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
Over the past decade Crisp County averaged $110 million dollars in Farm Gate value. Grown on more than 105,000 acres, commodities contributing to these monetary outputs include pecans, peanuts, cotton, watermelons, small grains, and soybeans. In addition to these food and fiber products, the county includes beef and dairy operations with over 1,000 head of cattle, two gins, multiple chemical companies (Green Point Ag, Helena, Meherrin), and 100’s of irrigation systems.
Joshua Grant and the ANR program focus on information dissemination to meet the needs of clientele. Site consultations and phone contacts constitute the bulk of communications – totaling over 300 consults in 2020. Josh assisted agricultural producers over the past year with GDA/USDA Block Grant applications totaling over a quarter million dollars in Hurricane Michael relief awards. The ANR program continued a multiyear study to combat Fusarium wilt in watermelon which produced published data shared to growers through the Georgia Watermelon Association and virtual county production meetings.
4-H
In 2020 4-H was met with many challenges, but those challenges brought technology to the forefront and stability to the chaos. Whether it was through text messages, Facebook, zoom, or scavenger hunt, our 4-H’ers were impacted. Our 4-H leaders were able to conduct 4-H meetings; 2 months virtually and the remainder of the School year face to face with the public school, private school, and home school. Strict Covid-19 sanctions curtailed many activities that were planned throughout the year, but the day that the 4-H’ers planted flowers in front of the office was a great success. Crisp 4-H’ers were able to compete in the District/State Forestry competition, movie night, and lead two community service projects (Puppy Power, B.E. A Blessing). Times were challenging but Crisp leaders continued to Make the Best Better!
FACS
Becca Stackhouse has made community wide collaborative partners that she works with for programming. Stackhouse offers healthy relationship education for teens, parents, financial education, VITA, certification in CPR/AED/First Aid and lifeguarding, ServSafe, and continuing education for food services workers. She works with Crisp County FACS teacher to deliver programming to Middle School students. She has worked in collaborative with her ANR & 4-H Agent and collaborative partners on a pre-k raised bed gardens and programming. She works with Crisp Regional to delivery Lunch n Learn programs to the employees of the hospital. She uses local media for bi-weekly column and Midday show with WSST. She delivers publications full of research-based information to organizations like the child care centers, Senior homes and the hospital. As the family and consumer science agent, Stackhouse works hard to provide expertise through training, research and publications to positively affect community members.