Our Impact
Making A Difference in Our County
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working hard for its constituents. The following are examples of Extension’s impact in the county over the past year.
BRYAN COUNTY 4-H’ERS PRACTICE GENEROSITY AND BELONGING THROUGH PROM DRESS DRIVE AND FASHION SHOW
Bryan County 4-H serves 1,668 4-H’ers each month, with 342 students from military families. This year, six Bryan County 4-H’ers worked diligently to achieve the common goal of facilitating an event to help young women in the community find inexpensive formal wear for prom and the military ball. Bryan County Family Connections collected prom dresses for years through their Twice as Nice thrift store. Most all of the dresses sat year after year without being claimed. When 4-H’ers heard about this through Bryan County Family Connections the director Wendy Sims, we felt Bryan County 4-H could help spread the word by hosting a fashion show so local teens could see all of the beautiful, free dresses. Bryan County 4-Her’s enlisted the help of students and community members to be models and helpers during the event. Local businesses donated hair and make-up appointments, as well as some goodies to make the night special.
BRYAN COUNTY AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES: RAISING THE BAR FOR BETTER LIVING
The Bryan County Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) program has now had a full-time agent for a full three years since the position was filled in January 2017. This program offers soil, water, tissue and forage tests that can be handled through our office along with consultations. Bryan County ANR also provides residents with a wide variety of free publications related to an array of residential and agriculture-related topics. In 2019, Bryan County Extension processed 443 soil, eight water, three forage, four plant tissue, three nematode, and two microbiology samples. In an effort to improve the quality of landscapes in Bryan County, the ANR program has continued its outreach by conducting weekly meetings with landscape professionals and homeowners, targeting poor practices currently in place and identifying areas where change is needed. The number of calls and complaints fielded have decreased significantly at the county and local business levels. Bryan County ANR has partnered with surrounding counties to put on classes and workshops to extend University of Georgia Cooperative Extension educational programs to the public. The Bryan County ANR program has been active with both youth and the elderly of the county by volunteering with the Pembroke and Richmond Hill garden clubs, as well as a monthly presence in local newspapers for Bryan, Liberty and Chatham counties. The Bryan County ANR program has taken a leadership role by exploring research opportunities in both forestry and fruit production. The ANR agent currently heads up a statewide effort to trap an insect pest of citrus plantings and to document the movement of this pest across the state.
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES PROVIDES NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Bryan County Family and Consumer Sciences provides nutrition education programs and educational materials for adults and youth. Consumers are more likely to make better food choices for themselves and their families when they have been provided with nutrition education. These practices will lead to healthier youth who attend school regularly with better academic success and adults who have the ability to eat healthier and lessen the occurrence of expensive chronic diseases. By improving the overall health habits of Georgians, fewer hospitalizations and medications will be required, reducing health care costs for individuals, taxpayers, small businesses and corporations.