County Program Highlights
150 Courthouse
Caldwell, OH 43724-1245
Phone: 740-732-5681 Fax: 740-732-5354
Office Hours: Monday- Friday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Agriculture
Community Development
Family & Consumer Sciences
4-H Youth Development
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Agriculture & Natural Resources
■ Hay Quality Concerns - Hay quality in 2003 has been greatly reduced by late harvest poor drying and baling of improperly dried forage. Quantities are high but quality is quite variable and usually low in the first cutting. At 3 meetings 193 beef and sheep producers have been instructed in the challenges of feeding this hay. Four producers are known to have made feeding changes which have saved $1192.00 in feed purchases.
■ Woodlot Management - Each agricultural newsletter has included an article on “Woodlots”. This awareness column has resulted in at least 4 producers requesting a list of consulting foresters to manage timber sales. A session at a summer field day had 12 producers obtain timber marketing contract information.
■ Predator Control Concerns - Small ruminants continue to be plagued by predation by coyotes and dogs. 72 producers participated in a session on coyote control measures. One producer reported 71 known kills. Another said “Lamb losses had been over 50 from his 110 ewe flock.” Research efforts to evaluate “new” (to Eastern coyotes) measures is presently being planned.
■ Dining with Diabetes - A collaborative effort with West Virginia University Extension Service and a certified diabetes educator from a local hospital, 26 people from Monroe and Noble Counties participated in this three-part in-depth series which focused on meal planning, food preparation, and tips for managing the diet for diabetics and their family members. They learned how to count carbohydrates rather than sugar grams in food and how to use sugar substitutes.
■ Food Safety Trainings - Food service employees at 4-H Camp Piedmont participated in a an in-depth food safety training program in which they learned how to properly handle, prepare, serve and store foods to reduce the potential for bacterial contamination. Participants completed pre and post tests to assess the knowledge gained about basic food preparation procedures with fifty percent demonstrating a positive gain in knowledge. This was a collaborative effort with the FCS professional in an adjoining county.
Child Care providers who are seeking certification from the Department of Job and Family Services from Noble and Monroe Counties are trained twice yearly in food safety procedures. Participants learned how to select, prepare, serve and store food safely for infants and children in their child care business. Providers provided positive feedback about how they intended to implement the knowledge gained as they care for children in their homes.
■ Family Nutrition Program: (Conducted by FCS program assistant) - Designed to help families who receive Food Stamps stretch their food dollars to feed their families, 1013 participated in these classes and 455 clients gained new knowledge about how to safely select, prepare and store nutritious food economically. 477 clients plan to make changes while 210 clients say they are now using the recommendations taught in the program.
■ Cloverbud Program - The 4-H Cloverbud program continues to grow in Noble County. One hundred and twenty-seven youth, ages 5-8 participated in this program in 2003. Cloverbud 4-H Camp was attended by 53 youth. The day camp focused on exploring nature and included craft, swimming and recreational activities. Cloverbud activities were also conducted at the Noble County Junior Fair. 84 Cloverbuds went on barn tours where they learned about the different animals exhibited at the fair and they also got to milk a cow. Their participation included displaying an exhibit in their 4-H club’s fair booth.
■ 4-H Camp - Participation at 4-H Junior Camp increased by 52% in 2003. One hundred and two youth participated in 4-H Camp this summer. Campers were involved in a variety of activities that helped develop their basic life skills. Several campers indicated that this was their first experience to go canoeing or to go hiking in the woods.
■ 4-H Dog Projects - The number of 4-H members taking Dog Projects has increased by 20% since last year. This project area is one of the fastest growing project areas in Noble County 4-H. Dog project members participated in educational activities such as weekly dog clinics, skillathons and 4-H dog shows. These activities increased their skills and knowledge in dog care and management, obedience training and dog showmanship.
■ 4-H Volunteers - The volunteer base for youth programming continues to grow. Over 105 adults serve as 4-H advisors, middle managers and committee members. These volunteers contribute countless hours of service to 4-H clubs, the 4-H Council, Junior Fair Livestock and Sale Committee and other 4-H activities and events in helping to develop life skills in the youth they work with.
■ Procure -
Information on available buildings and sites was computerized in 2003
using the Procure system provided by the state of Ohio. This
system allows those interested in locating in Noble County to review
available locations via the Internet. As a result of
participating, the county has submitted packages to interested clients
and has hosted firms looking to locate in the area.
■ Industrial
Site Development - Using grant funds obtained by OSU Extension
CD, a phase one environmental was performed at the 22 acre business
site being developed near Belle Valley.
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Leadership Noble - Seventeen individuals completed the 2003
program. This years participants showed improvements in a 28
areas measured by pre and post tests with the largest increases shown
in their expertise in the Myers Briggs Inventory (+65.7%) and power
structures (+55.4%) and in their knowledge of township government
(+37.7%)
■ Microloans
- The OSU Extension CD office authored two grants to provide a total of
$100,000 for microloans to Noble County businesses. One grant was
denied and the second should be announced in early 2004.
If you have questions or would like more information on these or any of our educational programs, please contact the Extension office by phone or e-mail us at: nobl@postoffice.ag.ohio-state.edu
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Issued in
furtherance of
Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in
cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio
State University Extension.
TDD # 1 (800)
589-8292 (Ohio
only) or (614) 292-1868