February 2016

“Reaching Out Report” the Greene County Extension Newsletter 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, Mo. 65807 Email: greeneco@missouri.edu * Tel: (417) 881-8909

February 2016 *

Vol. 9, Issue 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Financial Scorecard… pages 2 Upcoming events … pages 3 Nutrition program… page 4 David Burton … pages 5-7 Patrick Byers … pages 8-9 4-H Report … page 9 Master Naturalists … page 10 Kelly McGowan … page 11 Agriculture … page 12 Pam Duitsman… page 13-14 Staff & Partners… page 15 Friends of Extension… page 16

Subscribe Now! Become a subscriber and receive a monthly email with the direct link for reading the “Reaching Out Report” online. Send your request by email to burtond@missouri.edu.

Hay School Draws a Record Crowd The Regional Hay School conducted in Springfield during January drew a record breaking crowd for 68 to three nights of classes. Agronomy Specialists Tim Schnakenberg and Colin Hill along with David Burton coordinated, planned and marketed the class. The purpose of the program was to make hay more profitable for area farmers and cattle producers. “Our feedback was excellent, showing that we met and exceeded the expectations of attendees,” said Schnakenberg. Attendees also had opportunities to various quality hay samples up close and person, as pictured above.

University of Missouri Extension is an equal opportunity/ access/ affirmative action/ pro-disabled and veteran employer.

Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Greene Game of Business Greene County Extension Scorecard – January 2016 INCOME

YTD #s $1,339.90

Budget #

DIFF

Total %

$11,000.00

$9,660.10

12%

$2,250.00

$36,000.00

$33,750.00

6%

0400 · Gift/Grants/Contracts

$785.00

$25,000.00

$24,215.00

3%

0900 · Resales/Fees/Soil Tests

$317.26

$9,030.00

$8,712.74

4%

$2,200.00

$2,200.00

0%

$4,800.00

$4,000.00

-$800.00

120%

$0.00

$0.00

$9,492.16

$87,230.00

$77,737.84

$2,438.00

$30,980.00

$28,542.00

8%

2800 · Payroll Expenses

$512.39

$10,050.00

$9,537.61

5%

3100 · Travel

$241.65

$7,000.00

$6,758.35

3%

3600 · Postage & Postage Meter

$0.00

$4,000.00

$4,000.00

0%

3700 · Telephone Service

$0.00

$1,000.00

$1,000.00

0%

3900 · Advertising

$0.00

$2,100.00

$2,100.00

0%

4700 · Publishing/Printing

$0.00

$2,750.00

$2,750.00

0%

4800 · Reproduction & Copies

$0.00

$500.00

$500.00

0%

5100 · Supplies/Services

$0.00

$6,000.00

$6,000.00

0%

5110 · Annual Meeting

$0.00

$400.00

$400.00

0%

$39.00

$3,200.00

$3,161.00

1%

6800 - Insurance

$0.00

$400.00

$400.00

0%

7010 - Ext. Council Election

$0.00

$1,600.00

$1,600.00

0%

$150.50

$3,800.00

$3,649.50

4%

$0.00

$1,100.00

$949.50

14%

7300 · Repairs/Maintenance

$24.78

$2,600.00

$2,600.00

0%

7700 - Furniture / Equipment

$0.00

$950.00

$925.22

3%

7999 - Fee Generation MU

$0.00

$8,800.00

$8,800.00

0%

$87,230.00

$83,823.68

4%

-$6,085.84

7%

0100 · Student Fees 0210 · County Appropriations

2100 - Postage Allotment 2600 - MCHP Subsidy 1600 - Balance Transfers

$0.00 #DIV/0!

11%

EXPENSES 2700 · Personnel - Wages

6400 - Other Contract Services

7100 · Soil Test Expenses 7200 · Publications for Resale

$3,406.32 NET INCOME

$ 6,085.84

$

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Discover the 2016 Mini-Game for Extension Council Members at our Annual Meeting Feb. 29 A special surprise announcement awaits as Greene County Extension gets ready to leap forward at is annual meeting, 5:30 p.m., Feb. 29 at the Springfield Botanical Center.

A potluck dinner will be served.

“The coming year is going to be a leap forward as we get closer to a fully restored budget and support staff for the 4-H program,” said Burton.

Burton is excited to unveil the council minigame for 2016. Staff and council members have had input on the game and it is designed to address what many council members have expressed as a weakness in the organization.

“The theme of the game, rules and prizes will be unveiled during the annual meeting and will remain top secret until that time,” said Burton.

Those who plan to attend need to RSVP to Maggie at 881-8909.

Our Critical Number this year is “Net Income” and our goal is to finish the year in the black (positive balance) so those funds can be applied toward additional programs in the 2016 budget.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Selected Upcoming Extension Events in Greene County Master Gardener Orientation

Business Development Classes

Required informational meeting for anyone interested in the 2016 MU Extension Master Gardener core training. Orientation sessions will be held on Feb. 2 and Feb. 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Botanical Center. This orientation meeting is free. The series of core trainings are $150. Call (417) 881-8909 Age: 18 yrs. & up | Fee: Free Date: Feb. 2 or 4 | Time: 6-8 p.m.

For details: http://mggreene.org/

Regular business classes are held at the Small Business Development and Technology Center, 405 North Jefferson Ave., Springfield. Register by calling (417) 836-5685 or check online www.ws.missouristate.edu/sbdc

Master Gardener Core Training The 2016 Master Gardeners of Greene County core training will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from Feb. 23 to April 14 at the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center. For information, contact Kelly McGowan at mcgowank@missouri.edu

Potting Shed University Invest in gardening skills for life and become a better gardener. Different topic every week.

Offered by MU Extension and Master Gardeners of Greene County. Call 891-1515.

Age: 18 yrs. and up | Fee: $5/class Time: Mon., 6-8 p.m.

Date: 29-Feb Herb Theme Gardens 7-Mar Winter Sowing 14-Mar Bring Back Monarchs 21-Mar Houseplants 28-Mar Frugal Gardening 4-Apr Small Gardens Trees 11-Apr Haybale Gardening 18-Apr Twilight Gardens For details: http://mggreene.org/

Program Calendar Online The most up-to-date list of reported upcoming MU Extension programs in Greene County is available online at http:// extension.missouri.edu/greene Calendar visible on right side of page.

32nd Annual SW Missouri Spring Forage Conference Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Place: University Plaza Hotel, Springfield Time: 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Cost: $35 per person (registered by Feb. 18th) OR $45 per person after Feb. 18th

Key Note Speaker: Trent Loos, Farmer and Advocate for Agriculture For more information: www.springforageconference.com OR call (417) 532-6305 ext. 3

Circles is Coming to Springfield MU Extension’s Business Development Program’s workforce division is bringing a Circles chapter to Springfield. Circles is a nationally recognized model that addresses the reduction of poverty and improves opportunities for individuals and their families within their communities.

Community leaders work with the national Circles organization to establish a local chapter. Circle facilitators implement a collaborative approach that builds on strengths of existing community-based organizations dedicating to the reduction of poverty. The uniqueness of the model is the role clients play in managing their own experience.

More information may be obtained by contacting Tonya Raines, Program Specialist, Circles Coordinator rainest@missouri.edu or 573-489-7250 or Karen Westfall, Program Specialist Circles Coach, westfallkl@missouri.edu or 573-289-0354.

Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Family Nutrition Education Program Becky Roark 

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Finished a 5 week session at Bingham and Fremont Elementary schools for K, 1st and 2nd and at McGregor for 1st only—240 students Started a 6 week session at Sherwood (3rd, 4th, 5th), Boyd (k, 1st, 2nd) and McGregor (K only)—379 students Well of Life Food Pantry— 287 families Central Assembly Food Pantry—123 families

Family Nutrition Education Program 2160 W. Chesterfield Blvd. Suite F200 Chesterfield Village, Springfield, Mo. Tel: 417-886-2059 * http://missourifamilies.org

Fossett

At Boyd Elementary School, I am working with a person from the Greene County Health Department. She goes to this school to teach gardening classes and asked me to fill in her time slot in January and February when not much is going on in the garden. So I am teaching nutrition classes and working to tie the two concepts together!

Sherri Hull  

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Began series of lessons for PreK-4th grade at Willard South Elem – 437 kids Began series of lessons for PreK at Campbell UMC Small Wonders – 30 kids Began series of lessons for Kindergarten5th grade at Delaware Elem – 199 kids Display and discussion about “Facts on Fat” at Victory Mission Food Pantry – 164 adults

The week following a vegetable “taste test” in first grade, a student reported to me that she didn’t really like the grape tomato we had tasted in class. But when she told her mom about it, they also had grape tomatoes Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

Nevatt

Roark

Edmondson

Hull

Williams

Wood

at home and her family all tried them together. She thought they weren’t as bad the second time around and that “maybe her taste buds were changing”!

Marty Wood       

Willard WIC, Eating Smart, Being Active, 28 adults Willard Food Pantry, Display, 34 families Pregnancy Care Center, Eating Smart, Being Active, 31 adults Crosslines Food Pantry, (indirect) Display, 1264 families Hand Extended Food Pantry, Eating Smart, Being Active, 43 adults Republic, People Helping People Display, 25 adults Early Childhood Center, Let’s Read About Healthy Eating, 150 youth

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Civic Communication Specialist & County Program Director Direct contact where learning is occurring is considered teaching. This includes one-to-one calls, emails to individuals who have asked questions or sought information, meetings that include learning, and classes.

CPD RESPONSIBILITES  Attended County Commission meeting.  Write and edit “Reaching Out Report”  Regular updates to county website  Great Game of Business details/planning.  Organize and conduct weekly staff huddles  Approved travel for Greene County programs  Computer upgrade process underway.

MARKETING  Researched and wrote a 40-page marketing plan for the Wright County Extension Center that could be adapted and used by every extension council in the region. Plan includes sample rack cards, ads and other materials.  Researched and created a way to update news service mailing list to include the zip code of subscribers in order to better zone content.

TRAINING  Regional faculty meeting  Online training in Constant Contact  Online training for Donor Snap  Community Development monthly meeting  Public Relations Society of America meeting in Springfield FUNDRAISING  Wrote and submitted grants for the funding of specific programs in our office.  Managed donations given.  Preparing materials for 2016 Give Ozarks.

Grammar Report for 2015 I use an online software called Grammarly to screen every media release I send. It is the best tool for catching both grammar, style and word problems in written text. One of the neat David Burton Civic communication things about the softburtond@missouri.edu ware is that it keeps track of your submissions and the corrections made and then gives national comparisons.

These are my numbers for 2015:  Number of words checked: 668,185  That length is equal to: an epic novel  Corrections made: 11,976  More accurate than 89% of Grammarly users.

Excerpts from ...

The Great Game of Government Springfield Business Journal – 1/18/16

By Zach Smith, Reporter Nearly a quarter-century after its formal publication, SRC Holdings Corp. CEO Jack Stack’s “The Great Game of Business” is being adapted by local government, educational outreach and nonprofit organizations – and meeting with some success. The model, outlined by Stack in his 1992 book, is patterned after open-book management and engaging employees in the budgeting process.

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David Burton’s focus of work as civic communication specialist: Community and civic engagement through communication and media relations, leading and moderating focus groups, non-profit education and support, social media in support of disaster recovery and response, marketing extension regionally, heritage tourism with an emphasis on restoring historic schools; and engaging council members with media relations efforts like the Southwest Region News Service and the Expert Source Program.

As county program director: David also works with the elected council to operate, fund and administer the local Greene County Extension office and to plan local programs, to engage council members in this and other work, and to generate local revenue to support programs in Greene County

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Civic Communication Specialist & County Program Director For representatives at The Great Game of Business Inc., working with the municipality has presented unique challenges.

In the past two years, the company gave Greene County, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks and Missouri Southern State University in Joplin pro bono training and assistance as case studies to see how the model might be applied outside of traditional businesses.

County Program Director David Burton said nine months into its run at the Great Game, the Greene County University of Missouri Extension office is seeing results.

The office finished 2015 in the black by roughly $9,000 – ending five years of losses. Burton credits certain aspects of the practice, such as holding weekly team meetings and adopting a financial

scorecard, with pushing employees to make an impact on the Extension’s financial health.

“There’s more business-type thinking: what can we do to generate additional income, what do we charge for a particular program or helping people understand what those revenues are,” Burton said. “People weren’t really in that mode before. It was always assumed but never really happened.”

In 2015, the effects were tangible. Tests on soil samples, which reached an eight-year high of 345 after the collective push, generated $3,100 for the office. As the Extension’s biggest moneymaker, Burton said it’s an important number to watch. The 2016 budget is up nearly 33 percent to $84,930.

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SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT CARD FOR THE MONTH Southwest Region News Service: Social Media and Traditional Media Report Monthly =

Online reads of the "Reaching Out Report" 236 2016 Cumulative =

236

Total news releases written this month= 44 TV or Radio Shows this Regular columns written this month= 12 3 Southwest Region News Service Monthly Impact (2016) Total '16 views on New subscribers Total subscribers AgEbb Open Rate of News Emails 221 9456 208,032 18.50% YouTUBE Subscribers Monthly views Total Views of all time 2016 488 6,555 468981 TWITTER Followers 2016 Activity Requests for advisement 2016 116 231 12 FLICKR Followers Monthly Views Total Views of all time 2016 52 422 212,967 Facebook Followers Monthly Reach managed pages = 75767 792,982 Total 2015 Impressions = 2016 Annual Cumulative Facebook Reach = 792,982 1,089,967 SWRN Blog Monthly views 2016 Annual Views 3400 3,400 I encourage county extension councils to provide content to MUExtension417 Twitter and Facebook pages and to have clients follow those regional options. I also schedule social media posts. All media releases are posted to AgEbb and social media by me using Hootsuite. KLOUT rating is a national measure of our social media effectiveness.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Civic Communication Specialist & County Program Director “We’re speaking the same language with the county commission,” Burton said of the $36,000 county contribution to the budget, up from what was traditionally the state-mandated minimum of $10,000 the past several years. “As they see us paying more attention to that, they probably feel the money is being more wisely used.”

Last year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks Inc. also set internal records during its first full implementation of Great Game financial huddles and scorecards. CEO Katie Davis said the nonprofit’s revenue grew 22 percent to nearly $1.2 million, and the number of matches between children and adult mentors was up 17 percent to 257 on the year. ...

At the Extension office, Burton looks ahead to 2017 in anticipation of filling a 4-H specialist position cut from Greene County in 2012.

With a conservative growth plan of 10 percent this year, the litmus test will be producing enough revenue to add back the position.

“What we’ve tried to avoid in both budgeting

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

and fundraising is a situation where we’re fundraising to keep the door open,” Burton said. “We didn’t set a budget that projected a profit – we’re planning to spend everything we bring in.”

Meanwhile, the county is receiving interest from other municipal groups. Most recently, officials from the city of Fulton and the Callaway County Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Center have reached out to learn more about the Great Game, according to Greene County Auditor Cindy Stein.

LEARN MORE For details on how Greene County Extension is playing the game, and the progress being made, visit our website. (See our Great Game link on the left side).

During 2016, staff will be focused on continuing to improve the financial situation in the office and council members will be participating in a year-long game to better understand their role and to help build the local extension program.

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

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Horticulture Specialist Community Contact: TV and Radio  4 live interviews with KOLR10’s John Ziegler (2 delivered by Kelly McGowan) Print media  Contributed to several articles and interviews Requests for information  Telephone contacts – 9 for advisement  Email contacts – 9 contacts  Office visits, professional contacts – 1 for consultation and advisement  Farm site visits – 6 for consultation Programs Presented:  “Updates in the 2016 Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide”, Great Plains Growers Conference, St Joseph (1/9/15)  “Determining harvest date for berry crops”, Great Plains Growers Conference, St Joseph (1/9/15)  “Common Garden Pests”, Springfield Library program (1/11/16)  “How to Tap New Markets for Your Crops through Food Hubs”, Webster County Diversified Agriculture Conference, Marshfield (1/16/15)  “Growing Garlic in Missouri,” Midwest Winter Production Conference, Webb City (1/22/16)  “Update on Food Safety Modernization Act”, Missouri Farmers Market Association conference, Webb City (1/23/16)  “Beekeeping, Pollination and Horticulture”, Willow Springs (1/27/16)  “MU Extension resources”, OFAC Conference, West Plains (1/28/16)

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Participated in:      

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Master Gardeners of Greene County board meeting, Springfield (1/4/16) Great Plains Growers Conference, St. Joseph (1.7.16-1.9.16) Grow Your Farm tour and program, West Plains (1/12/16) Master Gardeners of Greene County chapter meeting, Springfield (1.12.16) Springfield Plateau Master Naturalists board

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

Participated in mentoring for Ben Polley, MU Extension intern, Douglas County MAEP board teleconference (1.11.16) UMEA board meeting, Columbia (1.13.16) Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District board meeting, Springfield (1.19.16) MU Extension SW Region Ag Category meeting, Mt Vernon (1.19.16) Missouri Farm Market Conference, Webb City (1.23.16)

Upcoming programming and events 



Coordinated:

meeting, Springfield (1.13.16) Springfield Plateau Master Naturalists annual banquet, Springfield (1.15.16) Grow Your Farm program, West Plains (1/19/16) Midwest Winter Production Conference, Webb City (1/21/16Patrick Byers 1/22/16) Horticulture Grow Your Farm byerspl@missouri.edu program, West Plains (1/26/16) Horticulture soil test reports - recommendations and distribution for SW region – 37 reports during reporting period

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“Saving and Germinating Seeds”, Springfield Library “National Seed Swap Day” program (1/30/16) 2016 Master Gardener Core Orientation, Springfield (2/2/16, 2/4/16) “Indoor Plants - Best for Blooms and Cleaning the Air”, Hillbilly Garden Club monthly meeting, Springfield (2/3/16) “Update on Elderberry Production”, Missouri Organic Association annual conference, Springfield (2/4/16) “PawPaws: The New “Old” Sexy Fruit”, Missouri Organic Association annual conference, Springfield (2/4/16)

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Horticulture Specialist 

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“Update on Food Safety Modernization Act”, Missouri Organic Association annual conference, Springfield (2/5/16) “Field identification and Management Strategies of Common Diseases of Small Fruits in Missouri”, Missouri Organic Association annual conference, Springfield (2/6/16) “Seed Starting”, Springfield Library Station, Springfield (2/8/16) “Home Fruit Production”, Laclede County MG core training, Lebanon (2/11/16) “Getting Started with Community Gardens”, Wesley Methodist Community Garden, Springfield (2/18/16) “Introduction to Small Scale Meat Production”, Growing Farmers meeting, Stone County (2/22/16) Master Gardeners of Greene County core training, Springfield (2/23/26-4/12/16) “Food Safety from Farm to Fork”, Webb City Farmers Market, Webb City (2/24/16) “Backyard Chickens”, Spring Lawn and Garden Show seminar series, Springfield (2/28/16)

Potting Shed University Invest In Gardening Skills for Life Mondays at 7:30 p.m.

February 29- April 18 Location: Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center, 2400 S Scenic Ave., Springfield. $5/person per class | Register and pay at Botanical Center Gift shop

Feb 29 – Herb Theme Gardens – Sharon Masterson has been growing, and studying herbs for over 30 years. Early spring is a great time to plan your garden and decide which herbs you need to obtain to achieve the desire results.

March 7 - Winter Seed Sowing - Missy Sanford, Master Gardeners of Greene County with teach this class. Winter sowing involves planting seeds during the winter in covered containers.

Potting Shed University is a series of eight diverse garden topics for you to hone your skills to become a better gardener for years to come.

4-H Report for Greene County More About 4-H As the largest out-of-school youth organization in the world, 4-H is open to all boys and girls, ages 5 to18.

Children who are five to seven years old are eligible for 4-H Clover Kids, an introductory program. Youths who are 8 to 18 years of age can select from a variety of 4-H projects and activities that stress social and life skills in areas like decision making, communication, social interaction, civic responsibility and physical skills. Children do not have to live on a farm to join 4-H. Project opportunities include computers, robotics, foods and nutrition, horticulture, large and small animals and more.

Missouri 4-H is University of Missouri Extension's youth development program. Learn more online.

Contact 4-H Youth Development Specialist Karla Deaver at the Lawrence County Extension office by telephone at 417/466-3102 or by email at deaverk@missouri.edu.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Master Naturalists A few Sample Springfield Plateau Chapter Projects for 2015 Cavity Nestbox Project In 2014, eight nest boxes were installed at the Valley Water Mill Watershed Center and Equestrian Park. Other existing boxes were eventually monitored. This past year was the first full year of the project with a total of twelve boxes being monitored (two were added and three or four existing old boxes were dropped due to location or condition of the boxes). Sixty birds fledged in 2015 – 35 Eastern Bluebirds, 19 House Wrens, and 6 Carolina Chickadees. Invasive species nests (House Sparrows) were down considerably from 2014. The project is planned to continue in 2016.

Deer Lake Butterfly Refuge Golf courses have a sometimes unearned reputation as over-fertilizing monocultures. Deer Lake Golf and Fitness Center located near the Springfield/Branson Airport is one that does not fit into that description, so one of the members of the Springfield Plateau Chapter of Missouri Master Naturalists who is also an employee of the club suggested that a team effort involving Master Naturalists and the golf club would be a natural for establishing a monarch butterfly refuge. He proposed the idea to the Executive Committee and then to the membership who voted to pursue the effort.

Linda Deines, manager of Deer Lake, was excited by the idea, and gave her permission for us to proceed. We also talked with the head groundskeeper, and have given him advance notice of each bit of work we've done along the way.

The golf course contains several areas of natural fauna from one to twenty acres or so in size. We selected a patch of grasses and weeds about 2 acres in size as our first planting area. To date we have prepared a dozen spots about 16 square feet each by killing existent growth in the interior of the patch which we will till for cultivation in early spring. The effort continues in members' homes where several members are practicing winter planting using milk bottles and sprouting beds. The plan is to use the results of those efforts to provide seedling starts for the initial plots early next spring.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

We hope the ultimate result will be the creation of many acres of monarch habitat over the next few years with the attendant value of publicity for the golf club as an environmentally friendly club and for the chapter as a valued contributor to the national effort to create feeding and re4porductive cover for butterflies.

Environmental Grants for Teachers In September, the Executive Committee of the Springfield Plateau Chapter of Missouri Master Naturalists approved the establishment of a program to provide small grants of up to $250 to teachers in the area who wish to provide ecologically oriented education to their students.

On December 10, the first grant was awarded to Kary Walker, teacher of environmental science at Carver Middle School in Springfield, for the establishment of an outdoor classroom on South Creek, which runs through the school grounds.

In addition to the grant, members Bob Ranney, Karolyn Holdren and Bill Shultz have committed to provide volunteer hours to Mr. Walker's efforts. Other members have voiced interest in being called upon to provide people power as the effort goes forward.

The Missouri Master Naturalist Program results from a partnership created in 2004 between the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and MU Extension (MUE). The Missouri Master Naturalist Program is recognized as a named program within MU Extension. The MU School of Natural Resources is the academic home for the Program. See www.springfieldmasternaturalist.com or springfieldmn.blogspot.com/

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Master Gardeners of Greene County Master Gardeners of Greene County to Focus on Volunteer Engagement and Retention The Master Gardeners of Greene County choose 1 to 2 projects to focus on each year. It was voted on and approved at the January 2016 board meeting to work on volunteer engagement and retention this year. The Greene County Master Gardener chapter is a large group and the board and leadership felt like it was important to identify ways to prevent members from being lost in the crowd.

Along with ice breaker and get to know you activities at monthly chapter meetings, there will a spring cleanup and garden opening cookout/ picnic/ workday at the Nat Greene Demo garden. All members will be invited to clean up the gardens for spring, mulch paths and other beginning of season garden chores. There will also be a time of socializing with a cookout and picnic during the workday. Other events will be planned through the growing season to get members involved in chapter gardens and activities and to help them get to know others. A strong emphasis will also be placed on the Master Gardening mentoring programing and it’s importance to new members.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

Career Day at Wilson’s Creek 5th and 6th Grade Intermediate School On January 25, I had the privilege of participating in career day at Wilson’s Creek school.

Wilson’s Creek is dedicating a unit this semester Kelly McGowan to Horticulture Educator show- mcgowank@missouri.edu case different careers in different fields to their students. I joined others in the field of agriculture to talk about different career opportunities.

I spoke to about 300 6th graders and they were very engaged and interested to hear about what a horticulturist does.

Photo at left is from the Career Day event.

The Master Gardener Program is a popular and successful statewide volunteer community-service organization administered through University of Missouri Extension. The organization’s goal is to train gardeners who are willing to share their knowledge with others. Master Gardeners become volunteers of University of Missouri Extension and donate hours for community educational projects in horticulture. Volunteer activities include working with non-profit organizations, maintaining community gardens, conducting workshops, participating in a Master Gardener speakers’ bureau and staffing the Master Gardener “Hotline.” The Master Gardeners of Greene County can boast of over 275 members. For more information visit the chapter website at http://www.mggreene.org.

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

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Agriculture and Community Development Residents Appreciate Energy Conservation and Solar Energy Workshops in Douglas County

“Grow Well Missouri” Program Expands with Training for Food Pantries in Springfield Feb. 4

Energy conservation measures offer a dramatically better economic investment than interest on a bank account in 2015, as well as solving various home maintenance problems.

Homeowners (including some from Greene County) took advantage of Energy Conservation and Solar Energy Workshops held in Ava in June to learn how spending less than $100 could lower their utility bills by 25 percent or more.

They also learned how declining equipment prices, federal tax credits and utility rebates can make solar energy systems a cost-effective option for many sites in the Ozarks, and they toured a site with a solar collector system installed.

The workshops were taught by Jeff Barber, MU Extension housing and environmental design specialist and Bob Schultheis, MU Extension natural resource engineering specialist.

The knowledge level of the 20 workshop participants increased by 24 percent. On written evaluations, 100% of participants rated the workshops excellent or good, and 95% would recommend these workshops to others.

Improvements they said they will do as a result of what they learned include:

“Grow Well Missouri” will be expanding in 2016 to southwest Missouri. This year, the University of Missouri Extension program is partnering with additional food pantries in Jefferson City, Wheatland, Bolivar, Buffalo, Greenview (Camden County), and Joplin.

The aim of Grow Well Missouri is to Regional Orientation initiate food garden- Hosted by: ing programs at food Greene County Extension at pantries that reach Springfield Botanical Center out to pantry customFeb. 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ers. The program offers a selection of seeds educational materials, and one-on-one advice during food distribution hours.

“Local food pantries are our primary partners, but we also tend to involve Master Gardeners, Garden Clubs, high school ag classes, FFA, and other groups,” said Bill McKelvey, project coordinator for Grow Well Missouri and the Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security at the University of Missouri. “Groups that attend will receive training on how to run the program and repackage the bulk seeds.”

Master Gardener groups have helped in other communities with seed repackaging, volunteer recruitment, staffing the program, and other related projects.

Primary funding comes from a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health. The program was developed over the past three years by working with food pantries in Shelbina, St. James, Columbia, Mexico, Boonville, and California.

a. Install switch and outlet gaskets (8) b. Insulate/weatherstrip around windows & doors (11) c. Change lighting to LED bulbs (11) d. Install low-flow showerhead (6) e. Insulate water heater (3) f. Have an energy audit done (7) g. Consider adding solar system (16) h. Seal duct work (1) i. Finish projects (1) j. Insulate floors, look into ERV (1) k. Use more power strips and shut them off (1) Reported by: Bob Schultheis Natural Resource Engineering Specialist

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

Each “Reaching Out Report” is used by Greene County Extension specialists to concisely communicate activities, contacts and events to members of the Greene County Extension Council, Greene County Commission and residents of Greene County. For more about this report, or to learn how you can reach 1,000 readers a month by advertising in the Reaching Out Report, contact David Burton, civic communication specialist, at (417) 881-8909. If you would like to receive this by email each month, contact David Burton at burtond@missouri.edu.

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Nutrition and Food Policy Health Insurance Education Initiative (HIEI): Pam offered a workshop in January for Jordan Valley and OACAC clients Attendees learn to make informed health insurance decisions, increase their knowledge and skills about health insurance, improve health-literacy, and increase their confidence in complying with the new health-care law (Affordable Care Act).

A few details of what participants gain from the program:  Awareness – who is eligible for what, how to obtain insurance, etc.  General health insurance literacy  Unbiased pre-enrollment education for informed health insurance decision-making  Education on how to use the plan purchased  Connect Missourians with resources

Local Food Presentations, Projects and Education Pam presented three local Food presentations in January; Held three Food Policy Council meetings; participated in four grant funded community food projects; attended one Local Food System planning meeting.

Pam Duitsman Nutrition Specialist duitsmanp@missouri.edu

Chronic Disease Self-Management Pam began teaching this six-week series in January in partnership with Mercy Health Systems. The classes are held at Smith Glynn Callaway Clinic every Monday from 9:30-12. The series covers subjects including: techniques to deal with problems such as frustration, fatigue, pain and isolation; appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance; appropriate use of medications; communicating effectively with health professionals; nutrition; and how to evaluate new treatments.

Outcomes of this class include:  Improvement of health outcomes and reduction of health care utilization  Decreased activity limitations and depression symptoms  Improved communication with health care provider  Improvements in quality of life, fatigue and sleep problems  Improvements in pain and shortness of breath  A significant improvement in ER visits and hospitalization The class will run through February 22.

Ozark Regional Food Policy Council Pam continues to work with ORFPC on the Executive Board and broader council, which serves as a forum for community conversation around food system issues. The council is strategizing and planning to provide solutions for building our local food system. The council meets on the first Wednesday of every month to work on policy, programs, support and plans to support the Greene County and Regional Food system.

Contact Nutrition and Health Education Specialist Dr. Pam Duitsman at (417) 881-8909 or by email at duitsmanp@missouri.edu.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Nutrition and Food Policy Stay Strong Stay Healthy 8-week course The current course runs from Jan. 6 to Feb. 26, meeting every Wednesday and Friday at 9:30.

Pam is assisting Renette Wardlow with this class, held in the Botanical Center. Pam is also offering six Nutrition Lessons to augment the class.

Voices for Food Project: Pam is the Voices for Food Project Coordinator for Missouri. During January SW Missouri communities met to implement their local plans through Food Policy Council work; implemented grant funded supportive programs, hired local staff to help coordinate local efforts, created community garden policy, offered two farmer/producer workshops, offered nutrition education to low-income audiences, received grant dollars for local infrastructure, and created strategic planning documents. Voices for Food is a federally funded sixstate research project, drawing on the expertise of Cooperative Extension services. The majority of Pam’s position is focused on this work, which will last through 2018.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

More outcomes for Greene County in January:    

Local Food Access Webinars — 2 Food Hub planning meetings — 1 Individual consultation to individuals/farms/ businesses/organizations — 26 An interview with Pam was featured in a Comprehensive Report on Food Insecurity in the State Released by Missouri Foundation for Health. The report shows food insecurity in Missouri continues to be a major issue. The publication was released to raise awareness on the issue. The Missouri Foundation for Health Equity Series: Food Insecurity report examines Missouri's food system, including how social determinants of health impact food security and food access, and the connection between disparities in health outcomes and an inequitable food system. http://www.mffh.org/mm/files/ Policy/Health%20Equity%20Series%20-% 20Food%20Insecurity.pdf

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Can I Help?

Get Social with Greene County Extension

Maggie Black can help customers with material needs, soil tests and program registrations. Contact her at the Greene County Extension Center or email her direct at blackmag@missouri.edu. Maggie Black Office Manager Maggie Black joined Greene County Extension in 2015.

Extension Council Officers

Corporate Sponsors Sanford, Lea and Associates, CPA, Springfield, Mo.: (417) 886-2220, www.adifferentcpa.com Master Gardeners of Greene County: http://www.mggreene.org Greene County Commission, 933 N Robberson Ave., Springfield, MO 65802 http://www.greenecountymo.org/ Springfield-Greene County Park Board, Ph 417-864-1049, www.parkboard.org Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District, Ph.417-831-5246, http:// swcd.mo.gov/greene/index.html.

Greene County Extension Office located inside the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, Mo. 65807 Tel: (417) 881-8909 greeneco@missouri.edu Office hours: Monday - Friday * 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Follow us on Facebook: GreeneCountyExtension Follow us on Twitter @MUExtension417 Follow us on YouTube: /MUExtension417

The following individuals are officers on the Greene County Extension Council during 2015.  Matthew Simpson, chairman  Harold Bender, vice-chairman  Mary Sue Joplin, treasurer  Nancy Williams, secretary See our website (http://extension.missouri.edu/greene) for a complete listing of council members and contact information for each member.

Space for Rent The Botanical Center offers meeting space for social gatherings and business functions. Contact us for all of your needs!

Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene Close Memorial Park.

417-891-1515 | www.botanicalcenter.org

Extension/Partner Meetings

County Commission meetings: 1st and 3rd Mondays of month; confirm agenda and meeting at http:// www.greenecountymo.org/commission. Commission building, Springfield, at 9:30 a.m.

Park Board Meetings: Second Friday of each month, 8:30 a.m. Call 864-1049 to confirm.

4-H Leader’s Council Meetings: 3rd Thursday of the month (except July),7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 2852 S Dayton Ave, Springfield.

Greene County 4-H Foundation: meets 3rd Thursday of each month at Panera Bread on Battlefield (across from the Mall) starting at 6 p.m.

Master Gardeners of Greene County—board meeting: First Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at the Botanical Center.

Master Naturalists Board Meetings: The board meets at 5:30 p.m. at the MDC regional office, on the second Wednesday of the month.

Greene County Farm Bureau — Second Monday of the month at Farm Bureau 2530 S Campbell Ave, Springfield. Starts at 7:30 p.m.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene

Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated January 28, 2016

Nutrition and Food Policy Donors during 2016 These donors have contributed to “Friends of Greene County Extension” during 2016.

A special thanks to those who donated over $24,000 to the campaign during 2015.

Help Us Exceed our 2016 Give Ozarks Goal by Providing Matching Dollars

Joan C. Young Ellen Chiles FCS Financial S&H Farm and Home

2016 Donations to Friends of Greene County Extension Cash = $ 875

#GiveOzarks is May 3, 2016

Checks are being accepted at the Greene County Extension office for the Give Ozarks campaign but must be received by April 29 and be made out to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. That part is important because we can use these early donations for “matching funds” during Give Ozarks.

Greene County Extension Council is participating in the second Give Ozarks 24-hour online day of giving on May 3, 2016. Greene County Extension volunteers and staff will be working to raise online donations from midnight to midnight on May 3 at www.giveozarks.org/2016/ greene-county-extension in support programs that will take place in the county.

“Our goal of the Give Ozarks campaign is $10,000,” said David Burton, county program director for Greene County Extension.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene