2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

17
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating Extension Education in Wichita County Making a Difference in 2012

description

Quarterly Report of Extension programs in Wichita County

Transcript of 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Page 1: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating

Extension Education in Wichita County

Making a Difference in

2012

Page 2: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has been dedicated to educating Texans

for nearly a century. In 1915, the agency was established under the federal Smith-Lever Act to deliver university knowledge and agricultural research findings directly to the people. Ever since, AgriLife Extension programs have addressed the emerging issues of the day, serving diverse populations across the state. Through a well-organized network of professional educators and some 100,000 trained volunteers, Extension delivers practical research-based knowledge to Texans in all 254 counties. Our expertise and educational

outreach pertain to the food and fiber industry, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, nutrition and health, and community economic development. Among those served are the hundreds of thousands of young people who benefit annually from Extension’s 4-H and youth development programs. Texans turn to Extension for solutions. Its agents and specialists respond not only with answers, but also with resources and services that result in significant returns on investment to boost the Texas economy. The agency custom-designs its programs to each region of the state, relying on residents for input and for help with program delivery. Here are just a few highlights of Extension’s impacts on this county and its people:

Wichita County – Summary of Educational Contact

Founded- February 1, 1858 Total Contacts 1,323,349

County Seat- Wichita Falls Site Visits 617

Area- Total 606 sq mi Phone Calls 822

Est. 2012 Population- 130,698 Mail/Email Contacts 672

Website 4,330

Radio & Television 67

Columns 50

News Releases 107

2012 Contact Hours Summary

Total Education Programs Conducted 260

Total Group Participants 6,170

Contact Hours 18,535

4-H Members 155

4-H Volunteers 176

4-H Clubs 6

White 83.4 % Black 10.9% Hispanic 17.2%

Page 3: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Producer Programs Start 2012 With An Eye On

Weather, Prices And Re-Stocking After The Drought

Bryan Rupp, area TV Meteorologist started the

day with a discussion on climate changes for

Texoma during the next decade.

Dr. Dave Lalman discusses potential changes to

ranchers herds and management changes they can

implement to lower risks.

The Cattle Trails Cow and Calf Conference was held on January 4. Given the drought conditions of 2011, the planning committee felt that ranchers should be informed of basic information for coming out of the drought and reinvesting in the cattle business. Each topic on the agenda addressed this basic theme. Approximately 110 participants attended the conference. Obviously, the participants were from Oklahoma and Texas. Based on evaluation results, the average participant managed 2,330 acres of pasture annually and ran a drought reduced 148 head of cows annually. The keynote speaker was Mr. Bryan Rupp, KFDX TV 3 Meteorologist from Wichita Falls, Texas. Mr. Rupp is a young professional that takes an interest in the area’s agriculture. While the short term and long term forecast was on everyone’s mind, Mr. Rupp also discussed how this area must adapt to a warming climate. As the day progressed, participants heard speakers from both Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service provide details of coming out of the drought, potential changes to the cow herd and reinvesting schemes after the drought. To finalize the program, participants were asked to provide their candid responses to an evaluation. Sixty six evaluations were returned. These results were compiled following the conference. Based on these results, 70 percent expected to, at least minimally, change their production and/or reinvesting plan based on the information they received at the conference. The financial impact of attending the Cattle Trails Stocker Conference was estimated to be $662 per respondent. In addition, the program received the 2012 Superior Achievement Award from Texas AgriLIFE Extension, recognizing its usefulness to area producers.

Page 4: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Wichita Falls Ranch and Farm Expo

Continues to Provide Educational

Programs For Producers And More

Buyers saw five breeds go through the sale ring on

Wednesday evening totaling nearly $80,000 and

setting a new high of $3,100 on a consignment from

Yandell Limousin.

This year’s edition of the Wichita Falls Ranch and Farm Show set new records for attendance, vendors and bull auction interest plus added a youth component. Over 130 producers attended each continuing

educational program over the two-event that earned

then pesticide applicator units from Texas or

Oklahoma plus Certified Crop Advisor units.

During the producers breakfast sponsored by Capital

Farm Credit, Helena Chemical and Winfield Solutions,

Gene Hall presented the kick-off address discussing

how producers need to discuss food production with

consumers. Henry Krusekopf then gave the laws and

regulation program; Fred Hall presented information

on drift management; Gerald Hobson spoke on insect

identification and control; and Dr. Todd Baughman

spoke on weed management.

On Wednesday afternoon Dr. Steve Hammack helped

producers understand the value of pedigree

information when selecting herd sires. That

knowledge was put to the test at the second annual

bull sale that evening. This year 33 bulls grossed

nearly $80,000. The top seller was a Limousin for

$3,100.

A new feature was the Horse Quiz Bowl Competition.

4-HTeams from Wichita and Wilbarger counties went

head-to-head in this first competition of the season.

Based on the same principals of the “academic bowl”,

these young women would often “ring in” before the

question was completely asked and rarely answered

incorrectly. Hat’s off to the Wichita team for winning

this year’s competition.

Thursday’s speakers included Gerald Hobson on

weed control in pastures; Daren Harmel on optimizing

fertilizer application for profitability; Stan Bevers with

a market outlook and Bryan Rupp with a discussion

on climate change.

Horse Quiz Bowl team members listen with buzzers

in-hand as the question is read.

Rep. Rick Hardcastle visited with radio

personality Joe Tom White during live talk radio

on the first morning of the Expo.

Page 5: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Cattle Trails Conference Addressed Producer Questions on Markets and Re-stocking And Introduced the Las Vegas Strip Steak to Rolling Plains Producers

Producers had the second opportunity in the

country to sample the Las Vegas Strip steak during

their luncheon.

Given the continuing and expanding drought

conditions, the Cattle Trails planning committee felt

that producers should begin planning early for wheat

planting and cattle procurement. The drought of the

Midwest was creating difficulties for all those

involved in the cattle industry.

Each topic on the agenda addressed this basic theme.

The participants were obviously from Oklahoma and

Texas, but some participants traveled from Arkansas

as well. Based on evaluation results, the average

participant managed 1,858 acres of pasture annually

and ran approximately 1,044 head of stocker cattle

annually.

Dr. Larry Sanders, Professor and Extension

Economist, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

provided an overview of the southern agricultural

economy and the impacts that the drought and policy

changes may have on area producers.

Dr. Chris Richards, also from Oklahoma Cooperative

Extension Service, provided details on his research

for management strategies or bull calves. These were

followed by two private industry speakers, Paul

Coleman, COO and Partner of Frontera Feedyard in

Muleshoe, Texas, and Dr. J.P. Pollreisz, veterinarian

with Pfizer, Inc., from Amarillo. Coleman spoke of

the current challenges faced by those in the feedlot

industry due to limited number of calves and the

impact that the national drought was having on feed

sources. Dr. Pollreisz provided an update on stocker

cattle health issues.

Lastly, Stan Bevers spoke on the market impacts on

the area’s profitability.

An added component to this conference was the

introduction of the Las Vegas strip steak to Texas

during the luncheon. The steak was detailed by Dr.

Tony Mata who was part of the team that developed

the steak from the chuck.

He presented it as a moderately priced steak that can

compete with more well-known steaks like the New

York Strip. Participants were surveyed following the

meal.

When producers were asked about the overall

acceptability of the steak, 85.4 percent of respondents

gave acceptable or extremely acceptable and 100

percent confirmed the steak was at least average.

When asked specifically about tenderness, the results

were even more amazing with 95.1 percent responding

that the steak was at least average for tenderness and

14.5 percent called the steak extremely tender– not bad

for a “moderately priced” steak.

After seeing the impact of the Flat Iron Steak on

carcass value nearly a decade ago, producers were

asked what they thought the new steak would add to

carcass value. One hundred percent of those

responding indicated it would have a positive effect

and 35.4 percent indicated they believed it would add

$2 to $4 to each carcass. Nearly five percent thought it

would add over $10 to the carcass.

To finalize the program, participants were asked to

provide their candid responses to an evaluation. Sixty-

five evaluations were returned. Based on these results,

48 percent expected to, at least minimally, change their

production and/or marketing plan based on the

information they received at the conference. The

financial impact of attending the 2012 Cattle Trails

Wheat and Stocker Conference was estimated to be

$6,408 per respondent.

This issue of the Cattle Trails Wheat and Stocker

Cattle Conference continued on the tradition of an

award-winning program for producers.

Page 6: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

When the smoke cleared the judges had given

KFDX TV3 Weekend Anchor Mechell Dixon the

nod for champion showman at the first Texas

Oklahoma Fair Media Showmanship Showdown.

Eight contestants vied for the title Wednesday on

afternoon. Celebrity judges included Texoma

County host Mike Campbell; Wichita County

Precinct 2 Commissioner Barry Mahler; and

long-time TV, newspaper and radio personality

good ole’ Joe Brown. The master-of-ceremonies

was new AgriLife Extension Administrator Miles

Dabovich.

Seventy-three dogs and over 30 exhibitors

showed up for the first-ever Red River Cattle

Dog Trial held during the Fair. In these timed

trials, dogs tried to move three head of cattle

through four obstacles. The pattern mimics how

cattle are worked on ranches and in feed yards.

Officials from the sanctioning associations hope

it will become an annual event.

Bragging rights for the hay contest at the Fair

were earned by Eddie Moer from Windthorst.

Judge Marty New from Oklahoma Extension

reviewed the entries.

The reserve champion came from the wheat hay

entry by Mike Yandell from Wichita Falls. This

was the first hay show at the Texas Oklahoma

Fair in over a decade.

This was the first year for these event s which

helped to promote the livestock and horse

events during the week of the Texas Oklahoma

Fair.

Extension Brings New Events To Texas Oklahoma Fair

Grand Champion honors at the first Media Showmanship Showdown went to Mechell Dixon from KDFX TV 3. Included in the photo are (L-R): Master-of-Ceremonies Miles Dabovich, Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service District Extension Administrator; event judge, Commissioner Barry Mahler, Precinct 2 Commissioner; American Quarter Horse, owned by Mandy Smail; Champion Media Showman Mechell Dixon; judge Mike Campbell, Texoma County host; and judge Joe Brown, TV and radio icon.

The grand champion at the new hay contest was won by Eddie Moer from Windthorst on a bale of costal berumdagrass with a relative forage quality (RFQ) of 163

Page 7: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Master Gardeners Enhance Kell House with Bridal Garden Project

Master Gardener Project Co-Chairman Betty

McCully (center) ponders the next move during the

first day of the creation of the Bridal Garden at the

Kell House with design-originator Arthur Bea

Williams, Master Gardener Joann Plaxco and Ann

Funston, Heritage Committee, Kell House Board.

White flowers, a variety of green foliage and the

earthy red and gray tones from the re-cycled

bricks and garden pavers give a quite charm that

will be a great back-ground for wedding

photographs.

Once the design was decided on for the Bridal Garden in the Master Gardener project at the Kell House, volunteers with shovels and wheel barrows sprang into action. In keeping with the nuance of a bridal garden, only white flowered plants were put into the design and the Master Gardeners stayed true to their belief of re-cycling, sustainability and water-efficient plants. Each planting was also considered as to how it would look in the “camera’s eye” in hopes of promoting the garden as part of the ambiance of the Kell House in hosting weddings under the pergola. The design was created by MG Arthur Beas Williams and captured the notion of entwined-hearts in bricks and a combination of annuals and perennials. A plant list was created and the initial plantings boasted Crape Myrtles, roses, and petunias among others. Master Gardener Project Leaders Betty McCulley and Rae Paris have partnered with several volunteer groups including the airmen from Sheppard Air Force Base and the Wichita Falls PALS. To date, over 700 man-hours have been donated to the project.

The final step was to tie the garden into the existing irrigation system and then mulch the bed, This included a educational program by the licensed irrigator installing the system.

Page 8: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Wichita County Master Gardeners

Earn State Association Awards

Local Awards Committee Chairman Jackie Godwin (center right) help Master Gardeners

Virginia Krebs (left), Jeff Smith (center left) and Mary Barry display state awards earned

during the 2012 Annual Texas Master Gardener Conference in San Antonio. The local

association earned second place in the small association mass media division for their weekly

feature in the Times Record News; Second place in the individual achievement division for the

explementary work done by Mary Barry; and third for the regional educational program.

“Living Well With Less Water in Texoma”.

Master Gardener Arthur Bea Williams (center) shows volunteer airmen where

to make changes as the project came to life. Williams created the entwined-heart

design and the airmen were an eager source of help with the physical labor.

The “camera-view” from the pergola with white roses in the

foreground and the entwined-hearts centered against white

crape myrtles will mature and change every season.

Page 9: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Wichita County Master Gardeners Help Bring Record-Breaking Crowds

to Home and Garden Show With Top-Notch Speakers Program

This year’s educational program on Saturday saw over 100 in attendance during each session– a record for recent years and a fitting tribute to the 15th anniversary edition of the show. Dr. Bill Welch kicked-off the day talking about tough perennials that survived last year’s drought. Then KFDX Metergolist Bryan Rupp spoke on why last year happened and how he sees the climate changing in the next 50 years.

Sharing a booth with Texas Forest Service make promoting

FireWise Landscaping easier plus it had it’s perks– everyone

could shake Smokey’s hand! Smokey is shown with Texas

Forest Service’s Mary Kay and Wichita County Master

Gardener Association Vice-President Jason Cooper.

Judy Barrett was up after the noon hour and talked about growing herbs and heirloom plants in this part of Texas.

Square foot gardening was the topic at 2 p.m. presented by Julie Whitis, a certified square-foot gardening instructor.

The final program on Saturday was Purina Mills Educator Jill Harbour. She spoke on raising backyard chickens.

For this year’s booth, the Master Gardeners partnered with the Texas Forest Service to help promote Firewise Landscaping. In 2010, the local Master Gardeners hosted a Firewise specialist training with over 20 Master Gardeners attending the three-day training. After the training, they created a power point program for citizen training that is segmented to be useful in situations from a 15-minute introduction to a multi-hour seminar to given urban home-owners training in how to make minor changes that can have a big inpact on protecting their home from wildfire. Since then the specialists have presented the program over a dozen times to hundreds of citizens. In addition to having Firewise material in the booth, Master Gardeners gave away free seeds and answered hundreds of citizen questions.

Expanded signage and more floor space gave the

tradition “gazebo” a more open and inviting look even

with the addition of the Texas Forest Service material.

New Extension fact sheets were also included.

Speakers Bill Welch (seated) and Judy Barrett took time

to visit with “the folks” at the Home and Garden Show.

Over 12,000 attended the regional two-day event

according to show officials.

Page 10: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Texoma Horse Expo Excites Citizens With

Jousting Plus Shows and Educational Events

The Black Knight challenged all comers during the Saturday

evening jousting show at the Texoma Horse Expo. The

Extension Horse Committee fund-raiser brought the

KnightsEdge Troupe with Patrick Lambke to Wichita Falls

for a first-time ever jousting and renaissance show as an

entertainment program that added a new dimension to the

slate of equine events.

For over 25 years the highlight for many Texoma horse

enthusiasts is the annual Texoma Horse Expo held each

October.

The iconic event has featured the Texoma Futurity and

classic shows over the years but has seen a make-over

during the past several years. And apparently, Texoma

horsemen like the changes as the crowds are growing.

For the second year, the event has included an educational

program, a model horse show and the Parade of Breeds and

Breeders Alley.

This year’s Friday night program featured top cowboys

from local ranches demonstrating their methods for starting

a young horse. Three individual cowboys started the

evening show with a barely halter-broke horse and worked

their magic until they rode each horse at the conclusion of

the two-hour program.

During the program the emcee walked the crowd through

the action in each ring and allowed the crowd to ask

questions.

On Saturday, congruent with the Futurity Show, the

Texoma Model Horse Show gave visitors a chance to see

unique model horses exhibited. This show has more than

doubled in numbers in just two years and has turned into a

full day competition.

Over the noon hour break, visitors enjoyed the Parade of

Breeds demonstration in the arena. Representatives of seven

breeds not usually seen at Texoma horse shows took to the

ring with music and pageantry showing off their best

attributes.

But the real star of this year’s Expo was the jousting and

renaissance program held on Saturday evening. This

Wichita County Extension Horse Committee fund-raiser

brought KnightsEdge jousting troupe to Wichita Falls for

the first time. With four knights and five horses plus

assistants and all the trappings of jousting, the crowd

enjoyed the two-hour performance.

On Saturday, the Texoma All Breeds Horse Show

Association final point show of the season was held. The

largest show in recent years, it saw over 60 horses exhibited

in nearly 70 classes.

On Sunday evening local barrel racers took to the arena for

the finale of the Expo.

Chincoteague Pony “Pie” and owner Sarah Fung,

wowed the crowd with the intelligence of the breed.

Page 11: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

This year's Wichita County Pecan Show featured 19 entries from ten area growers with Dr. Bill Ree, Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service serving as the judge.

Each class winner received a blue class ribbon and division champions will receive a plaque. Six samples were tagged by Judge Ree to continue on to the Central Texas Regional Show at Kerrville on December 12, 2012.

The show has three divisions: classic and new, commercial and natives. In the classic and new

Pecan Seminar and Show Helps Homeowners and Producers

Local CEU Program For Parks, Schools and County

Employees Continues To Save Tax Dollars For the past two years Wichita Extension has held a CEU program in October geared to county, city and school employees who have the responsibility of maintaining parks, athletic fields, home landscapes and bar ditches. Not a wheat or cotton program, this training is focused directly at the needs of vegetative management in turf.

The five CEU program included credits on laws and regulation, drift management, integrated pest management and general categories.

The political sub-divisions and schools benefit

division, James Whitaker won champion with is Posednick and Judy Maenza had reserve with a variety seedling.

In the commercial division, Tom and Mary Golden won champion with a sample of Pawnee pecans and Jake Montz had reserve with a sample of Nacono.

In the native division, Mike and Jean Payne had champion and Larry Hardin had reserve. Our youngest exhibitor, Sadie McWhorter received the lightest pecan award.

by not having to send employees out of the county and the employees like having a program built around their needs. In addition, the cost of the program has remained at $25.

Again this year the program was a combination of live instructors and webinar programing with the instructor remaining on the Texas A&M campus.

In surveying the attendees we found 100 percent completely satisfied with the material and instructors plus they would recommend the program to others.

Sports and Athletic Field Management Program Helped Quell The “Put

More Water On It” Mentality After last year’s drought, weeds and insects have came on like gangbusters for turf managers in

Texoma. A seminar that covers those special needs plus turf grass varieties, insects, weeds and best

management practices was held on Wednesday, April 4 in Wichita Falls.

Dr. James McAfee, Associate Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist presented the program.

His main emphasis was to develop turf management programs that require fewer inputs of fertilizer,

pesticides and water; evaluate new turfgrass varieties for use in home lawns, golf courses and sports

fields.

There were three continuing education units offered with this program for licensed Texas private and

Sports and Athletic Field Management Program Helped Quell The “Put

More Water On It” Mentality After last year’s drought, weeds and insects have came on like gangbusters for turf managers in

Texoma. A seminar that covers those special needs plus turf grass varieties, insects, weeds and best

management practices was held on Wednesday, April 4 in Wichita Falls.

Dr. James McAfee, Associate Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist presented the program.

His main emphasis was to develop turf management programs that require fewer inputs of fertilizer,

pesticides and water; evaluate new turfgrass varieties for use in home lawns, golf courses and sports

fields.

There were three continuing education units offered with this program for licensed Texas private and

commercial pesticide applicators. Over 20 individuals from four counties attended the program.

After last year’s drought, weeds and insects have came on like gangbusters for turf managers in Texoma. A seminar that covers those special needs plus turf grass varieties, insects, weeds and best management practices was held on Wednesday, April 4 in Wichita Falls.

Dr. James McAfee, Associate Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist presented the program. His main emphasis was to develop turf management programs that require fewer inputs of fertilizer, pesticides and water; evaluate new

turfgrass varieties for use in home lawns, golf courses

and sports fields.

of fertilizer, pesticides and water; evaluate new turfgrass varieties for use in home lawns, golf courses and sports fields.

There were three continuing education units offered with this program for licensed Texas private and commercial pesticide applicators. Over 20 individuals from four counties attended the program.

Page 12: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Extension And United Way Partner To Bring Language Development Program To Wichita Falls The North Texas Child Care Association partnered

with United Way to host a language development

program for parents of children 0-5 years of age at

Washington-Jackson Elementary School and then

offered a more in-depth training to child care

providers in a cooperative effort with Region 9.

Over 100 parents and child care providers received

the training on December 14 & 15.

Participants enjoyed a light meal before the

workshop. In addition, there was free child care

available.

Attendees learned that children who are

consistently exposed to a variety of language uses and forms develop more effective language skills

and a larger vocabulary- both are important to their academic and social success. Cathy Cole from

Kaplan Early Learning Company was the presenter.

In this workshop participants developed an understanding of appropriate language modeling practices

to intentionally encourage, expand on and respond to children's speech. Working through both small

and large group activities and discussions, parents will learn to develop and enhance their skills and

abilities in asking open-ended questions, using self-talk and parallel talk, promoting child-initiated

conversations and the use of advance language.

This workshopwas hosted in Wichita Falls by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Wichita County,

the North Texas Area United Way, the North Texas Child Care Association and Region IX Education

Service Center.

Extension Child Care Assn. Continues To Train Child Care Providers As an AgriLife Extension project, the North Texas Child Care Association continues to offer over two

contact hours of training each month and certifies the hours and continuing educational units for the

membership. The elected association officers manage the business and membership plus organize

the training and presenters under the AgriLife Extension guidelines.

The monthly programs reachs over 40 day care providers each month and the association has seen

unprecedented growth during the last six months of 2012.

Page 13: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Curriculum Enrichment: Maranda continues to organize Generation Green,

Progressive Agriculture Youth Safety Day and Kids,

Kows & More reaching over 2000 Wichita County

students. Program partners in 2012 included

Sheppard Air Force Base, Lake Arrowhead State

Park, Wichita County Master Gardeners, NRCS,

River Bend Nature Center, USGS, Wichita-Wilbarger

911, Wichita County Storm Chasers, Texas Farm

Bureau, multiple local FFA chapters, Red River

Authority, Atmos Energy, Breland Health and Fitness

Center, Wichita Falls Fire Department and United

Regional Health Care System.

Other curriculum enrichment programs include Hatching in the Classroom, Chicks and Ducks, Junior

Master Gardener, Take A Stand Against Bullying, Something’s Fishy, Wildlife Success Stories and

Predators in the Classroom.

Wichita County Extension Office partnered with

Region 9 Education Service Center and several

other county offices to offer a teacher in-service

training covering a wide variety of opportunities

offered. Seventeen educators attended. All

teachers were eager to attend again and offered

valuable insight as to what is needed in the

classroom.

Page 14: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

4-H Club News: 4-H Marketing & Promotion continued through Television, Radio, Newspaper & Social Media.

Currently, 7 4-H Clubs are chartered in Wichita County; Explorers 4-H, Valley View 4-H, Actors

Creating Together (A.C.T.), Adventures 4-H, Wichita All Around, Burkburnett 4-H and Force Four 4-H

(Sheppard Air Force Base). Members and families are kept up to date through Wichita 4-H Notes, a

monthly newsletter that includes upcoming events and activities, congratulations, and club

announcements. A 4-H tab is also set up on the Wichita County Extension website which includes

the 4-H newsletter and calendar and upcoming event information.

An annual achievement banquet was held on July 27, 2012. 4-H members were recognized for

project work and Star awards were presented.

The Hatching in the Classroom:

Duck Edition program is an extension of the yearly Egg to

Chick program. The Duck Edition was originally funded by a

grant from the Wichita Falls Area Junior League. Eighty-

eight 2nd grade students discovered the developmental

process of ducklings, the types of feathers, breeds of ducks

and conducted an experiment to blow hollow eggs. Many

ducklings were adopted by local families and others placed

in homes with the help of a local feed store.

4-H Food Challenge:

The 4-H Food Challenge was introduced as a new contest in

2010 and showed huge potential. In 2012 in Wichita County

4-Hers organized four teams made up of 11 participants.

Youth are encouraged to study recipe preparation, food and

cooking safety, healthy alternatives and personal dietary

requirements. Two teams advanced to the district contest.

Page 15: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Between monthly programs and the annual Texas A&M Horsemanship Conference, young horse enthusiasts have had many opportunities to hone their skills for a summer of horse shows and competitions. The Texoma All-Breed Horse Show Association youth "Ready, Set, Show" clinic on April 22 at the Whispers of Hope Horse Farm gave young equestri

Horsemanship Training Helps Youth Focus

On Responsibility And Perseverance

TABHSA Youth Coordinator Tracey Hayden and her horse

“Arthur” sport the same smile during a clipping demonstration at

the first “Ready, Set Show” clinic on April 22. The team

approach to the clinic gave each presenter the chance to focus the

class on their particular specialty in grooming the complete

horse..

The Wichita County Junior and Senior Horse Quiz Bowl teams

swept the District 3 contest in May and will represented D3 at

the state contest at Lubbock in June to a second place finish. The

Junior team included Mikah and Claire Slater plus Taylor

Wilson. The Senior team includes Allison Wilson plus Noel

Dillard and Larissa Dillard.

ans an opportunity to learn how to fit a halter and trim and band manes to improve the appearance of the head and neck. They also learned how to dress and groom themselves for the show ring. TABHSA Youth Coordinator Tracy Hayden enlisted local professionals to help with the program and had horses available to work on. Fourteen youth and ten adults attended the program.

Twenty two youth and adults received training from Texas A&M equine professionals at the annual clinic in Wichita Falls in June.

Page 16: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

AgriLife Extension Teaches Benefits of Local Foods

At the 2012 Texas Downtown Development and Revitalization Conference Extension partners joined the Wichita County Ag Agent Fred Hall in sharing the local activities during the Food Network program. Helping to highlight the Culinary and Agri-Tourism events of the area, Frank Cordero, Director, Vernon College Culinary School, Becky Morath, Owner, Morath Farms and Hall each discussed activities ranging from Farmers markets, community gardens and farm-to-market tastings at local restaurants. Each aspect contributes to downtown and commercial district growth while supporting local businesses.

Master Gardener Bonnie Jones talks to Wichita Farmers

Market visitors about raised-bed gardening during one

of the educational programs held monthly at the

market.

Page 17: 2013 Spring Stakeholder Report

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Wichita County

Staff

Fred M. Hall, Agriculture and Natural Resources County Extension Agent Maranda Revell, 4-H and Youth County Extension Agent Vicki McWhorter, Office Manager

Contact Us Courthouse Annex 600 Scott, Suite 200 Wichita Falls, TX 76301 Phone: 940.716.8610 Fax: 940.716.8615 E-mail: [email protected] Website: wichita-tx.tamu.edu

Facebook

4-H

Wichita County 4-H

Master Gardeners

Wichita County Master Gardeners

Txmg.org/Wichita/

Horse Committee

Texoma All Breed Show Horse Assn.

www.wf.net/~wcehc/

North Texas Child Care Assoc.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Texas-Child-Care-Association-NTCCA/237731039585503