• Approximately 500 people have received fact sheets and bulletins to assist them with solving pest, lawn and garden, soil, and livestock problems. A website was maintained with current links and information.

• Lawrence County trained seven new volunteers as Master Gardeners by providing them 50 hours of training. In 2006, these volunteers, in addition to the nine other Master Gardeners, donated at least 625 hours of service to teach garden programs and answer questions from the nearly 62,000 people in the county. According to the latest (2002) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the value of volunteer service in Ohio is $15.34 per hour, which total to $9,587 worth of service to the Lawrence County public.

• Nine agriculture and industry workers received pesticide recertification through the Extension office.

The office can provide many fact sheets developed by the Ohio State University with sound, scientific data. Exciting information on the emerging field of goat production, especially meat goats, was distributed to many people in the county, state and tri-state area. 

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The Lawrence County Extension Office provide facts sheets and resources to help families cope with food safety, nutrition, balancing life and work, finances, and general well-being.

• Personal Money Management—This year, 75 eighth grade youth, developed decision-making skills in economics and career planning while participating in a “Welcome to the Real World Program” conducted by OSU Extension. Students were provided a job occupation with a salary and required to attend “real life” stations to simulate a monthly budget. Seventy-one percent of the students indicated they have increased their awareness of the importance of staying in school and receiving an education and the problems their parents face each month making financial decisions. Sixty-four percent indicated that their awareness of the importance of career choices has increased since participating in the experience.

• Deadly Lookalikes—At the first annual Farm Safety Day, Extension educated the public on “deadly look-alikes” in the home that children and elderly may mistake for consumable products. Displays and lectures pointed out that window cleaning fluids could look like brands of power drinks and other close look-alikes.

• The Lawrence County Homemakers Clubs enjoyed one of the largest memberships of the Ohio counties. The Homemakers meet eight months of the year with a leader training session being provided each month. Topics included the importance of sharing your life story for family, using recycled items to make new gifts, making notecards/invitations, terrarium ideas, table arrangements and decorating ideas for different seasons. They participated in community service projects such as ”Pennies for Friendship” , items for the Domestic Violence Shelter and a state project. The Homemakers celebrated achievements at the “Achievement Day” including cultural arts winners. They displayed their talents at the quilt show and held demonstrations for those attending. The Annual Christmas Workshop was held and the Homemakers compiled a cookbook for a fund raiser.

• “Jump Into Food and Fitness” – Lawrence County received a grant from the Ohio Lung Association to teach good health and asthma awareness. Ten youth at the Family Guidance Center Afterschool Latchkey Program participated in learning about exercise and healthy food choices which were the emphasis for the “Jump Into Fitness and Health (JIFF)” curriculum. Six teens were trained to teach the JIFF curriculum to 112 youth at 4-H camp and to recognize warning signs for asthma.  There was a 70 percent increase in the number of youth always washing their before eating from the pre to post test. Eighty-six percent of the respondents indicated they strongly agreed they learned something new and they learned something that will help them for life.

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• The Lawrence County 4-H program reached 5,895 youth who learned to value and practice service for others and to be good citizens as members of 57organized clubs (community clubs, after school mall clubs and in-school clubs), school enrichment programs, and special interest activities. These clubs and programs were led by 325 caring adults who developed positive and sustaining relationships that provided safe, inclusive environments for youth to determine goals, make decisions, and envision themselves in the future. These adults volunteered more than 16, 000 hours of service to Lawrence County’s 4-H Youth Development Program. This means they volunteered more than $264,800 worth of service to Lawrence County youth.

• In partnership with the Lawrence County MRDD Open Door School, 65 students (ages 6-21) at the school for mentally and/or physically disabled youth were members of an in-school 4-H club. The students participated in a “4-H Animals” project during the school year. At the end of the school year, the members were interviewed for their county “fair judging” and traveled to Lake Vesuvius for an educational day camp.

• Lawrence County 4-H CARTEENS, in partnership with the Lawrence County Juvenile Court and Ohio State Highway Patrol, taught safe driving habits to 237 juvenile traffic offenders, through court appointed sessions. This is a percent decrease in number of offenders from the previous year. The CARTEENS presented prom programs to 2,673 high school teens at all the county high schools.

• Camping—The Lawrence County 4-H camps provided 112 youth, 10 teen counselors, and 6 adults opportunities where they learned community living skills, leadership skills, communication skills, and environmental awareness. Seventy-nine youth spent time overnight camping at Canter’s Caves 4-H Camp where they developed a better appreciation of the environment and conservation. They also learned to live and work with others.

• Animal safety was assured through Livestock Quality Assurance and Horse Safety, Ethics, and Quality Assurance training. Approximately 307 youth taking production livestock projects participated in Quality Assurance Training along with 147 adult family members. Through this hands-on educational activity, participants gained life and project skills that will ensure a safe and wholesome food supply for everyone. Twenty-four youth and parents taking horse projects along with their parents and guardians were required to complete a Safety and Ethics program. They learned to safely handle and ride a horse. They also learned to how to provide for the health and well-being of their horse.

• Leadership Training—More than 40 teens developed leadership skills involving planning, organization, decision-making, goal setting, teaching and communication while participating in 4-H activities such as Teen Leaders, Jr. Fair Board, Camp Counselors and CARTEENS. These teens also presented programs at statewide conferences.

• “COSI WOW”—Along with OSU Extension and Lawrence Soil and Water Conservation District, the Farm Bureau sponsored the “COSI What’s Wild (WOW)” program. At this event, 375 fourth-grade students used scientific discovery to understand the complex world of wildlife and conservation. They unraveled resource management techniques and principles through fun investigations involving math, physics, chemistry, and nutrition.

• Cloverbuds—More than 250 4-H youth ages 5-8, participated in Cloverbud projects in community and in-school clubs. More than 80 participated in the 4-H Pet Parade at the Lawrence County Fair.

Partnerships and Collaborations

• Lawrence County Commissioners

• Lawrence County Juvenile Court

• Ohio State Highway Patrol

• Lawrence County Sr. Fair Boards

• Lawrence Soil and Water Conservation District

• Lawrence County Farm Bureau

• Lawrence County Emergency Management Services

• Local Schools

• Lawrence County MRDD Open School

• Lawrence County Family Guidance Center, Community Action Organization

Click for more information on 4-H program.
 

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The Lawrence County Extension office provided resources and guidance in the development of leadership skills to help people build communities. The areas covered were business, life skills and promotion.
 

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Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension 
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868