, and other helpful items.

Hi, my name is Spencer Lamar and the last couple of weeks have been pretty eventful in Dallas County. Last week was a lot of preparation for my container herb gardens, printing and cutting cards as well as drilling holes in buckets and getting drainage rock and potting soil. Thursday, I had a stand at the farmers market where I polled two different chicken coop designs finding a winner in the skillion roof design. After filling my first 28 gardens I packed my car in preparation for this week where I gave out 21 container gardens at the Perry Food Pantry. Since then I made a visit to the lumberyard to further narrow down the materials and design of the coop.

This week in Story County we’ve kept ourselves busy inside and outside of the office. 

Monday Mia completed posters used for 4-H volunteer recruitment and Megan’s fair project. 

Tuesday, Megan completed a survey that was sent out to FFA and 4-H Clubs to see if they’d be interested in hosting an event or activity during the Story County Fair. She also worked in GIS to create a fair map and schedule, which Mia assisted with, cartographic queens. Tuesday evening we all went to the Beloit Gardens where we weeded, planted, and surrounded plants with straw to prevent weeds from growing. 

Wednesday we embarked on a long pilgrimage to the 4-H and Extension building on campus for a professional development training with Rising Stars from all around Iowa, here we learned more about Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the careers possible with them after graduation. Mia also met with Team Neutrino where she will be able to give a quick lesson to the students on design principles next week.

Thursday we were put in charge of the office, since most of the Extension staff were out for meetings, and it didn’t even burn down. It was also our Regional Director’s Birthday so after filling his room with balloons, we worked more on the fair schedule. Megan and Erin went to the Nevada Community Garden later to help water the donation plots and the new sweet potatoes. Friday we hit the Beloit gardens again to harvest peas, kale, broccoli, and cherries! 

This week was a busy one for the Region 4 Rising Stars!

On Tuesday, Taylor had the opportunity to travel to Starmont High School to assist with the State Dairy Quiz Bowl. Quiz Bowl is a competition used across all livestock species that tests youth on their knowledge.

Ten teams, each consisting of 3–4 members, competed from several Iowa counties. These students have been preparing for months in anticipation of the state-level contest.

The competition is divided into three parts. Before arriving at the event, each participant takes a written exam, which contributes to their overall score. The second part involves team questions: all teams receive the same five questions and are allowed to collaborate to answer, with each question worth 10 points. The third and final portion is the toss-up round, which includes 16 questions. In this round, individual team members buzz in to answer, earning 15 points per correct response. The team with the highest cumulative score across all three rounds advances to the next level.

The winning senior team, made up of four 4-H members in grades 10–12, earns the opportunity to compete at the national competition held during NIALE in November.

On Wednesday, June 11th, we traveled to Ames for Career Exploration Day and learned all about the different areas within Extension. We heard from three speakers, each representing one of the key program areas. They shared their career journeys, how they got to their current positions, and what their roles involve.

Hi! I’m Olivia, and I’m excited to share a bit about my internship experience this week with Iowa State Extension and Outreach as a Rising Star Intern.

This week, my fellow intern Claire and I dove into our individual community projects. I’m working on a mural proposal plan for the community of Sheldon, which has been a meaningful way to connect art with local culture and history. Meanwhile, Claire is focusing on teaching children at a daycare about agriculture and horticulture, helping the next generation learn about where their food comes from and the importance of caring for plants and animals.

On June 10th, we had the chance to visit the local Sheldon donation center. It was inspiring to learn firsthand about the people they help by supplying food and the dedication it takes to sustain their community garden. Seeing the real impact of these efforts made me even more motivated to contribute to the community through my project.

Then on June 11th, we traveled to Ames for a career exploration day at the ISU Extension and Outreach office. We learned about the mission and methodology behind their work; how they connect research from Iowa State University with communities to work with local communities across the state. It was a great opportunity to understand the broader vision behind our projects and how they fit into the larger goals of ISU Extension.

Week 3 in Story County started on Sunday with a visit to the Nevada Farmer’s Market! Mia and Erin reached out to the community through a planting activity, recipes, and, of course, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach temporary tattoos! All three interns met with community members over the course of the week and nailed down the directions their projects would take. They also took the youth training courses, to help prepare them for working with 4H and other youth. On Thursday, they volunteered at Food At First in Ames, and helped run the Free Market for community members in need. The next morning was bright and early as the interns made the KHOI’s radio show, Local Talk! On the air, they introduced the Rising Star Internship, their projects, and told the public that they would be hosting a booth at the Ames Farmer’s Market on Saturday! Before that, though, was another session at Beloit Gardens. At the Farmer’s Market, the interns shared information about pollinators, and led origami bee and butterfly crafts for kids. This week was super busy, and surely there is more to come!

We forgot to introduce our newest coworker, who joined the Black Hawk County Rising Star team last week! This summer, we will be joined by an intern from Wartburg College – Keziah Ambundo. Keziah is a senior in Journalism and Communication from Hopkinton, Iowa. She is involved in the Wartburg Choir, filmmaking, and so much more! We are excited to work with her on our project this summer, and have her marketing expertise.

We were quickly back on our feet and got to work during week three in Black Hawk County. On Monday, we met with Joana Lwin, co-founder and program director of the Refugee & Immigrant Youth Organization (RIYO). This organization was established to help combat the unique challenges that refugee and immigrant youth in Waterloo face daily. They provide K-12 programs that help youth strengthen their community, foster leadership skills, and explore future pathways. This summer, our office is partnering with RIYO for a summer program to teach urban agriculture and community development skills. We have the privilege of working on various programs with the youth every Wednesday alongside Shari Sell-Baker, the Black Hawk County Experiential Learning Coordinator. Later that day, we conducted surveys with parents at Growing Minds Early Learning Center, a nonprofit focused on providing affordable, high-quality child care to low-income families in the Cedar Valley region.

Tuesday brought us to Cedar Falls High School to meet members of the data science club. These students will help us with data collection throughout the summer, and ISU Extension and Outreach will help them facilitate their own research ideas in the Fall. Afterwards, we went to Wartburg College and met Dr. Penni Pier, the Head of the Communications Department and Keziah’s mentor. Dr. Pier provided insightful feedback for marketing ISU Extension and Outreach programs in Black Hawk County. We will be utilizing resources provided by the Wartburg College communications department throughout the summer.

On Wednesday, we were joined by 450 broiler chicks supplied by Mike Pipho of Rooster’s Crow Farm in Dunkerton. These chicks will be raised by 4H members for the next month, then processed and donated to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. This program was established in 2013 to combat the shortage of protein foods at food banks. Since its inception, over 9,000 pounds of chicken have been donated. That evening, we participated in a Community Action Poverty Simulation hosted by ISU Extension and Outreach in partnership with Love INC and Hawkeye Community College. Along with the more than 50 community members and leaders in attendance, we gained a deeper understanding of the daily struggles people in poverty face. After the simulation, we invited attendees to complete our survey and provide input on resources needed in the Black Hawk community. 

To wrap up on Thursday, we had the opportunity to attend a graduation celebration for youth aging out of foster care in Waterloo, where we had the chance to congratulate the graduates and give them ISU Extension and Outreach gift bags.

We’re looking forward to another busy one next week in Region 28!