Missoula County
Weed District Annual Report and Extension 2017
Family and Consumer Sciences Developed Infographic for distribution in local health care agencies on children’s pre-diabetes education
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8-12 Participants
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2017 Program
Cooking Classes & Canning Demonstratio ns
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Powerful Tools for Caregivers
In partnership with Missoula Aging Services
Pressure Canning Chicken
1-hour classes focused on how to grow and cook local foods
Family and Consumer
Sciences provides programs and resources that benefit youth health, nutrition, family relationships, and financial support. These programs are hosted through schools, youth organizations, parent and leader education programs, publications, on-line resources, and consultations.
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4H by the Numbers 4-H provides youth development programs and resources to promote positive engagement, reduce at-risk behaviors, combat youth obesity, and develop career/life skills through a “learning by doing� approach via 4-H clubs, school enrichment programs, after-school programs and out-of-school programs.
52 Consumer & Family Sciences
63 Foods & Nutrition
828 Animal
72 Leadership & Personal Development 72 Communications & Expressive Arts 152 Environmental Ed.
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1,275
Total Projects
Top 10 Projects Cloverbud
Cooking
Swine Beef
Goat Rabbit
Sheep
Horse Poultry Shooting Sports
Participant Stats 63% Female Where They Live
15% City
22%
Suburbs
29% Farms
34%
Towns under 50K
37% Male
School Level
29%
Middle School
31%
40%
High School
K-5th
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Plant Clinic The Missoula County Extension Plant Clinic provides leadership and educational opportunities to the public on the identification and integrated pest management practices (IPM) of plant diseases, pests and related plant health problems through the coordination and management of the Plant Clinic.
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2017 by Numbers
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Current/ Gooseberry Fly Trap
To check on pests that challenge gardeners, landscapers & homeowners in maintaining healthy plant communities
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Information is used to update the
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Pest Control
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Calls and Walk-in Clients
Gives Missoula Residents timely information on when to spray for those pests to control damage to fruit
Plan t
The Plant Clinic Provided Information on 6
EFNEP
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a federally funded, researched based program that teaches low-income families nutrition education. Through a series of 9 lessons, families will learn about diet quality, physical activity, food resource management, food safety, and food insecurity. EFNEP also teaches a series of 6 lessons to 1st, 3rd and 5th graders in Missoula County.
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95 Families
graduated the EFNEP program during the 2016-17
40% of families
consumed more vegetables
36%
Reported eating more whole grains
884 children were
reached in the 2016-2017 school year
In 8 Title I Schools Hawthorne
Russell
Clinton
Lowell
Bonner
Seeley Lake
Franklin
DeSmet 8
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The weed district works to promote and maintain healthy vegetation by minimizing the ecological and economic impacts of noxious weeds. We provide public education, technology transfer, monitoring and survey and work to facilitate involvement of landowners and land management agencies in a county wide cooperative vegetation management program that emphasizes the importance of healthy, resilient plant communities.
Weed District
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Traveling Plant Posters The May-June 2017 issue of Montana Outdoors magazine featured Missoula County Weed District’s poster series of native and invasive plants of Montana. The feature provided the opportunity for their readers across the country to request copies, free of charge. The response was resounding, to date 718 poster sets have been mailed across Montana and 33 states. This exposure led to a reprint of the plant poster series first created in 2010.
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Youth in Restoration Missoula County Weed District provides 4 high school students a unique opportunity to participate and learn about local stewardship projects within Western Montana. YIR is a cooperative program that builds collaborative partnerships between diverse land management organizations, while providing youth crew members with career mentoring and on-theground training in natural resource conservation work.
Over the course of 9 weeks... Farthest Project:
4
school students
(and one fearless leader)
Swan River Oxbow Preserve
220 Miles Round Trip
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Montana Counties Area Enlarged
In a variety of conditions, they...
Cleared 3.1 miles Removed 2 of trail miles of barbed
wire fence
Collected 711,000+ biocontrol insects
Worked across with 10 Conservation Partners
Removed 50+ trash bags of Houndstongue off Montana Lands
Consumed 4X bodyweight* in huckleberries *estimation
Mapped 409 Acres for invasive Medusahead
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Research landowners most in need of assistance In 2013, the weed district brought together an interdisciplinary group of and develop audience appropriate messaging and information for them. natural resource managers, social scientists, and conservation leaders to The survey was completed in 2016, and here are the results of work collaboratively to find ways to improve outreach effectiveness and Landowners’ perspectives on weed enhance natural resource stewardship control across Montana. in Montana. Natural resources issues • 70%of Landownersalways identified by the group included checkedtheir propertyfor weeds mitigating the impacts of wildfire, wildlife conflict and invasive weeds. With funding provided by the Missoula • 90%believed their personal actionscould help control weeds; only31%County Weed District, Montana believed that controlling weeds Department of Natural Resources, would motivate their neighbors to Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Defenders of take action Wildlife, Montana State University Extension and the Montana Department of Agriculture, the group • While 70% of landowners reported checking their property for weeds, partnered with the Human only 40% of landowners thought their Dimensions Lab of the University of Montana to conduct a statewide survey neighbors were taking action that could provide us with a better understanding of landowners’ attitudes and values toward key natural resource issues, constraints and preferences for information sources. This information could then be used to clearly identify the groups of Montana
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• 80% of landowners are willing to use • Friends and family and general herbicides to help control noxious • internet search were the most weeds on their property; only 44% • popular sources people used to get info. Workshops/classes and federal of landowners were willing to apply government were the least popular. for a government grant program to do so
90%
believed their personal actions could help control weeds
only
31%
70% of Landowners
always checked their property for weeds
Only 40% Thought Their Neighbors Were Taking Action
believed that controlling weeds would motivate their neighbors to take action
80% were
willing to use Herbicides
Friends & Family and General Internet Searches were the most popular sources of information
Only 44% Willing to Apply for Government Grant Program to do so
Workshops & Classes and the Federal Government were the least popular
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Prevention Missoula County had another successful year of weed free forage production in 2017. Five reoccurring and two new producers supplied 167 tons of weed free forage to local sportsman, stock growers and federal agencies. The 157 acres of fields certified was the highest total for Missoula County since 2008. Our local producers grew a variety of forage mixes this year including alfalfa, alfalfa-grass, high carb grass and low carb grass for horses. In addition to growing a variety of forage types local products where
865 Points Iris Treated
17.5 Acre
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made available at Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply, the Axman and Mountain West Co-Op. Using weed free forage can be a great way to prevent noxious weeds from invading your pasture and back yards. Although some producers advertise weed free products always look for a Montana Department of Agriculture forage marker and a transport certificate at the time of purchase.
Acres Orange Hawkweed Treated
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Acres of Whitetop Sprayed in the Missoula Valley
C the g n o al reated t d e e perw p e P
la
ver i R ork F k r
10.4
Acres of Medusahead Mapped
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Acres of Leafy Spurge Treated Along Miller Creek Road
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541 Acre s of N
Truckloads of Common Buckthorn Removed oxious Weeds
trea ted
along 174 Miles of
M DT rig ht-of-way
Missoula County Certified Weed Free Forage Program
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Through the Years 350
Local Producers Market
Value of
$36,740
Tons Produced
300 250 200 150 100 50 0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
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As residents of Missoula County, our access to open space is a common motive for why we live where we do. Coincidentally, the take it easy, get out and enjoy ourselves lifestyle seems to encompass the Missoula County standard of living. Landscapes, unique places and people make our county an extraordinary place to live. The Missoula County Weed District appreciates working in a region that realizes the importance of land management and the habitats they support. This summer we commissioned local artist Courtney Blazon to illustrate iconic sites and distinct natural areas that are the backdrop of our county. This creative piece is a visual representation of the things we love about Missoula County. The Weed District’s motivation behind producing the map of the county is to remind everyone that noxious weeds impact those resources and places we value. We often focus on the undesirable, such as weeds, while looking at the landscape. We forget the reason we control noxious weeds, which is to protect our valued natural spaces. The illustrated map depicts 8 watersheds throughout Missoula County. Each
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Missoula County Art Posters
watershed has unique attributes and resources such as agriculture, wildlife, rivers, lakes and mountains that deserve recognition. Features from the historic Ninemile Ranger Station and Clearwater Junction cow to Missoula urban chickens, will keep you busy discovering the distinct aspects of each watershed. Sales from the illustrated map will help offset Missoula County Weed District’s youth education programming throughout the county.
Extension Office Staff Jerry Marks Department Head
Julia Goar EFNEP Assistant
Jean Jenkins Financial Coordinator
Bonnie Medlin EFNEP Assistant
Sharon Gaffney Administrative Assistant
Campbell Barrett 4-H Youth Development Agent
Kelly Moore Family & Consumer Sciences Colleen Terrazas 4-H Administrative Assistant Diann Pommer Expanded Food & Nutrition Sandy Perrin (EFNEP) Plant Clinic
Weed District Staff Bryce Christiaens Weed District Manager
Melissa Maggio-Kassner State Biocontrol Coordinator
Steffany Rogge-Kindseth Weed Education Coordinator Matt Deaton Weed Prevention Lindsey Bona-Eggeman Coordinator Weed Management Coordinator Jed Little GIS Data Coordinator
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