Cooperative Extension - Extension Update

Jill Ketchen is New Administrative Assistant in Hillsborough County

hyp — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:04:35 +0000

05/21/2013 - 2:04pm

Jill Ketchen is a new administrative assistant in the Hillsborough County UNH Cooperative Extension office.

Jill grew up in Brookline on a small family farm. Her family raised beef and dairy cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, and turkeys. She was a member of 4-H, and showed Simmental heifers at the Hillsborough County Fair.

Before joining the staff at Hillsborough County, Jill worked as an educational aide and teacher at the Beaver Brook Association’s Summer Nature Camp in Hollis, a bartender at a craft beer bar in Dover, and most recently as a production coordinator for a Portsmouth-based clothing company.

Jill says she is “absolutely delighted to be working at my ‘home team’ Cooperative Extension in Hillsborough County. I look forward to reconnecting with the community and working with the amazing Hillsborough County staff.”

She is providing support for all staff at Hillsborough County and manages its social media sites.

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Extension Update

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Hillsborough

Nine Mini-grants Receive Funding

hyp — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:09:40 +0000

05/10/2013 - 2:09pm

UNH Cooperative Extension awarded nine mini-grants to program teams, funded through Extension’s first fundraising campaign.

The initiatives that received funding address creative ways of meeting the goals of UNH Cooperative Extension’s ReExtension plan. This plan outlines innovative approaches related to issues-based programming, use of technology, alternative revenue generation, new funding partnerships with counties, specialization of field staff, and increased engagement with UNH faculty.

The following teams received funding:

Community Coalition Work: An Emerging Community of Practice—training for Extension staff who work with coalitions on how to evaluate outcomes and establish a baseline inventory of Extension’s coalition work. The $1,500 mini-grant will support trainings on evaluation tools. The proposal was submitted by Extension field specialists Thom Linehan, Sue Cagle and Mark Wiley.

E-Tutorial Series: Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses—purchasing software and equipment to develop e-learning materials. The $600 proposal was submitted by Extension Field Specialist Kelly McAdam.

Interdisciplinary Proposal to Reach Stakeholders through Multimedia—purchasing a high definition camcorder, video editing software, and providing training to reach stakeholders through innovative multimedia efforts. The $500 proposal was submitted by Extension Field Specialist and Hillsborough County Office Administrator Dan Reidy and Hillsborough County staff.

4-H and Nutrition Connection—purchasing food supplies for cooking demonstrations for limited and non-limited income audiences. The $1,000 proposal, submitted by Extension Field Specialist Deb Luppold, also will provide meals.

Youth leadership/youth voice—funding three leadership symposiums for teen leaders from across the state. The $2,400 proposal was submitted by Extension Field Specialist Rick Alleva.

4-H Animal Science Program—purchasing an iPad for a pilot project to help manage field-based youth and family Extension events. The $800 proposal was submitted by Extension Program Coordinator Rhiannon Beauregard.

Education Center and Master Gardener Programs—a grant to purchase volunteer management software to provide a tool to efficiently schedule, manage, and track volunteer efforts. The $2,700 was submitted by Extension Program Coordinator Marcy Stanton.

Natural Resource program teams—employing new digital technologies to enhance public participation and outreach programming efforts. The $2,000 grant will be used to purchase two iPad minis for workshops or individual use. The emphasis will be to explore use for hands-on training or group collection of field data. The proposal was submitted by Extension Field Specialist Amanda Stone, with input from Chris Keeley, Shane Bradt, and Matt Tarr.

Market Analysis Education—funds will bring a marketing expert, Bridge Behe, to work with farmers and Extension staff. The presentation will be filmed and posted on Extension’s YouTube channel and website. This proposal received $790.

Congratulations to all of you for making this first round of proposals a success!

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Extension Update

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Awards

Foresters come out of the woodwork to help one of their own

tly2 — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:53:39 +0000

05/03/2013 - 2:53pm

1 Bad Shoulder + 5 Foresters + 6,000 Seedlings = An Extension Story

Marshall Patmos is a former Cheshire County forester and Christmas tree specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension. He retired in 2005, but he stays busy managing his six-acre Christmas tree plantation in Westmoreland.

Springtime is planting time for Christmas tree farmers, and that posed a problem for Patmos this year—he tore his rotator cuff over the winter.

So on a warm, sunny day in early May, five foresters—including three retired UNH Cooperative Extension foresters and current Cheshire County forester Steve Roberge—teamed up to give Patmos a hand. Ten hands, actually—complete with the calluses of a combined 173 years of experience. In less than a day, they planted 6,000 seedlings.

This is Extension at work. Even off-the-clock, the passion (and compassion) persists. Now Patmos’s shoulder can heal, and those who will pine for a fir Christmas tree from Farmstead Acres in 2023 can rest assured that they’ll find one.

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Daimon Meeh joins UNH Cooperative Extension

tly2 — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:46:59 +0000

05/03/2013 - 2:46pm

Daimon Meeh has joined UNH Cooperative Extension as a field specialist in food and agriculture.

Meeh is a New Hampshire native; he grew up on his family’s farm in Canterbury. Meeh received a bachelor of science in equine agri-business management from the University of New Hampshire and a master of science in community, food, and agricultural systems from Michigan State University, where he researched grass-based livestock production and pasture rotation systems.

Extension food and agriculture Program Team Leader Amy Ouellette says, “Daimon has a great combination of hands-on farm experience, research experience, and professional experience. We’re excited to have him on board.”

Meeh is based in Rockingham County. He will work to ensure the success of New Hampshire farms.

“I want to help increase the viability of farms in the state and, in doing so, strengthen agriculture in the region,” Meeh says, adding that he is particularly excited about innovative pasture-based animal production techniques. “When properly managed, I have seen them result in a huge difference in profitability and quality of life for farmers.” However, he says his primary objective is to help all farms, of any production system, achieve their goals

Meeh comes to Extension from Naughtaveel Farm in Conway, New Hampshire, where he helped manage dairy operations and market their cheese. Previously, Meeh worked for the William H. Miner Institute, a research farm in northern New York, and served as director of farm operations and education for the New Hampshire Institute of Agriculture and Forestry.

During his time at UNH, Meeh was a research aide at the cattle barn and served as vice president of CREAM— Cooperative Real Education in Ag Management. He also has horse care and management experience, having assisted in care and treatment of animals at the New England Equine Medical & Surgical Center.

Meeh says that it’s a great time to be joining UNH Cooperative Extension because of the return to agriculture that the state is experiencing. “It’s exciting to see more people interested in it and committed to it,” Meeh said. “I look forward to helping them succeed.”

To reach Daimon Meeh, call (603) 679-5616 or e-mail daimon.meeh@unh.edu.

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Extension Update

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Rockingham

Extension staff

Farming and Gardening

Extension’s Charlotte Cross receives 2013 Presidential Award of Excellence

tly2 — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:28:06 +0000

05/01/2013 - 9:28am

Extension’s Charlotte Cross receives 2013 Presidential Award of Excellence

18 Extension staff recognized for years of service at annual UNH Staff Recognition event

The University of New Hampshire held its 2013 Staff Recognition program on May 1, celebrating staff excellence and years of service.

UNH President Mark Huddleston presented Extension’s Charlotte Cross with the 2013 Presidential Award of Excellence. Charlotte is Extension Specialist/Faculty in Youth and Families. She has been with UNH Cooperative Extension for more than 30 years.

Cross was selected for this award based on her inexhaustible services to youth and families across the state. She is a skilled community organizer, grants-seeker, and youth development leader. Her foundational work with the Teen Assessment Project continues to support research being conducted by the University in several New Hampshire locations.

Recently, Cross has committed herself to supporting the state’s military families. She responds to the critical needs that have arisen due to the multiple deployments of armed forces in recent years and the ripple effect they have had on families and communities at home. Cross has leveraged numerous grants to sustain funding for this work. The funding has enabled the development of winter adventure camps for teens and youth with disabilities, regional community coalition-building, traveling media labs, “Hero Packs,” and the now global “Purple UP! For Military Youth” day. In addition, Cross has been instrumental in connecting military families to the broad resources of the UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H Program.

Extension youth and family Program Team Leader Michael Young said Cross has reached thousands of youth in an impactful way.

“It is hard to think of anyone who has had as powerful and broad-reaching an impact on both the UNH and broader New Hampshire communities,” Young said. “The fact that this far into her career Charlotte continues to bring an ethical, creative, and rigorous approach to her work is a testament to her effectiveness as an educator, researcher, and organizer. She is well-deserving of this recognition.”

Also recognized at the event were UNH Cooperative Extension staff reaching benchmark years of service, including:

35 years
Deb Cheever

30 years
Deb Maes

25 years
Faye Cragin
Nada Haddad
Jonathan Nute
Nancy Oakley

20 years
Julia Peterson

15 years
Robin Peters
Michael Toepfer

10 years
Rick Alleva
Heidi Bennett
Paul Bonaparte-Krogh
Sharon Cowen
Pam Doherty
Suzanne Hebert
Carl Majewski
Dot Perkins
Mark Wiley

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Extension Update

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Awards

Family / Economics / Spending

People in Extension

Strafford County Commissioners Tour Strafford County Sites

hyp — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:54:50 +0000

04/19/2013 - 4:54pm

Strafford County Commissioners George Maglaras, Robert Watson, and Leo Lessard got a close-up look at the work UNH Cooperative Extension is conducting in Strafford County on Friday, April 19.

Beginning at the Strafford County Court building, the commissioners gathered with program staff and Strafford County Advisory Council members to get an in-depth look at the four program areas: food and agriculture, natural resources, youth and family, and community and economic development.

The group then traveled to Willand Pond to learn more about Extension’s forest management activities from field specialist Andy Fast. Program Team Leader Jeff Schloss described how Extension is working with UNH and graduate students to assess the pollution in the pond.

The group then traveled to Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford, where they heard from Brian and John Wentworth, as well as greenhouse head plant grower Mike Currier. John Wentworth noted the importance of Extension’s pesticide applicator training, while Brian Wentworth shared that Extension’s “Grow It Green” segments on WMUR-TV result in more customers looking for products mentioned on those television segments.

Extension Community and Economic Development Team Leader Charlie French shared that the City of Somersworth and the town of Barrington are interested in working with Extension to conduct Community Profiles, which bring residents together to discuss community issues and help them create a better vision for their communities.

Shown in the right photo are, from the left, Strafford County Commissioners Robert Watson, Leo Lessard, and George Maglaras, UNH Cooperative Extension staff Amy Ouellette, David Leonard and Kelly McAdam. With his back to the photo is Brian Wentworth of Wentworth Greenhouses. In the photo to the right are, from the left, UNH Cooperative Extension Dean & Director John Pike, Strafford County Commissioners Leo Lessard, George Maglaras, and Robert Watson, and UNH Cooperative Extension staff Jillian Hall, Ken La Valley, David Leonard, Charlie French, and Jeff Schloss.

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Extension Update

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Strafford

April is the Month of the Military Child

hyp — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:30:11 +0000

04/19/2013 - 4:30pm

New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan proclaimed April as the Month of the Military Child on Monday, April 15.

She read a proclamation in the Executive Council chambers at the State House, surrounded by a sea of purple as more than 50 military youth and families, representatives of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, UNH Cooperative Extension staff, and military members “Purpled Up!” in honor of the event.

The UNH Cooperative Extension Military Youth and Family Program urged everyone across the state of New Hampshire to wear purple on Monday. Purple symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Marine red, and Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force blue. The Purple Up! event is a visible way to show support and thank military youth for their strength and sacrifices.

Governor Hassan, who received a Purple Up! vest from Charlotte Cross, Extension professor/specialist and program director for the Operation: Military Kids program, told those in attendance that military youth are in need of support, and “New Hampshire has long understood and valued” those serving in the military.

“These children are a source of pride to us all, and we celebrate their spirit,” she said.

Representatives from New Hampshire’s congressional delegation also were in attendance, reading letters of support and encouragement from Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte, and Congresswomen Carol Shea-Porter and Ann McLane Kuster, for those who support military youth and families in New Hampshire.

Major General William N. Reddel III added his thanks to those in attendance, recognizing that military youth “are the heroes who stay home.” General Reddel is The Adjutant General, New Hampshire, serving as military chief of staff to Governor Hassan.

Shown in the photo are, from left to right, UNH Cooperative Extension staff Darrel Covell, Jody Jackson, Lisa Townson, Charlotte Cross, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, Extension Dean & Director John Pike, Holly Zirkle, Paul Bonaparte-Krogh, Debbie Cheever and Michelle Bersaw.

Learn more about the Flag Football event in celebration of the Month of the Military Child.

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Extension Update

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Extension programs

State Advisory Council Meets in Concord

hyp — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:25:55 +0000

04/19/2013 - 12:25pm

The UNH Cooperative Extension State Advisory Council met on Thursday, April 18, at Granite State College in Concord. Seventeen volunteer council members representing all 10 New Hampshire counties, along with Council of Agriculture, Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET) representative Chris Streeter, joined county office administrators, state program staff and Extension administration to report on statewide efforts.

Reports from all counties were extremely optimistic, with many indicating that county budgets have been approved with little or no opposition over the past few months—a stark difference from a year ago. Advisory Council members also reported satisfaction with how regional and local programming is working under the new organizational model and announced the hiring of several new staff. Council members shared that Cooperative Extension staff are working very hard, and some expressed concern that they might be over-extended.

The group discussed ideas for continuing their advocacy work on behalf of UNH Cooperative Extension and heard updates from Extension administration on the budget, campus engagement, marketing and communications and technology use. State Specialist in Forest Resources, Karen Bennett, provided an update on the state’s response to the recent discovery of the invasive emerald ash borer in New Hampshire and Extension’s role in this critical response.

The meeting ended with an “open house,” where council members visited with staff from each Areas of Expertise, and program team leaders unveiled their new exhibits.

The UNH Cooperative State Advisory Council, currently chaired by Anna Boudreau of Strafford County, meets two or three times each year and functions in an advisory capacity to the County Advisory Councils and UNH Cooperative Extension administration.

Photo: UNH Cooperative Extension Assistant Director of Finances and Human Resources Darrel Covell and Cheshire County Advisory Council Chair Eloise Clark.

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Extension Update

UNH Extension Wins Three Awards from ACE

hyp — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:13:21 +0000

04/19/2013 - 12:13pm

UNH Cooperative Extension won three awards in this year’s Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) Critique and Awards program. More than 280 entries were submitted in this year’s program.

A poster created for a specific use last July, the 150^th anniversary event of USDA at one of our client’s farm, the Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, received a bronze award in two categories: exhibits and posters. One judge wrote, “Overall this poster is attractive and dynamic. It shows the variety and difference in what Extension is truly about which is not easily done. The unusual size will is a plus and diversity is shown in the photographs. It is user friendly and the target audience will be drawn to it to look more closely.” Receiving this award are Donna Funteral and Holly Young.

The materials created for the “UNH Cooperative Extension Fundraising Campaign” entry received an honorable mention in the marketing communications campaign with a budget over $1,000. Receiving this award are Charlene Baxter, Wendy Brock, Holly Young and Jane Harper from UNH Printing Services.

ACE is an international association of communicators, educators and information technologists with more than 500 members. The organization offers professional development and networking for individuals who extend knowledge about agriculture, natural resources, and life and human sciences. The awards will be presented during ACE's annual conference in June.

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Awards

Private Resource Development

hyp — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:08:18 +0000

04/19/2013 - 12:08pm

A key component of UNH Cooperative Extension’s reorganization is to develop strategies that lead to more sustainable funding for programming. While we have been engaged in private resource development in previous years (mainly through the 4-H Foundation of New Hampshire), 2012 was the first year we actively sought to expand our efforts through a fundraising campaign.

I am pleased to report progress toward achieving secure and sustainable funding, in part through the private resource development team of Charlene Baxter and Wendy Brock. The annual appeal that kicked off last fall has attracted just over $44,000 in gifts from 250 donations. Of this, $25,000 benefits the 4-H Foundation of New Hampshire and $19,000 goes more broadly to UNH Cooperative Extension. Thank you to every person who has made a gift. A stronger partnership with the UNH Foundation has emerged as UNH Cooperative Extension enhanced its focus on philanthropic giving, making it very easy to support Cooperative Extension online.

To ensure these funds are used on high priority programming, UNH Cooperative Extension is offering an opportunity for staff to apply for grants (through a competitive proposal), to improve, innovate, or sustain high impact programming that meets our strategic goals, as outlined in our Re-Extension Plan. Proposals will be reviewed later this month and grants awarded.

UNH Cooperative Extension is engaging fully in this private resource development initiative to spark growing interest on the part of stakeholders, constituents, and program participants. You can request the “Invest in New Hampshire, Invest in UNH Cooperative Extension” stand up banner, informational flyers, donation cards and personalized letters for use with programs and audiences.

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Extension Update

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Extension programs