EXTENSION TRENDS: POWER COUNTY University of Idaho Extension, Power County • www.uidaho.edu/power
2019 Impact
2019 By the Numbers • 6,051 direct contacts • 2,426 youth participants • 42 volunteers • 376 volunteer hours
Our Advisory Council Special thanks to our volunteers who help shape programming and inform the work we do for UI Extension in Power County: Ken Koompin, David Zimmerman, Jerome Clinger, Kim West and Steve Isaak.
UI Extension Educator Terrell Sorensen 208-745-7621 tsorensen@uidaho.edu
Several UI Extension, Power County programs had significant impact in 2019. The Barn Owl Program with fifth grade students in American Falls featured three different classes taught by UI Extension educators. One class focused on building a barn owl box (nests), one on classification of barn owls, and one on lives of barn owls including nesting and eating habits. After the classes a live barn owl was brought to the school and shown to the 130 students. Later in the school year the school’s makers space was utilized and the students made barn owl boxes. The students loved the project and approximately 25 of the boxes have been installed around the county and are being monitored. The purpose of this program is to reduce the use of rodenticides to control voles and mice and instead encouraging barn owls to hunt in the area. The weed program in Power County has also been highly successful. A weed identification and spray application course was taught to the Power County Highway District and two classes on noxious weeds and new invaders in the county was taught to the Power County Cooperative Weed Management Area. UI Extension Educator Terrell Sorensen served on the Idaho Noxious Weed Commission, setting up the annual state noxious weed convention and helping with allocating the states cost sharing to the counties. He also organized and helped teach a pesticide recertification class in the county to 32 participants. Sorensen presented on the water outlook at the Idaho Ag Outlook Seminar and assisted with crop budgets for cereal grains and sugar beets. He also assisted with farm management classes and hosted ditchrider workshops and aquatic recertification classes. Over 400 employees from across the state attended these trainings, learning about canal maintenance, employee relations, retirement, and weed identification and control.
4-H in Power County
The UI Extension, Power County 4-H Youth Development program continues to excel in animal and market livestock programming. Several non-traditional youth are also reached through the Skills with Archery program, in cooperation with the William Thomas Middle School. In 2019 28 members signed up for the demonstration contest, nearly tripling the entries from the previous year. Power County 4-H will continue to offer existing programming and investigate new ways to be of service to the youth of Power County.
On the Horizon
A new event, in collaboration with the Idaho Water Users Association, called H2-Know is currently being developed. This virtual program will be offered every three months with different topics and speakers pertaining to water law and current issues in the water industry. The cost for the event is $25 and participants will receive one continuing education credit. Funds from the program will be used for water safety, canal maintenance, and general safety videos or additional education activities for water use groups. Sorensen serves as the president of the board for the Idaho Water Education Foundation. A new website will serve as a clearinghouse for water meetings, Project WET information, and education and funding opportunities for water groups.