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Howard County Extension Board president Becky Swails is one of many volunteers who support a community garden co-sponsored by Purdue Extension, Ivy Tech and Master Gardeners. A committee works on the project year round, planning next year's garden immediately after harvest. And what a harvest it is—in one season, the half-acre community garden produced 23,000 pounds of vegetables that volunteers distributed to 16 organizations, including food pantries and shelters.
When young people in LaGrange County said they wanted to get more involved in their community in meaningful ways, the county Extension board formed a subcommittee to explore the possibilities. Their discussion led to a unanimous vote to invite high school sophomores to apply to serve on the board with full voting membership. Now, the board includes four energetic youth members who have brought a fresh perspective and budding leadership skills.
The Parke County Extension Board partners with the county Chamber of Commerce to host an annual Legislative Crackerbarrel at the county Extension office. This public meeting allows board members from both organizations to interact with state legislators—asking questions, airing concerns and offering support of proposed legislation. Extension board members capitalize on the opportunity to build support for Extension and the community's needs among members of the Indiana General Assembly.
In Daviess County, Extension board members joined farmers, Master Gardeners and agribusiness representatives to persuade county council members that the county needed three full-time educators. Dave Crooks, former vice president of the Extension board and also a state representative, spoke eloquently in favor of filling a vacant agriculture and natural resources educator position, and Janet Goodwin, an Extension board member who also serves on the county council, helped the two groups understand each others' views. The council appropriated the funds.
The Extension board in Hamilton County has reenergized Farmfestival, a one-day, self-guided farm tour. Board members raised sponsorship money and planned educational displays for three featured agricultural sites. They worked with statewide producer organizations and local producer groups, developed a Web site, coordinated volunteers, and even developed a local TV commercial. Their hard work paid off in attendance of more than 10,000 and increased appreciation of the role of agriculture in the county among rural and urban citizens alike.
Members of two separate boards in Tipton County —one for Extension and another for the Education Center—have worked to forge a strong relationship as the two joined to become one service. According to Purdue Extension educator Terri Newcom, board members helped organize the merger, a natural outcome of a long-standing relationship. They successfully sought funding for a new facility at the fairgrounds and helped choose a contractor to break ground this summer. “They've had to commit a lot of time and effort to the whole project,” Newcom says. “They really stepped up.”
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