UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. With an office in every Tennessee county, UT Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state. In cooperation with Tennessee State University, UT Extension works with farmers, families, youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the local, state and national levels.
Extension Month:
Benefits of Extension Month include creating a greater awareness of the Extension’s programs and its role in the community, including programs, services, office location and ways to connect. Reach is widened, as well as support and new contacts are gained with community leaders, elected officials and stakeholders by increasing awareness and demonstrating the value Extension provides in the county.
Participation is intended to be grown with new opportunities to be demonstrated.
Promoting Extension is important to the communities we live within. Events are to be held that highlight programs and promote relationships are beneficial to carrying out the mission of Extension.
This year’s annual UT Extension Union County Open House will be held in conjunction with two exciting 4-H County Wide Contests: the 4-H Baking Contest and 4-H Photography Show. This all-in-one event will be held on Tuesday, March 31. Drop in between 2:30 and 6 p.m. to view the 4-H Photo Show entries from 4-12th graders, take a look at programming and resources available thru the local office, taste some of the County 4-H Baking Contest entries, cast your “people’s choice” votes, and meet and greet the staff and some 4-H-ers.
Agricultural Programs:
• Advanced Master Beef Producer Program includes multiple sessions to provide opportunities to gain knowledge with hands-on experience in current beef cattle management practices that are important to the profitability and sustainability of the industry. This program is offered twice per year in March and October. During evaluation of the 2019 Advanced Master Beef Producer classes, 20 graduates estimated the total economic impacts to their farms of $145,000 as a result of competing the course.
• Beef Quality Assurance Certification: Producers learn about the vital importance of injection site selection and proper injection techniques, and see the results of improper injection techniques. Recordkeeping will be stressed because it helps producers track their costs and also provides a documented paper trail to prove to your buyers what treatments your calves have had. Proper cattle handling to reduce stress and bruises will also be emphasized.
• Pesticide Safety and Education Program (PSEP): PSEP in Tennessee is a statewide educational program with an overall goal to protect the environment and the public health from improper use of pesticides by providing applicator and public education. The primary target audience includes certified and non-certified pesticide applicators of all kinds, farm workers and the general public.
• Local Support: The Extension supports retail sales of produce, meat, dairy, eggs and farm products by working with the Union County Farmers Market. The UT Extension Office secured funding through the USDA Farmers Market Program in late 2015 for $86,301, with funding lasting through September 29, 2017, to assist in the growth of the Farmers Market to support farmers and customers in providing fresh farm products. Education programs offered have included: Post Harvest Food Safety, Funding Opportunities for Farmers and Value Added Agricultural Producers, Marketing Considerations for Selling Products and TN Department of Agriculture Regulations
• Miscellaneous Agriculture programs: Clients request additional topics for home-based agriculture including gardening, garden pest identification, weed identification, fruit trees information, ornamental plant information and any other associated agriculture venture
4-H Programs:
• In Schools: During the school year, Beth Bergeron, Alyshia Victoria, and Shannon DeWitt go into every class in 4th - 8th grades in the Union County Public School system to provide education supporting teachers and education. In 4th grade, the educational program’s focus is exploring 4-H programs and contests such as speech, poster, baking, clover bowl and demonstrations. In 5th grade, the educational program focuses on conservation. In 6th grade, the educational program focuses on science and energy. In 7th grade, the educational program focuses on healthier habits. In 8th grade, the educational program focuses on drug and alcohol prevention. Each grade has the contests referenced below, but participation drops as the students get older. However, all programs are advertised to each group.
• Livestock Programs which include beef, hog, and sheep animals: The Hog Project is our most active group with 11 kids showing 17 hogs in 2019. In the sheep project, five 4-H members showed registered ewes and market lambs. In the beef project, three 4-H members showed registered heifers and commercial steers. We combine the show programs which teach responsibility, leadership, humane treatment of animals and teamwork with additional educational programs. The 4-H members also learn general information, anatomy, genetics, end-product, how to read medication labels, quality and breeds of each type of livestock animal.
• 4-H Judging teams are intensive training in a particular subject area. The goals of the training are to learn decision-making skills by competing at the Judging Team competitions. Judging Teams are typically comprised of three to four youths in the same grade/level. Union County had active Livestock Judging Teams, Land Judging Teams, Meat Identification Teams, and Poultry Judging.
• Consumer Education Programs include a sewing group and food science programs. These groups work on a variety of life skills leading to competition and entries into contests. The sewing group has a full class now that a grant was received to purchase new machines. Among the food science groups, 4-H members are learning food safety and healthy recipes.
• 4-H Honor Club: The 4-H Honor Club is organized statewide and provides recognition, primarily within counties, of junior high 4-H members who have demonstrated consistent leadership ability and have been active members in Union County.
• 4-H All Stars: Tennessee 4-H All Stars is the second level in the Tennessee 4-H recognition program for outstanding 4-H members. Through active participation in their 4-H clubs, 4-H members in 7th-12th grades can earn points to become members of the 4-H Honor Club. Once they complete the 8th grade, Honor Club members may apply for membership in 4-H All Stars. Membership in All Stars is based on SERVICE, which is the All Star motto.
• Contests: 4-H Speech, Poster, Baking, Clover Bowl, Photo, and Demonstration contests all help encourage life skills such as written and oral communication, following directions, sportsmanship and developing themselves using hands-on experience.
• Tennessee Valley Fair: The fair hosts a variety of events during the 10-day event, but they really work hard to help showcase the amazing 4-H members in East Tennessee. 4-H members can compete at one of the many judging contest, enter fair exhibits, show livestock or even bake biscuits for fair goers. Union County is always well represented. In 2019 there were two biscuit baking teams and two judging teams during the fair. Our Outdoor Meat Cookery team prepared beef, pork, lamb, and poultry. They were also invited to a Celebrity Grill-off media event at the TN Valley Fair to assist local celebrities during their contest.
• Union County Heritage Festival: Union County 4-H partners with Beverage Solutions to host the Pie Baking Contest. This event is open to all ages and over the last 8 years we have had over 200 pies that are sold at the Heritage Festival as a fundraiser.
• Camp 4-H Junior (4th- 6th grades) and Junior High (7th & 8th grades): Camp is a five-day camp in Greeneville, Tenn. 4-H Camp offers excellent youth programming. Activities may include swimming, shooting sports, group sports and recreation, fishing, nature hikes, leathercraft, woodworking, T-shirt airbrushing, skits, music and more.
We provide multiple opportunities for students to raise funds to attend 4-H Camp. We partner with Tractor Supply, which provides time in their store for students to raise funds for themselves. Students must “sell” 4-H Clovers to pay for their camp scholarship. Many students over the last 10 years have paid their entire camp fee of approximately $300 to attend 4-H Camp, raising over $30,000 for their own camp scholarships.
Family and Community Programs:
• Tennessee Nutrition and Consumer Education Program (TNCEP): TNCEP is a nutrition education program for individuals and families who participate or are eligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). UT Extension provides SNAP-Ed through TNCEP. The goal of TNCEP is to help participants learn how to choose and prepare healthy foods and feel empowered to move toward self-sufficiency. Through TNCEP, participants are taught how to use SNAP and related resources effectively. Education is delivered by county Extension personnel and partners in the community who work with the SNAP audience. Funding for TNCEP is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
o Programs under TNCEP
Adventures in the Kitchen - Interactive program teaches cooking skills, kitchen safety, and nutrition and promotes physical activity. Led by volunteers and offered two to three times a year to elementary students.
Farmers Market Fresh - The primary objective of Farmers Market Fresh is to encourage fresh fruit and vegetable consumption through farmers markets. Particularly, this program is interested in helping limited-resource families, especially those receiving SNAP/ EBT Benefits, access fresh fruits and vegetables at the Farmers Market. In 2019, 325 participants sampled and took home healthy recipes during the Farmers Market.
• Walk Across Union County - Stakeholder input indicated that healthy eating and physical activity programs are the most needed and effective programs in Union County. Survey data shows 82 percent of respondents feel nutrition and physical activity programs should continue. In order to address physical fitness, we implemented the Walk Across Union County program to increase physical activity. In 2019, 16 total participants participated in weekly challenge reporting miles. These 16 Walk Union County participants walked 9,454 miles
• Canning College - Does the fear of botulism and spoiled food make you hesitate about canning your food at home? UT Extension is your source of safe, up-to-date canning information. UT Extension Union County will offer a program called Canning College, a series of classes that include discussions, demonstrations, and opportunities for hands-on practice. Whether you are new to home canning or just want to brush up on your skills, Canning College provides personal instruction on a variety of processes that include jams and jellies and pickling using a water-bath canner as well as processes for low-acid foods that involve using a pressure canner. The products you will see demonstrated and foods you will can vary by county and season. A reasonable fee is charged to cover the expense of jars, food and University of Tennessee Extension publications. This also varies by county and the types of foods you can.
• Co-parenting - Tennessee has one of the highest divorce rates in the U.S. Because divorce is so common, it may seem like adjustment to divorce has become easier for everyone involved. In reality, divorce is hard for all family members, especially children. Because of concerns about the negative impact of divorce on children, the Tennessee State Legislature passed a law requiring divorcing parents of minor children to attend a parent education program. UT Extension has developed a four-hour program, Parenting Apart: Effective Co-Parenting, to help divorcing parents learn how to help their children cope with the issues that arise because of the parents' divorce. UT Extension Union County offers this program on an as-needed basis.
• Family & Community Education: Clubs organized under the direction of the University of Tennessee are dedicated to the purpose of helping people become better homemakers and community members. Home Economics activities are carried out through monthly Family Community Education Club meetings, special interest activities, workshops, mass media and individual contacts. All clubs, activities and events are open to everyone regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In 2019, the county FCE clubs contributed over 5,000 hours of volunteer time for an economic impact of $127,150 within our community.