Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 2, 1995 TAG: 9502020021
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JOE HUNNINGS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Pesticide Disposal Project
Banned and unwanted pesticides on area farms represent a significant risk to farm operators and their families, as well as communities' drinking water. Under the leadership of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Montgomery and other area counties were selected last year to participate in a state pesticide disposal project. This program rid Montgomery County of 6,783 pounds of unwanted pesticides that could have caused serious personal and environmental damage. The program saved 36 county farmers more than $19,000 in disposal costs and educated hundreds more about the risks of hazardous chemicals.
Food Service Manager Certification
According to Centers for Disease Control statistics, the food service industry is the largest single source of reported food-borne illness outbreaks. The 15-hour Applied Foodservice Sanitation Certification Course is designed to help food handlers and managers understand the causes of food-borne illness and how to correct improper food handling practices using the hazardous analysis critical control point system.
The program is coordinated through the Montgomery County extension office. Environmental health specialists from Montgomery and Pulaski counties help teach the course, along with extension home economists from the two counties. Seventy-four people from 14 food service establishments - including Radford University food service managers - completed the course in 1994. Sixty-six participants earned certification by scoring 75 or better on the final examination.
The course will be offered again in 1995.
Agriculture Education Programs
Twelve separate programs were conducted for area agriculture producers. These educational efforts included crop and livestock production and marketing, pasture management, alternative crops, pesticide use and safety.
Over 500 individuals participated in these programs, which have resulted in improved farm management skills and protection of the environment.
Emergency Preparedness - Ice-Storm Response
The ice storms of 1994 created lots of anxiety about food safety, because many homes were without electricity for several days. The extension home economist provided information on food safety to the Roanoke Times & World-News food editor for several feature articles. Newsletters and displays emphasizing preparedness and food safety during power outages were presented to more than 750 people in Montgomery and Giles counties.
The county initial damage assessment team, organized and trained by the extension service, collected accurate data on a timely basis to assist Montgomery County in becoming eligible for more than $60,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Administration for damage caused by winter ice storms.
Solid Waste Management
Many groups are involved in the solid waste management issue in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Cooperative Extension has focused its efforts on the yard waste component. Educational efforts, particularly in Blacksburg, have significantly reduced the quantity of yard waste sent to our county landfill.
Other efforts include newspaper articles, workshops and displays to encourage and to educate homeowners to learn how to compost, thus keeping large quantities of yard waste at home where it is used as a resource and kept out of the waste stream. Over 400 county school students learned about composting as part of a school cafeteria composting project that encourages families to adopt composting at home.
Consumer horticulture
Providing accurate and timely information to home gardeners is a time-consuming part of the agriculture agent's responsibilities in Montgomery County. This work assures that pesticides and fertilizers are used properly and that landscapes are maintained which enhance property values and community pride. The agent attempted to address this audience efficiently by use of master-gardener volunteers, the media and occasional community programs.
Last year, the area extension master-gardener program enlisted 75 volunteers who contributed more than 1,500 hours of time to enhance extension educational efforts. Plant clinics, staffed by master gardeners, were available each Saturday, May through August, at businesses and libraries and helped gardeners unable to come to the extension office for help during the regular business hours.
Montgomery County 4-H Program
The youth education component of Virginia Cooperative Extension is 4-H. In Montgomery County, there is one youth agent plus a 10-member 4-H administrative board, a 4-H leader's association and a teen 4-H council. In 1994, 221 volunteers and more than 2,500 youth in the county benefited from 4-H.
Volunteer time, valued at $497,400, contributed to the program's success. Because 4-H uses the hands-on, learn-by-doing approach, it's one of the better ways to teach youth about technical subjects.
Approximately 200 projects are available to teach life skills, including veterinary science, photography, livestock, citizenship, personal appearance, clothing, textiles, nutrition, computer and health. Among other positive benefits, 4-H can teach youth how to make informed decisions, how to speak, how to write, how to keep good records, how to communicate better and how to get along with others.
The 4-H program provides meaningful leadership experiences giving youth the opportunity to serve as club officers, serve on various committees and to learn and practice parliamentary procedure. Public speaking programs can build self-confidence. Camping experiences help 4-Hers to become more knowledgeable on specific topics, learn how to build relationships and build communication and leadership skills in addition to self-esteem.
Outstanding 4-H programs in Montgomery County in 1994 included six 4-H veterinary science workshops, conducted by volunteer veterinarians using veterinary school laboratories for hands-on 4-H educational learning experiences. Sixty-seven youth and adults learned about careers in veterinary science, the care of large and small animals and their internal organs, how to recognize and treat disease, animal surgery and how to read X-rays.
The 4-H Fair, which 109 volunteers helped plan and conduct, is another outstanding program. Youth entered 350 educational exhibits and submitted 40 educational posters in addition to participating in such events as the bicycle rodeo, fashion and pet shows, live animal exhibits and talks and project demonstrations.
Many 4-H teens assisted in setting up exhibits and served on fair committees. About 5,000 citizens became better acquainted with the 4-H program via fair activities and 4-H educational literature.
In water-quality education, 1,184 youth learned more about the importance of good water quality by completing 4-H project books. Other activities included a three-day New River study canoe trip for youth and participation by 150 youth and 16 adult volunteers in the "Save Our Streams" monitoring program.
These programs represent just part of the extension service contribution in Montgomery County. Your local extension office can tell you more about offerings that may interest you.
Joe Hunnings is the Virginia Cooperative Extension agent for agriculture in the Montgomery County Extension Office in Christiansburg. If you have questions, call him at 382-5790.
by CNB