2019 Annual Report - Virginia Tech...research-based knowledge to work in their lives. Family Nutrition Program(Cindy Franklin) Our FNP program is part of our Family and Consumer Sciences

2019 Annual Report

Extension Office Staff: Wendy Herdman, Unit Coordinator, Extension Agent, 4-H

Stephanie Romelczyk, Extension Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Cindy Franklin, Program Assistant, Food & Nutrition Program

Maria Murillo-Valdez, Extension Project Coordinator, Rural Opioids Technical Associate

Shannon Cave, Unit Administrative Assistant

18849 Kings Highway (A.T. Johnson Building) P.O. Box 8

Montross, VA 22520 804-493-8924

Fax: 804-493-8501

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran

status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S.

Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg.

If you are a person with a disability and desire assistance or accommodation, please notify this Extension Office at 804-493-8924/TDD* during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

*TDD number is (800) 828-1120.

About Virginia Cooperative Extension

Virginia Cooperative Extension brings the resources of Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, to the people of the commonwealth.

Understanding that knowledge is power, we place that power in the hands of Virginians and help them learn how to use it to improve the quality of their lives. Our Extension agents and specialists form a network of educators whose classrooms are the communities, homes, and businesses of Virginia, where they bring research-based solutions to the problems facing Virginians today.

To better utilize our resources, we form collaborations with hundreds of public and private partners and volunteers, who help us reach larger and more diverse audiences and leverage the impact of our work.

We are a product of cooperation among local, state, and federal governments in partnership with tens of thousands of citizens, who, through local Extension Leadership Councils, help design, implement, and evaluate our needs-driven programs.

We are a dynamic organization that stimulates positive personal and societal change, leading to more productive lives, families, farms, and forests as well as a better environment.

Virginia Cooperative Extension is an educational outreach program of Virginia's land-grant universities: Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, and a part of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Extension programs are delivered through a network of faculty at 2 universities, 109 county and city offices, 11 agricultural research and Extension centers, and 6 4-H educational centers. Our system incorporates the expertise of faculty in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Natural Resources, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station; as well as the School of Agriculture at Virginia State University.

The Westmoreland County Extension Office is one of thirty-three units within the Southeast District. The Southeast District office is located in Suffolk and is led by:

District Director, Janet Spencer Virginia Cooperative Extension – Southeast District Office 6321 Holland RoadSuffolk, VA 23437757-807-6532 [email protected]

Mission and Vision

Mission Statement Virginia Cooperative Extension enables people to improve their lives through an educational process that uses scientific knowledge focused on issues and needs.

Vision Building on the strength of our agriculture, natural resource, family and community heritage, we enable people to shape their futures through research based educational programs. Recognizing that knowledge is power, we serve people where they live and work. Audiences are involved in designing, implementing and evaluating needs-driven programs. We are a dynamic organization that stimulates positive personal and societal change leading to more productive lives, families, farms, and forests, as well as a better environment in urban and rural communities.

Our vision is:

• To help clientele improve their lives.• To use a systems approach to programming, with task-oriented work teams that respond to

the needs of individuals, groups and organizations.• To provide residents prompt access to information and programs through an innovative

human and technological system.• To work with the disenfranchised and underserved who need special attention by targeting

certain of our resources to programs for low-income groups, those outside the dominantculture, dysfunctional families, limited-resource farmers, at-risk youth and others.

• To fully integrate a culturally diverse paid and volunteer staff in planning, implementing andevaluating programs

• To collaborate with public and private partners to better utilize our resources, heighten ourimpact and reach a more diverse audience.

• To capitalize on the respective strengths of Virginia State and Virginia Tech as partners insupporting the extension mission.

• To recruit, manage and reward faculty, support, and volunteer staff to reflect each person'suniqueness and value.

• To have an open and positive administrative environment, based on shared leadership thatmaintains organizational integrity while providing opportunities for all staff members to fullyrealize their potential.

Program Areas Virginia Cooperative Extension is organized around four main program areas. However, our diverse Extension faculty often delivers educational experiences that are created through collaboration and teamwork that spans organizational lines.

To find specific information about programs in your area, visit your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.

Agriculture and Natural Resources (Stephanie) Agriculture and natural resources (ANR) programs help sustain the profitability of agricultural and forestry production to enhance and protect the quality of our land and water resources. We help the agriculture industry use the most current technology and management practices to develop strong businesses that prosper in today's economy. We deliver programs that help put research-based knowledge to work for Virginia's agriculture industry.

Family and Consumer Sciences Virginia Cooperative Extension views the family unit as the cornerstone of a healthy community. We strive to improve the well being of Virginia families through programs that help participants put research-based knowledge to work in their lives.

Family Nutrition Program (Cindy Franklin) Our FNP program is part of our Family and Consumer Sciences Programs and offers education on a wide variety of topics to help you, your children, your schools, and your communities eat better, move more, and save money. We put research-based information to work.

4-H Youth Development (Wendy)4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship, and lifeskills. 4-H, the largest comprehensive youth development program in the nation, educates youngpeople, ages 5 to 18, through a variety of experiential techniques that encourage hands-on, activelearning.

Community Viability Community viability programs are dedicated to strengthening communities and their economic viability by creating innovative programs that allow citizens and local governments to respond to local issues. Our faculty can assess community needs, design a plan of action, and determine the appropriate delivery method suitable for various programs.

4-H in Westmoreland County - 2019

Enrolled 1021 youth and 27 volunteers in Westmoreland County 4-H programming Secured >$14000 in external funding to support 4-H programs in Westmoreland & Richmond Counties

Club Programming (Livestock Club, Heritage Club, Rural Living Club) • 20 youth enrolled and actively participating in club activities led by 4 trained volunteer leaders• Club members developed their own annual plans which include educational programming,

competitions, fund raisers, field trips and service learning activities

4-H Jr. Camp at Jamestown 4-H Educational Center• 55 campers & 8 teen leaders from Westmoreland• Parents commented about their campers in post-camp interviews:

o youth came back more talkative and more confident;o youth showed more responsibility with taking showers without being told,

cleaning, doing laundry and other things around the houseo youth showed interest in doing new things, such as taking guitar and archery

lessonso youth are outdoors more

• $8310 raised from community for camper scholarships• 73% of Westmoreland campers received scholarship funds to attend camp

Local Day Camps – Pizza Camp, Water Wizards, Camp Lucee • 9 participants for 4-H Pizza Camp focusing on agriculture literacy and

healthy living• 10 participants for 4-H Water Wizards focusing on watersheds & water

quality. Evaluations show: 90% can correctly define watershed; 90% candescribe what water quality means; 90% understand that marshes andwetlands serve an important function in an ecosystem; 100% understandthat personal actions/decisions do affect the quality of water in theChesapeake Bay and the creatures that live in it; 90% will pay moreattention to and be more careful with natural resources because of theprogram

• Provided 2 workshops for Camp Lucee

Leadership Programming • 8 teens applied, trained and were selected to serve in volunteer positions as 4-H

Camp Teen Leaders• 1 teen volunteered for an additional local day camp• Hosted Extension summer intern

School Enrichment • Began 4th year of SOL correlated Cople 4th grade STEM garden project• Provided hands-on, SOL correlated lessons in classroom and field for 6th grade

watershed program at MMS• Led yoga-inspired practice for 8th grade girls PE classes at MMS

Professional Achievements • 2018-2019 Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute Graduate• Member of Virginia’s Senegal 4-H Team – delivered Train-the-Trainer

program in March• Search committee member for Opioid Misuse Prevention position that

serves Westmoreland (housed in Lancaster)

Wendy R. Herdman, 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent, Westmoreland & Richmond Counties

Stephanie Romelczyk, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent – Westmoreland Co. Contact: 804-493-8924, [email protected]

2019 Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Updates Agricultural Services

• 146 in-person consultations and 293 indirect consultations – a value of $67,350 (based onprivate consultant fees)

• 16 Virginia Tech Plant Disease Clinic samples, 9 Insect Identification Lab samples, 3Nematode Assay samples, and nearly 400 Virginia Tech soil samples

Pesticide Certification and Training • 137 private and commercial pesticide applicators were able to receive recertification credits

toward their pesticide applicator’s certification• 7 recertification classes or workshops were held by VCE in the Northern Neck• Pesticide review and exam was offered, 100% pass rate• 7 Registered Technicians certified in pesticide safety and handling• 29 commercial farm pesticide applicators trained and 97% passed exam to legally apply

pesticides

Northern Neck Crops Conference • Over 70 local grain producers and agribusinesses representing over 10,165 acres• 94% were better prepared to market grain, a necessary skill in times of tight margins• 91% were better able to manage soil fertility, to increase profit and protect the environment

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days

• Partnered with Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District and the WestmorelandCounty government

• Collected 7,112.5 lbs of hazardous waste from 91 households

Crop Research Trials • Corn, soybean, and wheat on-farm variety trials: assists local producers in making research-

based crop variety choices• Co-coordinator of statewide On-Farm Soybean Research• Sweet Corn Insect Monitoring to minimize pesticide usage on local farms• Farm Use Water Testing for produce farmers to comply with food safety laws

Northern Neck Vegetable Growers Association Annual Meeting • 45 producers and agribusinesses representing nearly 8,000 acres of vegetables• All are likely to implement pest management strategies presented• Two-thirds expected to increase profits by an average of 34%

County-Funded Mosquito Briquettes

• 23 local residents and businesses picked up mosquito briquettes fromthe Extension office for control of mosquito larvae

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

Enrolled 645 youth in Westmoreland County Expanded Food and Nutrition Programming.

585 Students graduated program

School Programming (Washington District Elem, Cople Elem and Colonial Beach Elem)

• Provided 180 nutrition education classroom hours utilizing curriculum in compliance withVirginia’s Standards of Learning for Health and Physical Education

• Provided students with individual activity workbooks from the OrganWise curriculum forstudents K-2nd grade that went with our lesson of the day

• Students 3-5th grade participated in hands on lessons from the Choose Health: Food, Funand Fitness curriculum

• Students gained knowledge about how to choose a healthy snack or beverage and theimportance of making a healthy choice.

• Students gained the understanding of a sensible portion size• All students had the opportunity to receive three healthy treat tastings• Students understand the importance of planning their meals using the five food groups from

My Plate

Oak Grove Baptist Church Healthy Cooking Summer Camp Program

• 45 Youth and 5 volunteers participated in a 5 day camp to learn about preparation of healthysnacks and food safety

o Each student had an opportunity to receive instruction on food safety and preparationusing the church’s commercial kitchen

o All students had lessons based on the Choose Health and OrganWise curriculumbased on their age

Impacts

• Students learned that it is their responsibility to make healthy choices in food safety, goodfood choices and physical fitness

• Students are encouraged to develop better eating habits and increase physical fitness goals• Students are encouraged to spread their new found information with family and friends

Cindy Franklin, EFNEP Program Assistant, Northern Neck, 804-493-8924 [email protected]

SAMHSA Opioid Prevention Program in Westmoreland County - 2019

380 students are receiving the Botvin Lifeskills Training Curriculum (LST) in Westmoreland County

2 teachers and 1 resource officer were trained to teach Botvin Lifeskills Curriculum during Health and PE class times.

Curriculum Botvin Lifeskills Training (LST)

• Evidence-based program that teaches personal self-management, general social skills and drug resistanceskills to prevent alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use amongst teens.

• 7th and 8th graders are currently enrolled in LST followed by pre and post survey• Community Service Board (CSB) is currently working with 6th graders

Professional Training (will be offering for the upcoming year)

• Both trainings will be offered to all school staff including teachers, custodians, counselors and parents• REVIVE

o The Overdose and Naloxone Education (OONE) program for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Itprovides training on how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose emergency usingnaloxone.

• Youth Mental Health First Aid training (YMHFA)o A national program to teach the skills to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use.

LST Parent Component

• A 7 session-program for parents to strengthen communication at home.• Year-round parent sessions will be offered• As of now, 16 Parents will begin the LST Parent component class (February)

• Will offer REVIVE and Youth Mental Health First Aid training for upcoming year

Maria Murillo-Valdez, Extension Project Coordinator, Rural Opioid Technical Associate804-462-5780 - [email protected]

STORIES OF IMPACTThe Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program is a program for school-age students in kindergarten through 12th grade. In 2019, Extension graduated more than 500 Westmoreland and Colonial Beach students from this six-lesson nutrition program taught in our schools and at other community facilities. At the completion of the sessions, students showed improved knowledge of nutritious food choices and were able to prepare simple nutritious foods and follow safer food handling practices. They also increased their physical activity and improved their understanding of the importance of exercise. After the sessions concluded, teachers reinforced the lessons and have requested that Extension return next year to provide more instruction on the importance of food safety, nutrition, and exercise.

Engaging with

WESTMORELAND COUNTY

Wendy Herdman Extension Agent4-H Youth Development

GET IN TOUCHA.T. Johnson Building, 18849 Kings Hwy., Montross, VA 22520

westmoreland.ext.vt.edu | 804-493-8924 | FACEBOOK-SQUARE

Dana Boyle Owner/OperatorGarner’s Produce

A Cople Elementary student enjoys a healthy salad during a nutrition program.

We established a garden at Cople Elementary to help teach science. We’ve reached 172 fourth graders in three years. Extension staff visit the classroom seven times each year to help these students build science skills, such as observing and measuring, while also teaching about nutrition and expanding students’ taste experiences.

Extension sets up two pheromone traps in our 35-acre sweet corn field to attract fall armyworm and corn earworm moths. We work with our local Extension agent on a weekly basis to monitor the population of these pests and make management decisions based on the number of moths caught.

AN AGENT OF POSITIVE CHANGE COMMUNITY VOICES

“ “

” ”

$180,563 VALUE OF EXTENSION VOLUNTEER HOURS IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY

$12.19 RETURN ON INVESTMENT

FOR EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED BY THE COUNTY IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY

WESTMORELAND COUNTY BY THE NUMBERS

OUTREACH BACKED BY RESEARCHVirginia Agricultural Experiment Station researchers and specialists work in Blacksburg and at the state’s 11 Agricultural Research and Extension Centers to create knowledge that benefits the commonwealth. They then share this knowledge with Virginia Cooperative Extension agents, who share this information with the citizens of Virginia to help individuals, businesses, and communities thrive.

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg

TOTAL FUNDING: $347,145 39%

17%

12%

25%

8%

State

Federal

Local

Grants

Other

FUNDING BY SOURCE

Virginia Cooperative Extension

Master Gardener Program

Mission: Sharing Knowledge and Empowering CommunitiesWHAT IS THE EXTENSION MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM?

Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) are trained volunteer educators who work within their local communities to promote sound horticultural practices. The Extension Master Gardener program delivers the horticultural resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities: Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color,disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race,religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extensionwork, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S.Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension,Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia StateUniversity, Petersburg.

CONTRIBUTING A TOTAL OF

VALUED AT

*Based on a value of $27.50/hour from Independent Sector 2017 Value of Volunteer Hours by State

75 Extension Master Gardeners

13,584 volunteer hours

$373,560 *

who drove

and made

80,892 miles

20,135 direct educational contacts

Northern Neck

Northern Neck

TO LANCASTER, NORTHUMBERLAND, RICHMOND, WESTMORELAND, AND ESSEX COUNTIES

In Calendar Year 2019