88 MSU Extension agents and 54 specialists serving local needs in 56 counties and 7 reservations with 1 mission: to improve the lives of Montana citizens by providing unbiased, research-based education and information that integrates learning, discovery and engagement to strengthen the social, economic and environmental well-being of individuals, families and communities.
MSU Extension in Ravalli County has partnered with teams of MSU College of Nursing students from the Missoula campus to encourage residents to increase their physical activity. The teams have created community walking maps for Hamilton and Stevensville, and soon Darby. They created a May/June health incentive program called Bike, Walk, Roll and Win, and another incentive program called WINter Wellness. Local foundations and businesses have donated over $2,000 in prizes to encourage participants. In the summer, 74 participants in Hamilton logged 1,221 miles collectively. Participants reported significantly improved balance, stamina and mental health.
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In Valley County, risk from narrowleaf hawksbeard infestation prompted MSU Extension agent Shelley Mills to become a leading expert in management strategies. Following her workshops, 48 participants completed surveys indicating they were managing 109,350 cropland acres (of 189,900) they owned or managed. They estimated that without the management techniques taught by Extension they would have experienced an estimated loss of $63/acre, representing a total potential loss of revenue to hawksbeard of more than $6.1 million. For her effort, Mills was recognized by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents as an Excellence in Crop Production Award winner.
MSU Extension agent Jennifer Anderson helped in founding the Community Foundation of Northern Rosebud County in 2008 to help fund local projects. Since then, the foundation has accumulated an endowment of more than $500,000, and more than $125,000 has been reinvested back into community projects including a hospital helipad upgrade, children’s swim lessons, and technology for use in public school classrooms
Stephanie Davison with the Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development and a team of partners from MSU Extension, ILX Lightwave and the Pretty Eagle Catholic Academy in St. Xavier have provided advanced STEM education opportunities for youth in grades 5-8. The students have used computer-aided design software to design and build doghouses for the resident dog, a shed for the football team’s gear and race cars. They have worked with staff to map weeds and plan to build a pedestrian bridge at Chief Plenty Coups State Park. The team is funded thorough a Children, Youth, Families at Risk (CYFAR) grant from USDA-NIFA.
ou live in Montana, we live near you. msuextension.org
More than 3,500 4-H leaders provide volunteer
Strengthening social, economic and environmental well-being across generations, across Montana.
Long distances to health care facilities and a shortage of medical providers makes staying healthy a priority for Montanans.
hours in excess of $2 million while teaching and mentoring
Many MSU Extension offices offer health
youth through 4-H programs. 75% of youth who participate in 4-H leadership programs also have leadership roles in school, church and other community organizations.
19,000 Montana youth participate annually in 4-H clubs,
In addition to helping grow food,
afterschool programs, camps and other activities to learn life skills such
MSU Extension improves access
as public speaking, critical thinking, goal setting, planning and organizing;
to healthy food and nutrition
and complete over 40,000 science, technology, engineering and math
education. Extension administers
(STEM) projects in fields such as robotics, bioscience, livestock, food and
Montana’s Expanded Food and Nutrition
nutrition, plant sciences and engineering.
Education Program (EFNEP) and Supplemental
programming to increase and enhance strength and flexibility, better manage diabetes, create connections among neighbors and allow individuals to remain independent longer.
Nutrition Assistance Program Education As local community leaders, MSU Extension agents often
(SNAP-Ed). These programs reach over 8,000
partner with others to build and grow community foundations. They
youth and adults annually with programs in
provide workshops on grant writing and fundraising, increasing
food safety and preservation, planning menus
leadership abilities, improving relationships and engaging
and healthy shopping, improving knife skills,
community members, and more.
and more as needed.
Extension economics education helps Montana families budget, plan for the future and make informed financial decisions. Annually, around 2,500 Montanans participate in Solid Finances and estate planning classes. Extension works extensively to support horticulture needs for lawns and gardens. Annually, nearly 700 Master Gardeners provide
rigorous testing of seed lots. For pulse acres to continue to increase, pest management is critical, as pulse crops are susceptible to a lot of diseases.
program provides support for family caregivers who have increased rates
Adding pulse crops into rotation can help
of depression and anxiety, and vulnerability to health problems.
improve soil health while diversifying the market and increasing the bottom line.
Montana State University Extension is an ADA/EO/AA/Veteran’s Preference Employer and Provider of Educational Outreach.
Mental health concerns consistently rank in the top three in local, county and state health assessments. To address the need for more
changing resources and shifting economies. MSU Extension’s Local Government Center offers 120+ affordable training opportunities to more than 6,000 local government officials who manage nearly $2 billion and 11,000 employees.
resources, MSU Extension partners with schools and other community organizations to provide or support
Education, outreach and research by MSU Extension and the Montana Ag Experiment Station has contributed to more than doubling pulse acreage, making Montana the nation’s top pulse producing state, while continuing to rank third for wheat production.
programming in mental health literacy and suicide prevention. These include Mental
During the 2017 drought in some
Health First Aid, Youth Aware of Mental Health
counties, as much as 30% of
(YAM), Thrive (an online depression intervention
forage was determined to be
study), and Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
toxic. Extension outreach
suicide prevention.
and education helps increase the number of
Forest Stewardship workshops produce forest
producers doing soil, water and
owners who have increased knowledge of
forage testing, and helps with
forest ecology and a management plan to
solutions to balance rations
guide them in sustainably managing forest recreation and other uses.
pathogen-related decline in yield through
significant increase in pulse crop acreage.
to manage shrinking or growing populations,
acres for health, wildlife, fire resilience, range,
to increase pulse crop pathology by reducing
$12.97/hour). MSU Extension’s Powerful Tools for Caregivers
of more than $230,000 in services.
manage 1.2 million family-owned acres. The
crop pathogen diagnostics. The lab’s goal is
transformed in the past decade to include a
Urban and rural communities need leaders
Forestry Stewardship programs
only laboratory exclusively dedicated to pulse
110 million hours of care to loved ones at a value of $1.4 billion (based on
school gardens, etc. at a value to local communities
forested land, and participants of Extension
Pathology Specialist Mary Burrows is the
Montana’s agricultural economy has been
in boulevards and parks; providing education at farmer’s markets; creating
one-fifth of Montana’s 25 million acres of
Laboratory started by MSU Extension Plant
Montana has an estimated 118,000 unpaid caregivers providing
12,000 volunteer hours managing community gardens and vegetation
Family forest owners own and manage
The Regional Pulse Crop Diagnostic
and manage herds to reduce
If you live in Montana, we live near you. msuextension.org
impacts, including livestock death, and increase profitability.