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.
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Master Gardener Program Strengthens Columbia County Community
The Columbia County UGA Extension office, led by County Extension Coordinator Tripp Williams, played a key role in coordinating the successful Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program in 2023. The program attracted 27 enthusiastic trainees who dedicated themselves to 50 hours of in-depth classroom instruction focused on horticulture. This valuable knowledge equips them to volunteer and share their expertise with the broader community.
Upon program completion, the newly minted Master Gardeners joined forces with established Master Gardeners in the Augusta area. Together, they've logged an impressive 2,950 hours of community service, contributing an estimated $87,866 worth of volunteer impact. Their dedication extends beyond physical labor; they've also served as a valuable resource by receiving and answering a remarkable 6,000 contacts, including 2,100 in-person and 3,900 written inquiries. Their commitment goes the extra mile, as evidenced by the 11,650 miles traveled, valued at an additional $1,630.
The Master Gardeners' commitment to excellence doesn't stop there. They've collectively invested over 800 hours in continuing education classes, ensuring they stay abreast of the latest advancements in horticulture. This dedication allows them to provide the most up-to-date and reliable information to the community.
Extension Agent Provides Convenient Recertification Training for Green Industry Professionals
Green industry personnel in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) hold pesticide applicator licenses and International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certifications. These licenses and certifications require ongoing education to ensure professionals stay up-to-date with the latest regulations and best practices. Recognizing this need, the County Extension Agent took the initiative to offer a comprehensive training seminar. The Columbia County Extension Coordinator, Tripp Williams, implemented a strategic promotional plan utilizing industry listservs, online calendars, green industry associations, direct mailers, and media. This targeted approach ensured the training reached the intended audience, primarily expiring licensed applicators in the Augusta metropolitan area. Mr. Williams tailored trainings for multiple licenses with hosting a full-day seminar provided valuable recertification credits for various licenses:
Pesticide Applicators: Five credits in all 15 Georgia Department of Agriculture categories for commercial applicators (10 hrs renewal) and three credits for private applicators (3 hrs renewal).
ISA Certified Arborists: Three recertification credits.
South Carolina Department of Pesticide Regulation: Three credits in category (3).
The success of this training program demonstrates the valuable role County Extension Agents play in supporting the Green Industry. By providing convenient, high-quality educational opportunities to empower professionals to maintain their licenses, adopt best practices, and ultimately contribute to a safer and healthier environment for all.
4-H Youth Development
Columbia County 4-H prides itself on building active citizens for our future through focus on leadership, citizenship, agriculture and the environment, and public speaking. Community service projects for 4-H’ers included collecting more than 400 pounds of soda pop tabs in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities, donating $875 for Salvation Army, donating more than 200 food items to the Columbia County Cares food pantry, and donating over $700 to purchase smoke detectors for needy families. In addition to community service, Columbia County 4-H’s fundraising efforts included raising more than $4,500 through Vidalia Onion Sales as well as $5,200 in Pecan sales. Columbia County 4-H could not have been as successful as it was in 2020 without the support of our volunteers, who donated over 2,050 hours of their time, valued at over $55,760. Partnerships with the Columbia County Board of Education allow our 4-H programs to provide experiential learning programs that compliment school curriculum, STEAM initiatives, and helps to increase student writing-test scores. 4-H has a presence in every school in the Columbia County School District and enrollment in 2020 was 2,800 students. Despite the pandemic, Columbia County 4-H was able to provide both in-school and virtual programming. In 2020 a total of 95 monthly virtual club meetings were provided to 5th graders and an additional 6 virtual meetings per month were provided for grades K-12. Additional virtual programming totaled over 890 programs reaching more than 3,500 participants during the pandemic.
Family and Consumer Sciences
A wide variety of free UGA Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) publications are available at the county office. Questions relating to FACS topics can be outsourced to neighboring counties with FACS agents as needed.