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Thanks to the Greene County Commission, executive body of government in Greene County, for its annual support of extension. |
The Southwest Region is full of University of Missouri Extension success stories that demonstrate the impact of our educational programs.Read any annual report for specific impact stories in that county or read over the list of regional highlights. Or, if you would rather, read the statewide University of Missouri Extension PRIDE POINTS.2004 County Extension Annual Reports Click HERE for region's "Expert Guide." 2004 Regional Highlights! Annually, more than 1 million Missourians turn to University of Missouri Extension to help them solve problems, address complex change and make informed decisions. Extension programs improve citizen’s quality of life and add economic value to the state, especially here in southwest Missouri. The following is not an exhaustive list of successful Extension programs in southwest Missouri. Instead, this is annual listing showcasing the variety of measurable and successful regional programs. For more detailed county-by-county information, please read each county annual report. AGRICULTURE Pesticide training and certificate was provided to 669 people in southwest Missouri through Extension offices. Nearly 900 attended one of the annual county Soils & Crops Conferences that deliver the latest research on soil, crops, forage and livestock to producers. The Missouri Century Farm Program recognized 34 southwest Missouri farms that are still productive and have been in the same family for 100 years or more. Through programs and articles, thousands region-wide learned about Missouri’s New Fencing Laws, including 44 who attended a special meeting held in Barry County. Options for Small Acreages Workshop had 84 participants in McDonald, Stone and Christian County. A Beginning Beekeepers Workshop in Hickory County attracted 38 participants, 95 percent of whom said they would change at least one thing as a result of the workshop. A Risk Management Workshop for Latinos had 13 Latino participants who learned more about risk management, marketing and goal setting. Brush and Beef Tour in Taneyville attracted 70 participants who learned about brush sprays and beef improvement. A Twilight Wheat Tour held at a Barton County Farm attracted 51 area producers. One-hundred and five tax preparers in the region received training at the regional farm tax school. These preparers report that they complete 35,000 returns annually. LIVESTOCK Show-Me Select Replacement Heifer Program sales have returned $12,632,082 to participating producers. A Beef Cow Camp in Dallas County attracted 55 youth who wanted to learn more about feeding, judging, grooming and showing beef cattle. In Dade County, goat production increased by nearly 1,000 and citizens helped form the Missouri Boer Goat Association. A total of 510 southwest Missouri livestock producers attended regional programs coordinated by the Cedar County Extension Center on topics like the national animal identification program, artificial insemination and basic horse production. A Cattlemen’s Bus Tour took 35 cow-calf producers from southwest Missouri to the largest livestock auction in the United States (in Oklahoma City) to learn about marketing. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY The Watershed Initiative empowers citizens to take preventive pollution control measures. In southwest Missouri, extension is teaching about proper sewage treatment in Bull Shoal and Elk River Watersheds. Southwest Missouri Extension Centers processed 3,606 soil tests helping land owners get the most out of their land without over fertilization. Extension provided a continuing education program regarding on-site sewage systems for realtors and land appraisers that attracted 239 participants. A yard waste composting program in Webster County diverted 1,223 bags of leaves headed for the waste stream into useful mulch and compost. MASTER GARDENERS Ten counties in southwest Missouri have Master Gardener programs and over 650 people have received horticulture training. There are now 485 trained and active Master Gardeners in southwest Missouri. Volunteers in the Master Gardener program provided over 17,500 hours of volunteer labor in southwest Missouri communities last year (estimated value of $280,000). In Jasper County, 49 Master Gardeners reported donating 1,948 hours and had direct contacts with 5425 area residents. A total of 211 plant diagnostics were processed through local Extension Centers helping to diagnose problems with plants in both gardens and fields. Master Gardeners in Jasper County worked with 25 at-risk youth at Turnaround Ranch in Joplin, Mo. on a “Garden ‘n Grow Program” to plant, maintain and harvest vegetables from a garden. The Annual Twilight Horticulture Tour in Lawrence County attracted 40 persons who visited two different sites to learn about fruits, vegetables and organic production. Gardening conferences – like the spring and fall gardening conferences in Branson and the Lawn and Garden Show in Springfield – provided opportunities for Master Gardeners to present programs to nearly 850 people. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT In the past six years, over 650 area business women have been reached through Extension’s Women’s Day Symposium held in Springfield, Mo. Through the Missouri Small Business Development Centers statewide (including two in southwest Missouri) 2,379 clients were counseled and over 356 training sessions were conducted. The business development program in southwest Missouri assisted 471 clients and their companies with business start-up and management issues. As result of training from Extension, business owners in those start-up businesses reported the following economic impact from Extension business development in the 16 counties of southwest Missouri:
4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT A total of 6,192 youth (representing every county in southwest Missouri) participated in 4-H clubs or 4-H school enrichment programs during 2004. Christian and McDonald Counties had over 1,200 children in 4-H programs. Newton County led the way in 2004 with 366 youth enrolled in organized 4-H Clubs. 986 people served as adult or youth 4-H volunteers in the Southwest Region. Greene County 4-H Teen Council contributed time and money to put together 66 “carry-on” suitcases (packed with personal items) for donation to the Family Violence Center toward the end of 2004. Christian County 4-H members expanded a native plant garden at the Ozark Middle School and through its “Butterfly Project” and helped 1,100 students in kindergarten, first and second grade learn more about butterflies and released 625 new butterflies. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT A Latino Computer Class at "The Edge" taught 64 computer classes to Limited English Proficient (LEP) students at the public libraries’ computer center. Secundaria Learning for Latino Prisoners, with help from Extension’s Alianzas Project, Latin American Institute for Educational Communication and the Mexican government began a series of classes for Mexican citizens incarcerated in the Federal Medical Center in Springfield. “YOU Are the Editor,” a program exclusive to the Southwest Region that collected input on media ethics and seeks to teach journalism ethics, reached over 400 journalists, reporters and editors and 600 newspaper readers from across the nation. The Extension Center in Christian County was the driving force behind the establishment of the first shelter for victims of domestic violence in that county (known as Christian County Family Crisis Center). Through a new curriculum developed by Extension in cooperation with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, 195 election officials and extension specialists learned how to conduct training for poll workers expected to meet the new requirements of the Help America Vote Act. Nearly 250 people attended nine different Extension moderated “Public Issue Forums” held on topics ranging from land use conflicts to violent children. Nearly 2,100 people in southwest Missouri receive Extension news via e-mail every Friday and, on average, 250,000 people in southwest Missouri read about Extension programs or information each week. The 4th Annual Festival of Friends in Carthage attracted nearly 600 participants and helped to teach area residents about newcomers to the area. EXCEL (Experience in Community Enterprise and Leadership Development) has active chapters in Barton County, Carl Junction, Christian, Taney and Stone Counties, Neosho, Bolivar, Buffalo, Branson, and soon, in Republic. Through this program, future community leaders and volunteers are developed and local communities are improved. Stone County Future Project came from the completion of a University of Missouri Economic Baseline Study that looked at countywide recommendations. Over 100 residents have participated in the project which continues to give policy guidance to the County Commissioners. FAMILY LIFE AND FINANCES University of Missouri Extension assisted 264 low and moderate income families with free tax preparation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in Stone and Taney counties. As a result of the community partnership and VITA volunteer efforts, these families in received $287,016 in Federal Income Tax refunds, including $186,500 in Earned Income Tax Credits. The economic impact of the VITA programs was over $317,973 to families in Stone and Taney counties. Childcare training and education is available through Extension and 242 childcare providers attended the continuing education programs that were offered. In Stone and Taney County, 199 families participated in a $ense and $aving program designed to help low-income families better manage their money. The Focus on Kids program was attended by 174 divorcing parents in Jasper, Cedar, Polk and Dallas Counties who learned how to deal with divorce and their children. During 2004, there were 140 human development programs presented to 3,159 participants in 12 counties. Extension’s Healthy Families focus offered 79 programs on 47 different topics for 1,709 participants in the following topical areas: Childcare Provider training, Parenting and Family Programs, and Senior and Aging Programs. NUTRITION AND HEALTH Food Power is a program offered by Extension that adds activity-based experiences to the University of Missouri Family Nutrition Education programs. In southwest Missouri, Food Power visited 36 schools and had 13,645 school children travel through it during 2004. Choosing healthy foods and engaging in regular physical activity are lifelong habits encouraged by the Family Nutrition Education Program-FNEP. In southwest Missouri, programs for youth and adults provide nutrition, food safety, and tasting opportunities. During the past year, 28,116 youth participated in schools, after-school and summer youth programs along with 817 families reached in the adult program. Teacher Comments about FNEP
Student Changes reported by Teachers
Adult Impacts
DAIRY While there continues to be downward pressure on the dairy industry in Missouri, during the past five years there have been 20 new management intensive grazing dairies initiated, under construction or in the final planning stages due to increased extension educational programming in intensive grazing. Conservatively, the resulting increase in cow numbers, using an economic multiplier of 3.1093 for dairy in Missouri as determined by the USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service, indicates a total economic impact of over $22 million dollars to the state. DIASTERS Southwest Missouri Latino Disaster Collaboration Situation is one of several regional Extension efforts underway to support and better the lives of these newcomers to the Ozarks. This effort opened the door to having future disaster warnings given in Spanish in selected areas. Extension specialists from the Southwest Region have actively worked with area COADs (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) to continue responding to the needs of citizens following the May 4, 2003, tornadoes. LOTS OF REQUESTS During 2004, the Cedar County Extension Center averaged 155 calls each month seeking assistance on topics related to the community, agriculture, youth and lawns and gardens. Webster County Extension Center had 1,422 requests for Extension assistance on production agriculture concerns. During 2004, the specialists at the Jasper County Extension Center spent over 5,700 hours working with clients on developing, delivering and evaluating programs in that county. Those efforts resulted in 20,702 contacts with Jasper County residents.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT |
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David L. Burton, BurtonD@missouri.edu |
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