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.
Monroe County Extension/4-H
In 2023, Monroe County Extension/4-H reached a total number of 13,914 contacts through in and out-of-office programs, activities, site visits, and club meetings. 121,264 contacts were reached through virtual programming and social media.
Family and Consumer Sciences
UGA Extension provides nutrition education programs and educational materials for adults and youth. 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. The Monroe County Extension office can provide publications and assist residents in locating applicable programs in nearby counties. We provide research-based information through training and dissemination of publications, and link families, businesses and communities to university faculty and resources. Our Monroe County agent focuses on the prevention and management of chronic diseases through evidence-based nutrition programming and programming that addresses the social and cultural dynamics known to be associated with chronic diseases. Monroe County also offers the Elevate program. This skills-based, evidence-informed program helps couples form, improve, and sustain healthy relationships. Elevate blends practical skills with an understanding of the physiology of human interaction to enhance knowledge and skills essential to healthy relationships.
4-H & Youth Development
Monroe County 4-H aims to offer a variety of hands-on learning experiences for youth in agriculture and environmental education, healthy living, and leadership. Monthly in-school club meetings are offered to 325 fourth-graders, 380 fifth-graders, 350 sixth-graders, and 60 seventh and eighth-graders. 4-H’ers are able to participate in a variety of after-school special interest clubs and activities including: County Council, Cotton Boll and Consumer Judging, Poultry Judging, Shotgun Team, Dairy Quiz Bowl, Project Achievement, Outdoor Adventure Club, Livestock exhibition, and monthly community service projects.
In 2023, Monroe County 4-H’ers celebrated numerous successes. A few of those successes include district awards for Outstanding Project Club Led by a Team of 4-H’ers, Outstanding Community Service Project Led by a 4-H’er, and Outstanding Teen Leadership Project Led by a 4-H’er. At District Project Achievement three Senior participants from Monroe County placed first advancing themselves to State Congress. All three 4-H’ers gained Master 4-H’er status. One Monroe County 4-H’er competed at the National Cornbread Cookoff 4-H Edition in Tennessee and placed 4th. Additionally, the Monroe County 4-H Teen Leaders assisted in planning and leading two new clubs for younger 4-H’ers: Sharing and Caring and Music Around the World. This provided them with a new responsibility for their 4-H program, allowed them to share their interests and all they’ve learned in 4-H, and opened up new opportunities for younger 4-H’ers to explore. We also trained and certified five new teen leaders to learn and develop their leadership skills to have a positive impact on Cloverleaf 4-H’ers.
Agricultural and Natural Resources
During the year 2023, Monroe County Extension processed the following Agriculture & Natural Resources testing services:
Animal Waste- 3
Feed & Forage- 50
Greenhouse- 0
Microbiology (Bacteria)- 29
Soil- 447
Water & Pond- 72
For a total of 601 samples processed, 235 more samples than the year before.
In addition to those numbers, more than 300 weed, insect, and plant disease specimens were correctly identified in the field, or under the microscope.
During 2023, a research project was finished that began in 2022, with Dr. Pedro Fontes of the Animal & Dairy Science at UGA. This trial tested multiple cattle synchronization methods to bring all cows into the same reproductive cycle stage at the same time. Also during 2023, a Beekeepers Association was charted in conjunction with Jasper County Extension and currently has over 50 members. These meetings were hosted by the Monroe County ANR agent and held at the Monroe County Extension Office.