|
|
Actually, no matter what the topic, the MU Extension likely has information and answers. From 4-H and peer mediation training, to integrated pest management and household hazardous waste, to balancing work and family and child care provider training, to how to start a business and market analysis, to community emergency preparedness to continuing education on fire and rescue training, law enforcement training, nursing and more. The office's brochure lists more than 50 programs.
"A lot of folks don't think to call us, but we're the best kept secret in the county," said Ken Bolte, MU Extension county program director.
"We work a lot with libraries because they refer people here for information."
The office breaks down its information and services into the following categories: Youth development, agriculture and environment, family life, business development, community development and continuing education.
"A lot of people mistakenly think of the Extension office as a 4-H office or an ag office," said Bolte. "We're so much more than that."
The office at 116 W. Main St. in Union doesn't look anything like the sprawling University of Missouri campuses in Columbia, St. Louis, Rolla or Kansas City, but that's basically what MU extension offices are, said Bolte - extensions of the university.
"MU Extension is the university for 1 million people, many of whom may never set foot on a UM campus," an Extension brochure reads.
Union Office Marks 75 Years
The first MU Extension offices were opened in 1914 as a way to disseminate all of the latest information and research coming out of the university, Bolte explained. Each county in the state opened an Extension office at different times.Ê
In Franklin County it was 1934 when the first Extension agent began working here, he said. The office was originally located in the old courthouse. Later it was moved into the basement of the old post office. It moved several more times over the years.
In the early years, the staff likely included just two agents, said Bolte - one county agent who also handled demonstrations on things like soil conservation and farming techniques, as well as the 4-H and ag programs, and a home agent who went into homes for demonstrations on nutrition, home ec, canning, child rearing and such.
"The Extension was well received by the people in the community," said Bolte. "Over time, the usage naturally increased, especially because of our hands-on demonstrations.
"We are the Show-Me State . . . the demonstrations made the difference. We weren't trying to sell anybody anything, and we weren't tied to any specific business, so the information was unbiased."
Some of the first programs were new farming techniques, soil conservation, canning, proper nutrition, child rearing, home ec and youth programs, like 4-H, said Bolte.
Today the Extension office has a staff of four full-time agents and two assistants. In addition to Bolte, Matthew Herring is the agronomy/natural resource specialist, Dave Hileman is the 4-H youth development specialist, and Mary Schroepfer, nutrition and health specialist. The two assistants are Jenny Wallach, 4-H youth program assistant, and Janet Stallmann, nutrition assistant. There also are three support staffers.
No Appointment Necessary
The Extension office is funded by a three-way partnership between the federal, state and county government. An Extension Council acts as a board of directors. It is made up of 19 elected and three appointed members. Each member serves a two-year term and can serve two terms in a row.
"They are like our feelers out in the community," said Bolte. "They help us, because someone living in Sullivan may have different issues than someone living in Pacific."
The office is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and follows the same holiday schedules as the university.
People don't need an appointment to stop by and get information. Walk-ins and phone calls are welcome anytime, said Bolte, who noted e-mail is getting to be the most popular way for people to request information. There also is a mailing list people can join to have information sent to them on a regular basis.
The Extension continues to offer hands-on programs where people can come to learn about a specific subject. Programs are offered during the day, in the evenings and on weekends to try and accommodate people's varying schedules, said Bolte.
"We do farm visits, have meetings in the evening . . . whatever is needed," he remarked.
"We can help someone interested in starting their own business," said Bolte. "We have a specialist who comes in from the St. Peters office who will sit down with them and think through the process, their business plan, go over where to get funding, what the market will be . . . "
Agronomy/Natural ResourceÊ
Matt Herring is the agronomy and natural resource specialist at the Extension office in Union.
This summer the office handled more gardening questions than in recent years. More homeowners were interested in freezing and canning and wanted information on how to do it.
"There was a lot of interest in people growing their own food this year, so we partnered with Hillermann's to hold three sessions on growing your own vegetables," said Bolte. "At the first session, we had 78 people . . . Our colleagues around the state reported similar things."
We work with farmers to help them improve soil practices, but we also work with homeowners on their lawns and landscaping. One of the most popular programs Herring runs is the Master Gardener program, which has been offered in Franklin County for 10 years now.
The Extension staff trains local gardeners to be volunteers to help answer the public's horticulture questions and to bring the latest horticulture research to the public.
"We do that program every other year, and we never have any trouble filling it," said Herring. "I think we have 120 Master Gardeners now."
Herring said he also works one-on-one with farmers, answering questions that come up. One of the more interesting questions that has come up over the years was a farmer who found cattails growing in his cornfield.
"It was a problem because it was a plant out of place, and over time would reduce the yield of his corn crop," said Herring, who visited with state Extension scientists to find a solution for the farmer.
"We work very hard to get people answers when they have questions," he said.
Family Life
ÊMary Schroepfer, who has been with the Extension office about 20 years, said one main point she tries to drive home to the public about canning, which saw a surge in popularity this summer, is not to continue using Mom's or Grandma's instructions just because it worked fine for them all those years.
"If the instructions are from the '40s, '50s or way back, they're outdated," said Schroepfer, noting the "magic year" is 1989.
"Anything before that is too old and they should get new instructions, which we have here for free."
The concern, Schroepfer explained, is that the process can be unsafe.
"We know a lot more about bacteria now," she said. "For example, you can't do cream-style corn in quart jars anymore. It's too dense. It's not safe."
Schroepfer also handles all of the family life programs offered at the Extension. That includes the child care provider training for people to become state certified, as well as an "Ages and Stages" class about topics like discipline and safety issues.
"There's another program I work on with churches and social groups that's called 'Providing Strong Families,' " said Schroepfer.
And there are classes on diabetes (for the newly diagnosed and people in need of a refresher course), for improving balance and flexibility in people over 45 and family nutrition. Janet Stallmann, who is the nutrition assistant at the Extension, has a number of programs that she takes into area schools to educate children about "Food Power" and healthy choices.
Youth Development
More than 700 children in 22 4-H clubs around Franklin County make it the largest 4-H group in the state of Missouri.
"We attribute that to the leaders," said Dave Hileman, 4-H youth development specialist. "We actually worry about some clubs becoming too large. If they have over 100 members, we worry that new members get lost."
These days 4-H is the main focus for Hileman. It's what works.
"The reason is that 4-H is what we call complex youth development," he said. "It involves long-term relationships and multiple layers of involvement - parents, the community, church and school.
"The more circles there are that go out from family, the more likely you are to have positive youth development - you're to impact someone's life."
The research has proven that 4-H is changing kids' lives, said Hileman, who pointed to a longitudinal study done at Tufts University looking at how involvement in school and nonschool activities affected kids' lives.
"We are finding that 4-H kids are more likely to go to college, to grow into contributing members of society, to give back to their families, schools, community," said Hileman. "They're less likely to participate in risky behavior."
With 4-H, entire families can be involved together, Hileman noted. All of the children can attend meetings together, the parents can volunteer or be leaders. There are five families in Franklin County that are Century 4-H Families, meaning the family has more than 100 years of involvement in 4-H - from the children, to the parents, to the grandparents, maybe even great-grandparents.
In addition to 4-H, Hileman said another program he enjoys offering is one for divorced parents or maybe even parents who never married learn about how to raise their kids successfully.
The program has been so successful and effective that Hileman served on a state committee to write the curriculum for a second component to the program, "Students in the Middle." It will be for any student who is in transition, whether because the parents are getting divorced, one has passed away or other family situations, like a parent losing a job or being incarcerated.
"Our goal is that we are here working for the kids," said Hileman.
For more information on the MU Extension Center or its programs, people may call the office at 636-583-5141 or visit http://extension.missouri.edu/franklin.
You can also e-mail your questions to franklinco@missouri.edu.
