October 2019 Reaching Out Report

Reaching Out Report October 2019 * Vol. 12 Issue 10 Upcoming Council Meetings Monday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. at the Salute to Century Farms event at the Round Barn Event Center.

Monday, Oct 28 at noon inside the Botanical Center.

Lunch is provided by $5. Special guest speakers: Kelsa Ferguson, nutrition specialist and Mike Lofarno, Tiger Ambassador.

New Videos

YouTube channel MUExtension417.  “Farming for Good: Dan Scott” (Kelly McGowan)  “Using Chart to Meet Your Neighbor” (David Burton)

Late Breaking

University of Missouri Extension Association will presented awards at Summit in October and two are coming to Greene County!

Outstanding Staff: Justin Kastning Outstanding Engagement: David Burton Meritorious Service Pam Duitsman MU Extension is an equal opportunity/ access/affirmative action/ pro-disabled and veteran employer.

Monthly Newsletter of Greene County Extension Council Tel: (417) 881-8909 | Email: burtond@missouri.edu | Online extension.missouri.edu/greene

Cover Photo Story By the Numbers ...

These are our official county contact numbers for programs reported on by specialists and associates serving Greene County.

So far in 2019* Direct contacts: 34,506 Indirect contacts: 28,220 Total Contacts: 62,726 Total in 2018: 39,774 Total in 2017: 58,754 * Based on “County contact summary condensed” self reported by specialists in MyExtension.

KOLR-10 Schedule

MU Extension specialists appear on KOLR-TV10 midday TV show on these scheduled dates.

Monday, Sept. 30 David Burton, Agriculture Monday, Oct. 14 Reagan Bluel , dairy issues Monday, Oct 28 David Burton, events Monday, Nov. 11 Eldon Cole, beef topic Kelly McGowan, horticulture topics, same time every Thursday.

Facebook Followers Followers of the “Greene County Extension Council” Facebook page includes followers and engagements August 29—Sept. 25  Followers: 2995 (+35)  Post Reach: 10,696  Engagements: 3089  Video views: 1,789

Commissioners Experience Diversity of Agriculture in County During Tour Diversity of agriculture was the On the cover: theme of the fourth annual Greene Equipment next to a County Commission Agriculture Tour field of soybeans on on Sept. 25. The Greene County MU the farm of Jim and Extension Council hosts the event for Nancy Tucker and son the Greene County Commissioners, James north of county departments and delegates, and Willard. The farm was other local leaders. stop number three on the annual Greene “We are pleased that the County County commission Commissioners want to learn more Ag Tour. about the current and future state of agriculture in Greene County,” said David Burton, county engagement specialist in community economic development with MU Extension. “Every year, we work to create a tour that provides a well-rounded snapshot of the diversity of agriculture in the county, and that also showcases this important part of our economy.”

The tour this year included stops focused on cattle, agriculture education, row crops, horses and agrotourism and agricultural manufacturing.

“This tour is a great way to learn more about the various aspects of farming and agriculture that are so vital to Greene County,” said Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon. “Much of what we do here at the County, from planning and zoning to environmental, has a connection to agriculture and this annual tour is just one way to view that firsthand.”

IRISH DEXTER CATTLE The first stop was at Wind Swept Farms near Willard, where participants learned more about the production challenges of registered Irish Dexter Cattle for gourmet beef as well as the importance of genetics.

Owner Vern Pugh says county leaders do support agriculture well but he welcomed the opportunity to explain how small farms benefit the county. Currently, there are more than 1800 farms in Greene County with an average Irish Dexter Cow size of about 120 acres.

“We’re a small farm. We don’t have hundreds of head of

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Briefs cattle,” Pugh said. “We have 43 head right now and these are a smaller sized type of cow that have different types of requirements.”

Wind Swept Farms is also hosting farm to table dinners on site. More information is available online at https://irishdexterbeef.com.

WILLARD FFA PROGRAM The second tour stop was Willard High School where agriculture instructors J.T. Asher and Dana Kimmons showed off the growing school farm and introduced two students and their animal projects to the group.

“About 85 percent of the students in our agriculture program are non-traditional ag students, meaning they don’t currently live on a farm,” said Asher. “So a lot of what we do is designed to teach them those skills and give them hands-on experience with animal husbandry.”

The Willard FFA program is already teaching hydroponics. Agriculture students grow tomatoes and peppers and lettuce that are then used by culinary arts students for events and contests. But the school is preparing to go even bigger with the construction of a high tunnel.

“The parts should arrive on Friday. Students will then help to build it and this should allow us to expand both what we grow and the quantity that we can grow,” said Kimmons.

All of the efforts are designed to get students interested in agricultural careers where the demand for trained employees is growing.

“There are over 300 different careers in agriculture,” said Kimmons. “In many of those career areas, there are three or four jobs available for every available and trained student.”

TUCKER FARM Jim and Nancy Tucker and their son James welcomed the tour to their farm north of Willard where participants heard about their 120 cattle and the uniqueness of their row crop operation.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

Commissioners and guests inside the Willard school barn.

Greene County Commissioners saw the diversity of the county in this year's agriculture tour.

The Commissioners and MU Extension staff on the tour pose here with Maximus from Sac River Stables. From left to right, Commissioner John Russell, Commissioner Harold Bengsch, Sac River Stables owner Dawn O'Connor, Kelly McGowan with MU Extension, David Burton with MU Extension, Sarah Havens with MU Extension and Commissioner Bob Dixon.

The Tuckers have 350 acres in corn, about 350 acres in soybeans, they grow winter wheat, and they manage to bale about 600 to 800 round bays of hay each year.

“Beyond production, sustainability is the most important thing in agriculture,” said Jim. Page 3

Briefs “This farm has been in the family for five generations now. We want that to continue.”

The economic impact of an operation like the Tucker’s farm is tremendous when you consider the economic multiplier of how the money spent locally turns over in the community. Estimates are their farm has an economic impact on the Willard area of about $5 million.

But, not everything in farming is smooth sailing. There are concerns related to climate and pests (and the Tucker farm has been involved in several MU Extension research efforts) but there is also a significant technology divide in the rural areas because of the lack of broadband access.

“A lack of technology is not the issue. We use GPS to auto-steer our tractors and take field and crop measurements and to do things that decades ago were only a dream,” said Jim. “But the lack of available high-speed internet is a real handicap.”

Decades ago, electric cooperatives brought electricity to the farms and it improved operations and families. The need for broadband internet access at affordable prices would do the same thing for this generation.

“Ozark Electric refuses to run fiber internet to us,” Tucker told the Commissioners. “If they sent it to us, we would be able to bounce it around the farm (via Wi-Fi) and we can get the necessary information to ourselves and our equipment in real-time.”

SAC RIVER STABLES The next tour stop was Sac River Stables, a family-owned and operated business north of Springfield offering equestrian services and horse boarding. The stables are located on the site of a former dairy farm operation.

Owner Dawn O’Connor has over 30 years of experience in the equine industry and is a Certified Horsemanship Association Riding Instructor and a registered AQHA Professional Horseman. She also carries American Red Cross First Aid and CPR Certifications.

“The goals of every riding program at the Sac River Stables are safety while working with Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

Above and below: Tucker farm. Above the crop sprayer is parked in front of a sign from Jim Tucker’s law office in the 1980s showing the transition from law to agriculture.

and riding horses, to have fun in a Christian family operation, and increase your equine knowledge,” said O’Connor. “Our number one goal is safety. If a child gets hurt around a horse while they are young they will hate horses for the rest of their lives.”

Stall and pasture horse boarding is available on site, riding lessons, horse training, birthday parties, Wrangler Worship day camps, and Boy and Girl Scout badge programs. There is also an active 4-H Club that meets at this location.

“We average 45 students a week and are seeing a growing interest in horses and riding,” said O’Connor. “We have 20 a day even during the winter and if someone drops there seems to be someone else interested.”

HILAND DAIRY Hiland Dairy is one of the oldest agricultural product businesses still operating in Springfield. The facility turns milk into ice cream, yogurt, egg-nog, cottage cheese, and of course milk for consumption and home and school.

Tour guide Darrell Washam noted that the facility focuses on sustainability. In fact, at this plant, 60 percent of the waste products from the plant are now recycled in some Page 4

Briefs manner instead of being sent to the landfill.

One fun fact from the ag tour: a large percentage of milk coming to Hiland Dairy -about 100,000 gallons a day -- comes from a 100-mile radius of the facility on Kearney Street in Springfield.

NEXT TOUR The agriculture tour in 2020 will take place in the early fall and will focus in on the northeast section of the county. Those who have unique agriculture operations in the Fair Grove and Strafford areas and are willing to serve as a tour stop should contact David Burton by telephone at (417) 881-8909 or via email at burtond@missouri.edu.

Agronomy Report From Tim Schnakenberg

Nutrition Specialist Teaches Food Preservation Class

Soil and Forage Analysis Signed off on soil test recommendations and gave educational advice on tests for Stone, Taney Christian, Barry, Lawrence and Greene counties.

Farm Visits / Consultations – Answered phone calls, texts Tim Schnakenberg and emails from local producers and met with producers in my office.

Conducted farm visits on new grass stands, insect issues, soybean disease issues, weed and brush control, Johnsongrass field management, teff establishment issues, alfalfa stand evaluation, whole farm forage planning, warm season grass hay establishment and winter annual forage options. Information requests averaged 10 per day.

Tim also helped with the commission ag tour and answers questions at the Tucker farm.

Kelsa Ferguson, the nutrition education specialist in Greene County shown below, has spent the last several months learning a food preservation curriculum and experimenting on herself. On Sept. 26, she taught the class for a public audience for the first time. Members learned to make blueberry jam and feedback from the class rated it as a success.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Briefs 2020 Opioids and the Workplace, Thinking, Transformational, Creatively, and Collaboratively with Action University of Missouri Extension, Stone County Health Department, and the Stone County Community Health Coalition are partnering to develop and share information for employers, workers, and the community to address work- Amy Patillo related challenges to the Opioids Crisis. This is a medical disease and mental health disorder that requires increased awareness and access to resources that are not readily available in rural communities.

For more information about how you can engage with the work surrounding opioids and the workforce contact Dr. Amy Patillo, patilloa@missouri.edu.

Patillo Family Participates in 4-H International Exchange Program The University of Missouri 4-H youth program is a great opportunity to make new friends and experience a new culture. The Japan Summer Inbound exchange program brings youth from Japan to stay with a Missouri host family for 4 weeks.

Dr. Amy Patillo’s family hosted Mitsuki Kurihara, Saga Japan during the months of July and August. In 2015, Dr. Patillo chaperoned 4-H youth from the United States and Canada during a 4-week homestay in Japan. In 2016, the Patillo family hosted Tomoki Kurihara, Mitsuki’s brother for a 4week homestay. As a result of this program, Tomoki is spending his 2019-2020 school year in Canada.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

Pictured in their Japanese yukata’s are Adeline Patillo, host sister and Mitsuki Kurihara during the summer homestay.

For more information about the 4-H Global Education program and visit the 4-H Global Exchange on the extension website or email coordinator Joyce Taylor at TaylorJL@missouri.edu

Republic Chamber of Commerce Building Workforce Connections If you aren’t attending local Chamber of Commerce meetings you are missing out on opportunities to build relationships and connect with individuals to grow and expand your business. Chambers provide a place for community leaders to address critical issues by mobilizing businesses and community partners.

One of the businesses highlighted by the Republic Chamber of Commerce is SCORE, Southwest Missouri. SCORE offers free business counseling and entrepreneurship services to business owners and individuals interested in starting their own business.

Highlighting business and workforce partners are essential to solving complex workforce, education and health challenges.

To connect with SCORE, contact John Fleming, john.fleming@cebridge.net or visit www.swmissouri.score.org For information about the University of Missouri Labor and Workforce Development program contact Dr. Amy Patillo, patilloa@missour.edu.

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Briefs National Good Neighbor Day Celebrated Sept. 28; In Republic Residents Use Day to Meet Their Neighbors

Other groups in town – like the Republic Chamber of Commerce and the Republic Ministerial Alliance – are also having conversations about what it means to be neighborly.

“The long term goal is to develop a neighboring group or coalition that will make neighboring efforts a focus in town National Good Neighbor Day is Septemand provide direction and encouragement ber 28. University of Missouri Extension and training,” said Burton.

County Engagement Specialist David Burton This annual holiday was first proclaimed is encouraging individuals to celebrate the day

by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Becky by setting a goal of meeting their neighbors.

Mattson from Lakeside, “Neighboring does take time and effort. But there are There will also be learning Montana came up with the idea of a national holiday both personal and community group sessions on benefits and being neighborly neighboring held between recognizing the importance of good neighbors in 1971. is easy to get started,” said Burton. “Take the day to meet 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., starting In 1978, U.S. President JimFriday, Sept 27 and then my Carter announced the neighbors you do not already every Friday in October at creation of a national day know or plan a neighborhood block party or workday.” tables inside the Kum and aimed at raising awareness Current research shows Go at Hwy 60 and Hwy that good neighbors help achieve human understandmany Americans suffer from a MM, Republic. The ing and build strong, thrivlack of personal relationships, sessions are come and go. ing communities. Since which leads to isolation, dethen, National Good Neighpression, and anger. Meanwhile, less than bor Day has been acknowledged by various three percent of Americans say they know the levels of government and is celebrated every names of their neighbors, know a fact about year on Sept. 28. them and have spoken to their neighbors in To schedule a program for your organithe last month. zation or neighborhood to learn how to During the third week of September, evebegin neighboring or the importance of it, ry mailbox in Republic received a “who is my contact me at (417) 881-8909 or email burneighbor” postcard distributed by the Greene tond@missouri.edu.

County MU Extension Council.

Get resources to help with neighboring Residents were encouraged to use the (like a video explaining how to use the chart on the mailer as a way to learn and reneighbor chart) and learn more about online member the names of their neighbors, their at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene. contact information and facts about them.

Residents of Republic are being encouraged to reach out on National Good Neighbor Program Calendar Online Day (Sept. 28) as an initial first step toward The most up-to-date list of making Republic a neighborly city. reported upcoming The city of Republic is also preparing to MU Extension programs in Greene County kick off a neighborhood watch program. For is available online at http:// information about an upcoming training, conextension.missouri.edu/greene tact Lieutenant Jamie Burks of the Republic Calendar visible on right side of page.

City Police Department at (417) 732-3964 or email jburks@republicmo.com.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Briefs Training Begins for Springfield Plateau Chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalists Program The Missouri Master Naturalist program is a natural resource education and volunteer service program for adults, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and University of Missouri Extension. Its purpose is to develop a team of well-trained volunteers to provide education, outreach and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural Kelly McGowan areas within their communities Horticulture Specialist mcgowank@missouri.edu for the state of Missouri.

The Springfield Plateau Chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalists is coordinated by Jay Barber, Conservation Education Consultant with the Missouri Dept. of Conservation and co-coordinated by Kelly McGowan, Field Specialist in Horticulture with MU Extension.

Training for new members began on September 10 with 22 trainees enrolled. Training consists of five classroom sessions and five field sessions. Classroom session topics include caves and karst, prairie ecology, invasive plants and insects, and watershed and fisheries management. Field sessions will take place at the Missouri Dept. of Conservation Southwest Regional Office, Valley Water Mill Watershed Center, Henning Conservation Area, and La Petite Gemme Conservation Area. Field session topics will include water ecology, tree identification, bird identification, insect taxonomy, glade and forest ecology, bison and nature journaling.

After training is complete, members must commit to 40 hours of volunteer service and eight hours of advanced training annually.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

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Briefs “Art on the Move” Comes to Springfield Art Museum From Mizzou on Nov. 7

Mizzou students will present a special “Art on the Move” program from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Springfield Art Museum.

Digital Storytelling is the topic of this particular “Art on the Move.” Each film can range from 8-20 minutes, depending on the artist. There will be a small reception beforehand, then three films from three artists will be shown in the museum auditorium followed by a question and answer session.

Art on the Move provides hands-on professional career-building opportunities for MU SVS students and alumni by returning them to their Missouri hometowns or home regions to share their art with others and help recruit the next generation of SVS students.

The exhibit is presented through a partnership of the MU School of Visual Studies, MU Extension, and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.

Leadership Ash Grove is Underway with 18 People Eighteen local residents have signed up for Leadership Ash Grove! Attendees can grow their personal network and learn to lead themselves, their family, in their neighborhood and in their community.

Leadership Ash Grove is funded by a grant and a community project of some sort will also be funded by the program.

The program will conclude with a graduation event on Tuesday, November 19 that will likely be open to the public.

Some of the program attendees during a meeting at the Barham House, Sept. 24 highlighting non-profits that positively impact Ash Grove.

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Briefs MINUTES OF THE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION COUNCIL OF Greene COUNTY Date : August 26, 2019 Place: Greene County Extension offices Attendees: Larry Adams, Tony Ahart, Lisa Bakerink, Greg Boehne, Chat Courtney, Alex Greiwe, Ann Hall, Chris Schulze.

A quorum was not established. No voting on business could be done.

Checks were signed by Greg Boehne and Lisa Bakerink.

David updated us on the Plat Books.

There has been a delay due to incorrect information they received from the county. They will be available end of September or first of October. The charge will be $50-100.

Mizzou Student Alternative Break Nov 13, 2019. A local church has offered housing for the students. There are several projects the students will be working on.

Art on the Move will be hosted at the Springfield Art Museum in November and again in February or March 2020.

Salute to Century Farms is coming along nicely. We have received a few more

sponsorships and everything is on track for September 30, 2019.

MU Soil lab will close the Delta Center Soil Lab effective August 1, 2019 and will consolidate with the Columbia lab. The lab intends to offer customers the option of individually submitting samples online and generating an individualized shipping label using UPS. Customers will be able to continue dropping off at their local Extension offices. If this is the direction campus is going, our soil test collections will be going down considerably. Many things remain to be worked out.

A date for a future dual council meeting with Lawrence County will need to be established and voted on when there is a quorum.

Special council meeting will be held Thursday Sept. 5th 2019, to hear from candidates for the Human Development Specialist position currently available.

Planned office moves: Kelly McGowan moves into Jeff Barber’s vacated office, Justin Kastning moves in the vacant corner office near the elevator, the new hire Human Development Specialist will move into Justin’s vacant office, Kelly McGowan’s vacant office will be available to the future 4H YPA. Michele Kleeman was guest speaker and discussed how to build a stronger and more effective council.

Extension Partner Meetings County Commission Meetings: 1st Monday of month; agenda at www.greenecountymo.org Historic Courthouse, at 9:30 a.m.

Park Board Meetings: 2nd Fr iday of each month, 8:30 a.m. Confirm at 864-1049.

4-H Leader’s Council Meetings: 3r d Thur sday of month (except July),7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Springfield Livestock Marketing Center.

Greene County 4-H Foundation: 3r d Thur sday of each month at Panera Bread on Battlefield

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

(near Mall) starting at 6 p.m.

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

Master Naturalists Board Meetings: 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.

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Greene County “Reaching Out� Report

Last Updated September 27,

MU Extension Staff Headquartered in Greene County Kelly McGowan Horticulture Specialist mcgowank@missouri.edu

Started: 2012

David Burton

County Engagement in Community Development burtond@missouri.edu Started: 2001

Job responsibilities: I coordinate the Core Training for the Greene County Master Gardeners, assist the Master Gardener chapter, and also develop and plan educational opportunities and events for the public.

Job responsibilities: Engages through leadership development, social media, heritage tourism, art on the move, and media relations. Works with council to fund and administer the office and to plan local programs.

Amber Allen

Vacant

Human Development

Housing and Design

Begins Oct. 17

Kelsa Ferguson Nutrition Specialist

Started: Febr uar y 2019 Responsibilities: Nutr ition and health education programs including classes on chronic disease management, food preservation and more.

Justin Kastning 4-H Youth Associate

Started: Januar y 7, 2019 Job responsibilities: Develop and expand current 4-H programming in the county and grow new clubs with a primary focus on 4-H programming at Greene County Youth Academy.

Online at http://extension.missouri.edu

Amy Patillo

Workforce Development patilloa@missouri.edu Started: November 2011 Responsibilities: Wor kfor ce development, leadership and community development programming for businesses, government agencies and nonprofits and leading local foods grants.

Maggie Black Office Manager

Started: October 2015

Maggie manages office financials, soil tests, event registrations, council relations, and customer service of all types including canner testing.

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Greene County “Reaching Out” Report

Last Updated September 27,

MU Extension Staff Serving Greene County Sherri Hull

M. Dickensheet

Nutrition Associate Joined 2008

Nutrition Associate Joined 2018

Marty Wood

1845 S. National, Ste. 100, Springfield, Mo. Tel: (417) 865-0707

Myrna Stark

Nutrition Associate Joined 2000

FNEP Program Manager

Jay Chism, Regional Director, email: chismj@missouri.edu

Terri Fossett

Program director Joined 2000

Sarah Grubaugh,

Family Nutrition Education Program

2160 W. Chesterfield Blvd. F200, Springfield, Tel: 417-886-2059

Karla Deaver

4-H Youth specialist Headquartered in Lawrence County Tel: (417) 466-3102 Email: deaverk@missouri.edu

Southwest Region Directors Office

Assistant, email: GrubaughS@missouri.edu

Mo

Andy McCorkill

Livestock specialist Headquartered in Laclede County Tel: (417) 532-7126 Email: mccorkilla@missouri.edu

Tim Schnakenberg

Patrick Byers

Agronomy specialist Headquartered in Stone County Tel: (417) 357-6812 Email: schnakenbergc@missouri.edu

Commercial Horticulture Specialist Headquartered in Webster County Tel: (417) 859-2044 Email: byerspl@missouri.edu

Reagan Bluel

Jim Spencer Jr.

Dairy Specialist Headquartered in Barry County Tel: (417) 847-3161 Email: BluelRJ@missouri.edu

Agriculture Business Specialist Headquartered in Christian County Tel: (417) 3581-3558 Email: spencerjr@missouri.edu

Sarah Havens

Natural Resources specialist Headquartered in Laclede County Tel: (573) 458-6260 Email: havenss@missouri.edu Contact:  Chrystal Irons  Allen Waldo  Lance Coffman  Sandra Smart

Dr. Pam Duitsman

Community Development Specialist Headquartered in Christian County Tel: (417) 3581-3558 Email: duitsmanp@missouri.edu

Irons

Smart

Coffman

Waldo

Located inside the Rober t W. Plaster Fr ee Enter pr ise Center 405 N. Jefferson Ave., Springfield, Mo | 417-837-2617-Phone | https://sbtdc.missouristate.edu/

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