1. Gadsden County Northwest Extension District
Henry G. Grant
July 1, 2003

2. Who We Are
Faculty members: Henry Grant, Alex Bolques, Yolanda Goode, Elizabeth Gorimani, and Josh Mayfield
Staff members: Program Assistants: Ruby Houston, Clarence Lewis, Mary Kenon, and Sonji West.
Secretarial: Linda Scruggs (Office Manager) and Denee Jackson
Budget: $229,317
Facilities: William Inman Agriculture Center, 2140 W. Jefferson St., Quincy (Hwy 90 West).
What else makes you who you are?
One of the most diverse staff in the state.

3. Gadsden County’s Profile
45,087 - total population
15,867 - number of households
9,473 - youth population
290 - number of farms
325,120 - acres total

4. Gadsden County’s Profile List of Major Industries
Coastal Lumber Co. Quincy Joist
Engelhard Quincy Corp SuperValue
Higdon Furniture Co. TDS Telecom
The Printing House Teligent EMS
Talquin Electric Coop.

5. Gadsden County’s Profile List of Major Industries
Quincy Farms Imperial Nursery
Fernlea Nursery Clinton Nursery
May Nursery Hackney Nursery
Fletcher Nursery
Tomato Production & Packing

6. Listening Session Report
What we heard in the listening session that was expected…… 1) Land and natural resources use and management issues.
2) Youth issues (quality of education for our youth, agriculture education, character development, child care, youth and adult relationships).
3) Access to local quality healthcare and extended care.
4) Need for adequate and affordable housing.
5) Need for Extension materials in Spanish.
6) Continued sense of racial divide.
7) Low wage jobs

7. Listening Session Report
What we heard in the listening session that was unexpected……..
1) Sense of hopelessness if there is no improvement in areas of concern such as the school system.
2) Not wanting anymore people to move into county so it won’t turn into Leon county.

8. Listening Sessions
How we incorporated what we heard….. 1) Reviewed notes from all three listening (General Public, Hispanic, and Youth) sessions for common themes/issues
2) Identified those concerns that were being addressed and could be addressed in the future.
3) Marked off those items we could not address directly.
What we were unable to incorporate and why….. 1) Satellite Extension Offices: Not feasible due to financial and personnel constraints.
2) Bilingual Education: Currently the majority of the staff does not speak Spanish.

9. Gadsden County’s Plan by Program Area
Administration and Supervision
4H/Youth Development
Commercial Agriculture
Community Resource Development
Family and Consumer Sciences
Horticulture
Livestock
Natural Resources
Multi-state

10. Administration and Supervision
Major Priority Areas
Budget
Facilities Management & Maintenance
Faculty and Staff Management and Evaluation
County Program Areas Management
Maintenance of overall Extension Advisory Committee
Target Audience(s)
Gadsden County Extension Faculty and Staff

11. Administration and Supervision
Long Range Goals
Office renovation and new construction
Outcome Indicators
Stable budget
New office facility and equipment
Remain fully staffed
Strong Extension presence in the community

12. 4H/Youth Development Program Summary
Major Priority Areas
Life Skills (Character Education, Job Readiness, Conflict Resolution, Health and Nutrition, and Agriculture and Animal Sciences)
Program Management & Development (Volunteer & Club development and maintenance)
Target Audience(s) Youth (Grades K-12)
Adults (21 and above)
Local Businesses
School Teachers

13. 4H/Youth Development Program Summary
Long Range Goals
To increase youth participation in 4-H activities.
To increase number of community clubs.
To increase number of long term adult volunteers.
Outcome Indicators
35% increase (978 to 1320) of youth participation in total 4-H program.
25 % increase (29 to 36) in long term adult volunteers.
55% increase (9 to 14) in 4-H clubs.

14. Commercial Agricultural Program Summary
Major Priority Areas
Row Crops, Livestock Forages, and Vegetables
Target Audience(s) Gadsden Co. small farmers, livestock producers, and commercial vegetable producers
Long Range Goals:
To increase profitability and efficiency of production methods for producers.
To promote Extension activities that look at alternative crops and marketing strategies for local and regional produce.

15. Commercial Agricultural Program Summary
Outcome Indicators:
10% of 207Agricultural producers will adopt production techniques through insect, disease, and weed control, and increase production of forages and other crops.
50% of 207 producers will use soil testing and fertilization practices recommended by UF.
50% of 72 vegetable growers will increase production efficiency and profitability by implementing new IPM practices and methods of safe pesticide use.
10% of 72 vegetable producers will explore alternative crops and marketing opportunities.

16. Community Resource Development Program Summary
Major Priority Areas
Community Development
Economic Development
Target Audience(s) Local Leaders
Gadsden County Residents
Long Range Goals Create an environment to enhance education, develop leadership and vision, and improve the quality of local human resources for the job market.

17. Community Resource Development Program Summary
Outcome Indicators
Implement marketing plan development for Agriculture, distribution, retail, manufacturing, and business services.
50% of the 500 existing businesses will develop written marketing plans.
Complete benchmark activities for 75% of county’s 10 year strategic plan for community and economic development by 2008.

18. Family and Consumer Sciences Program Summary
Major Priority Areas Housing & Financial Management
Health and Nutrition
Family Life
Target Audience(s)
Gadsden County Residents

19. Family and Consumer Sciences Program Summary
Long Range Goals
To increase homeownership and financial security among low-income residents of Gadsden County
To decrease the number of nutrition related health problems.
To increase food and nutrition security among low-incomer residents of Gadsden County

20. Family and Consumer Sciences Program Summary
Outcome Indicators
At least 5% of 120 First-time Homebuyers’ class participants will qualify to purchase a home.
75% of 120 First-time Homebuyers will use the debt repayment plan to reduce their debt.
45% of the 200 participants in the Health, Food, and Nutrition program will improve their dietary quality.

21. Horticulture and Small Farms Program Summary
Major Priority Areas:
Container Plant Production
Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Small Farms
Target Audience(s):
Nurseries and Greenhouse Growers
Home Owners
Small Farmers

22. Horticulture and Small Farms Program Summary
Long Range Goals
To reduce the potential of groundwater contamination by nitrate-nitrogen runoff.
To educate trainees in the Master Gardener Volunteer Program so that at least six volunteers would become regular or seasonal Master Gardeners.
To increase farm profitability by providing alternative farm enterprises to small and disadvantage farmers.

23. Horticulture and Small Farms Program Summary
Outcome Indicators
Adopted practices or changes in nitrate-nitrogen will be measured by annual survey.
At least 5% of 129 small farms will adopt an alternative farming enterprise.

24. Livestock Program Summary
Major Priority Areas
Beef Cattle, Goats, and Horses
Target Audience(s) Gadsden County Beef Producers, Goat Producers, and Horse Producers.
Long Range Goals To improve health care practices and profitability.
To improve response procedure for livestock pest alert.

25. Livestock Program Summary
Outcome Indicators
50% of the 130 livestock producers will implement preventative herd health programs tailored to their operational needs.
100% of the 130 livestock producers will become aware of rapid response procedures when pervasive pest are identified.
20% of the 130 livestock producers will improve marketing strategies to increase profit margins.

26. Natural Resources Program Summary
Major Priority Areas:
Wildlife Managers, Private Landowners, Timber Producers
Target Audience(s)
Gadsden Co. private landowners with wildlife, forestry, and soil & water conservation interests
Long Range Goals:
To increase landowners’ knowledge about current issues in natural resources management and teach stewardship skills that will promote soil, plant, wildlife, and water resources on private lands.

27. Natural Resources Program Summary
Outcome Indicators:
10% of 3,723 private landowners (10 acres or more) who attend extension programming will adopt management practices that include invasive weed management on land and in ponds, timber management, wildlife food plot selection and plantings, and practices that reduce soil runoff of highly erodable lands

28. Ag. Multi State Program Summary
Major Priority Areas
Natural Resource Mgt.
Forage and Row Crop Production
Vegetable Production
Green Industry Growers Update
Target Audience(s) Vegetable Producers
Livestock and Row Crop Producers
Nursery Growers and Private Landowners

29. Ag. Multi State Program Summary
Long Range Goals Develop year round forage grazing program
To put forward the industry informational and educational concerns relating to container plant production
Outcome Indicators
Adopted practices or changes will be measured by an evaluation instrument

30. FCS Multi State Program Summary
Major Priority Areas
1 Financial Literacy
2 Food & Nutrition
Target Audience(s) 1 Middle to low income families
2 Families participating in the food assistance programs (Food Stamps, WIC, etc.).
Long Range Goals 1 To increase financial security among middle to low income residents of the county.
2 To reduce the number of people diagnosed with nutrition related disease such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

31. FCS Multi State Program Summary
Outcome Indicators
1 20% of the financial literacy program participants will reduce debt by 25%.
Participants in the financial literacy program will increase their financial security.
2 Participants in the food & nutrition program will reduce their risk of developing a nutrition related disease.

32. Needs to Accomplish Plans
County Positions:
Horticulture Program Assistant
4-H Program Assistant (s) (Bi-lingual)
Professional development:
Spanish classes for all staff.
4-H: Youth Development Certification program
Grant Writing
Teen focus programming

33. Needs to Accomplish Plans
County
Professional development:
Agriculture:
Ag. Economics (marketing training)
Entomology
Food Safety/Post Harvest Technology
Pond Management
Weed
Horticulture:
Aquatics/Pond Management
ARC View GIS

34. Needs to Accomplish Plans
County Professional development:
FCS: Training of Support Staff (Program Assistants)
Clinical Nutrition
State Regulations Workshops
(Insurance, home buying, child care, nutrition, elder care)

35. Needs to Accomplish Plans
Northwest District Positions:
Fill All County Positions First
Multi-County FYN (Gadsden & Jackson)
Community Resource Development/Rural Economic Development Specialist
4H Program Specialist
Professional development:
Youth Development Certification program
Spanish Classes

36. Needs to Accomplish Plans
State Positions:
Youth Development Specialist
Community Resource Development/Rural Economic Development Specialist
Professional development:
Youth Development Certification Program
***Resources in Spanish in all program areas.***

37. Summary Gadsden County Rural Myriad of challenges and opportunities
Much work to be done

38. Thank you Gadsden County Northwest Extension District
July 1, 2003