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.
Polk Extension has a Facebook page to complement our outreach programming. This addition has allowed us to better showcase not only what we are doing in the county but our competitive 4-H youth and their many accomplishments. In 2024, the Facebook page consisted of 47 posts which reached 19,604 people. Please visit our Facebook page and while on the page click on the Like button.
Gibson also wrote newspaper articles ranging in topics from Carpenter Bee Control to Crape Myrtle Pruning for the Polk Standard Journal, with many more to come.
4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
In 2025, there were 761 youth enrolled in Polk County 4-H monthly enrichment programs. Our 4-H staff conducted 28 meetings each month focusing on STEM, Healthy Living, Language Arts and Civic engagement. Polk County 4-H’ers gave 601 hours of service in the Polk County community. Polk County volunteers donated 1,071 hours.
Polk County had 37 4-H’ers compete in District Project Achievement, where youth present demonstrations to a group of their peers and judges. 4-H'ers in grades 7-12 also complete a portfolio, much like a resume. Participating in the competition helps students develop research, writing and presentation skills that also aid them in performing better on school related tasks and tests and becoming work-ready young adults. At the 6th grade competition at Rock Eagle, Polk County had 8 to compete with all 8 of them placing 1st. Polk County had 17 5th-6th graders compete at the Cloverleaf competition at Georgia Highlands College with 12 of them placing 1st-3rd in their projects. We had 12 7th-12th graders compete at the Jr/Sr competition with 10 of them placing in their projects. One 4-H’er, won her category and moved on to compete at State. She placed 2nd at the state competition.
Sixteen 4-H’ers increased their knowledge and developed critical thinking and oral presentation skills by participating on the Cotton Boll & Consumer Judging team and the Poultry Judging team. At our area Poultry Judging Contest, our Senior team placed 2nd with one member placing 5th overall. Sadly, the team did not get to compete at the state contest due to graduation obligations of some of the team members.
Polk County had 16 4-H'ers attend summer camps and 93 attended our summer programs.
Agriculture
During 2025 we received 153 soil samples, 19 water/pond samples, and 23 feed/forage samples and 1 animal waste sample for analysis. We would like to see those numbers increase because “Unless you test, it is just a guess” and who wants to guess on what you are feeding your animals, putting in your soil, or yourself for that matter. Results from a soil sample allow for one to adjust the soil pH and fertilizer (if needed) based upon a scientific analysis instead of just throwing out what you think is needed. When speaking of forage sampling, it is best to sample right after harvest, not later on down the road. By sampling sooner than later the producer can decide early on about what extra nutrition might be needed for their animals instead of waiting until winter to make that decision when supplemental nutrition could be more difficult to find. For more information on testing services offered through the Extension office please reach out to Gibson Priest.