MSU Extension Works to Make 4-H Accessible to All Oceana County Youths

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MSU Extension works to make 4-H reviewing and revising the 4-H volunteer selection accessible to all Oceana County youths process. She’s also asking existing volunteer leaders to The Michigan 4-H Youth Development complete the process. In addition to better Program instituted an enrollment fee in 2006 to help understanding their backgrounds and what skills support program development and county they might bring to the program, the process helps initiatives. Hamilton determine training needs that exist among Minimizing the impact of this fee ($10 per new and established volunteers. member) was one of the requests made during the issues identification process carried out by the Oceana MSU Extension hosts Vista Oceana Extension Council during the fall of 2007. Volunteer In 2007 the Oceana County 4-H Youth Council paid the enrollment fee for all 4-H members and in Linda Gouda joined the Oceana County MSU 2008 the council voted to only award scholarships Extension office as a Volunteers in Service to for families requesting them. America (VISTA) volunteer on Dec. 17. The scholarship process included a brief Gouda’s title is volunteer coordinator, and she application that does not ask that parents disclose will be heading up volunteer coordination for a any personal financial information. Since the number of projects including helping underserved process was initiated there has not been a decrease individuals file for the Earned Income Tax Credit; in 4-H enrollment, which indicates that it is meeting organizing efforts for Helping Hands, a group that the council’s identified goal. knits items for families in need and the Senior Trio During the 2006-2007 program year there were program, which helps seniors reach first responders 365 youngsters enrolled in Oceana County 4-H with important information in the case of clubs. They worked with 152 trained, caring adult emergencies. volunteers. Another 2,288 youngsters in Oceana and Muskegon counties took part in additional 4-H MSU Extension helps citizens make better activities, including after- and in-school programs nutrition decisions and one-day programs and events. Individuals and families who rely on food stamps 4-H volunteer selection process updated or similar support often struggle with making sound nutritional choices. The 4-H youth development program is built Continued on a foundation of providing youngsters with Nutrition decisions--continued positive learning experiences and interaction with positive, caring adult role models. Oceana County MSU Extension staff members To ensure that all Oceana County 4-H Norm Myers (director), Family and Consumer volunteers can provide this experience, Oceana Sciences Extension Educator Kilah King (Family County 4-H program supervisor Joy Hamilton is and Consumer Sciences educator) and Claudia Perez (Family Nutrition Program instructor) have

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. been working with a consortium of agencies Oceana MSU Extension supports Great including representatives from Women in Infant Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Care (WIC), the Michigan Department of Human Expo Services (MDHS) and the Starting Block Kitchen Incubator on an idea put forth by State Rep. Geof Hansen to help citizens who receive food stamps or The Oceana MSU Extension Office is deeply WIC Coupons to make better use of their resources involved in the educational programs presented at the by taking advantage of store specials to make sound Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo nutritional decisions. held in early December in Grand Rapids. Many of the clients of these agencies have The expo, which is sponsored by the Michigan tended to buy pre-packaged, extensively processed Vegetable Council and the Michigan State microwavable items rather than the cheaper, more Horticulture Society, has rapidly become the largest nutritious fresh meats, produce and dairy items educational program for specialty crop growers in the found in many store specials. eastern United States. All agencies involved feel that many Many Oceana County fruit and vegetable participants in these programs continue in this producers join their peers from 36 states (including pattern because they do not understand how to Alaska) and nine Canadian provinces at the expo. In prepare and cook these items. 2008 more than 3,700 farmers attended. The result of this collaboration was a pilot Norm Myers, Oceana County MSU Extension cooking class for 12 MDHS and WIC clients at the director and vegetable educator for several counties, Starting Block on Jan. 30. Selected individuals is involved in planning an annual session for were recruited and the class was taught by King. asparagus producers. This year he also coordinated a Gale’s IGA grocery store in Hart offered session related to the new USDA Farm Bill. advanced notice of the specials that it would be Mira Danilovich, area fruit educator, is involved advertising the week of Feb. 1-7 so that King could in presenting the stone fruit session. Kathy Walicki, incorporate them into the lesson. office manager and Judie Burmeister, clerk, also She used two recipes that contained many of the provide assistance in staffing the MSU Extension sale items, namely chicken stew and Waldorf salad. booth during the show. Participants could see how they could use sale fliers With the financial support of MSU Extension’s to stretch their food stamps or food budgets by Vegetable Team and the Michigan Vegetable shopping and planning meals based on store Council, Walicki and Burmeister distribute handouts specials. from the educational sessions, assist growers with She showed the class how to purchase the signing up for pesticide recertification credits and amounts of the sale items necessary to make the sell educational bulletins from MSU and other land- recipes and then how to prepare and cook the raw grant institutions. This year’s total bulletin sales food. were more than $9,000. The IGA cooperated even further by printing English and Spanish versions of one of the recipes in the sale flier.

Following the class participants completed an evaluation. The results will be used to plan for the future, including submitting a grant that will allow the hiring of a staff person that could make this program permanent.

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.