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
The 2025 growing season was a highly productive and impactful year defined by strong Extension programming, extensive stakeholder engagement, and applied agricultural research. Together, the Agriculture & Natural Resource (ANR) agents' efforts resulted in more than 50 formal programs and educational sessions, reaching well over 8,000 clientele across production agriculture and youth development audiences. Their work was further strengthened by a significant technical assistance footprint, including more than 2,600 combined farm visits and thousands of office and phone consultations. This consistent presence in the field allowed both agents to respond rapidly to emerging production challenges while maintaining strong relationships with producers and industry stakeholders.
Programmatically, Ty Torrance demonstrated deep expertise in commercial vegetable systems, delivering 14 educational sessions and 472 direct contacts, and leading 7 on-farm research trials focused on pest resistance, disease management, and sustainable production practices. A central component of his work was the evaluation of cover crops in the row middles of plasticulture systems, a practice aimed at reducing erosion, minimizing herbicide reliance, and improving overall system sustainability. His trials examined multiple cover crop treatments, including rolled, standing, and traditional burndown systems, and assessed their impacts on soil moisture, crop growth, weed suppression, and insect pressure. Findings indicated that while yield and moisture differences were limited in most cases, cover crop systems significantly reduced whitefly populations in cucumber production and provided observable benefits in reducing erosion and wind damage to young transplants. This work represents an important step toward more sustainable vegetable production systems in Georgia and has informed both grower decision-making and future research directions. In addition, his scholarship contributions, including Extension publications and peer-reviewed journal articles with a combined circulation exceeding 23,000, further strengthened the research-based foundation of his programming.
At the same time, Justin Hand delivered integrated programming across row crops, livestock, and youth education, reaching nearly 5,000 individuals through 51 programs and events. His efforts supported commodity production meetings while also advancing 4-H livestock programming, workforce development, and community-based agricultural education. In addressing critical production challenges, he worked closely with producers to manage late-season cotton jassid infestations by providing timely scouting recommendations and management strategies that helped minimize potential yield losses. He also initiated a collaborative research trial with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate runoff mitigation strategies using native plant systems, contributing to improved environmental stewardship alongside production efficiency. Combined with his leadership role as County Extension Coordinator, where he supervised staff, secured over $40,000 in program support, and strengthened partnerships across the county, his work highlights a comprehensive Extension approach that integrates research, education, and stakeholder engagement to address both immediate agricultural challenges and long-term sustainability.
Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS)
The Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) agent, Georgeanne Cook, demonstrated substantial impact over the reporting period through a comprehensive portfolio of health, nutrition, food safety, financial management, and behavioral health programming. The report indicates that FACS delivered 74 instructional sessions, reached 741 participants, and generated 1,096 educational contact hours, reflecting both the depth and intensity of engagement. Signature efforts included ServSafe certification training, diabetes prevention programming (Prevent T2), and food safety education across school nutrition systems, which collectively strengthened workforce readiness and public health outcomes. In addition, the agent delivered extensive programming through the Mind Matters curriculum, addressing trauma, emotional regulation, and resilience among diverse audiences, including foster care systems and kinship caregivers. These sessions demonstrated strong participant response, with evaluations indicating increased awareness of emotional health, coping strategies, and behavioral self-regulation. Complementing this work, the program also addressed rural mental health through initiatives such as community training, emergency preparedness education, and participation in events like the Farm Stress Summit, reinforcing Extension’s role in addressing mental health challenges in agricultural and rural communities. Evaluation data across programs reflect meaningful behavior changes among participants, including improved dietary habits, increased physical activity, and enhanced mental health awareness.
In addition to direct instruction, the FACS program demonstrated strong outreach and community engagement, reaching 6,690 individuals through 129 programs, events, and exhibits. High-visibility efforts such as the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo exhibit, farmers market initiatives promoting hydration and nutrition, and large-scale community wellness events, including the Tift County Community Egg Drop and Wellness Hop, illustrate the program’s ability to extend beyond traditional educational settings. The program also provided critical financial literacy and support services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, assisting individuals and families with tax preparation and improving financial stability within the community. Youth-focused programming, including MyPlate nutrition education and oral health instruction, led to strong knowledge gains and high participant engagement. Collectively, the FACS program’s integration of direct education, behavioral health initiatives, financial assistance, and community partnerships underscores its critical role in advancing health literacy, economic well-being, food safety practices, and overall quality of life within the community.
4-H Youth Development
The Tift County 4-H Agent, Katrina Searcy, demonstrated strong programmatic impact through extensive educational outreach, delivering 81 educational sessions that reached 3,788 youth contacts and generated 2,970 educational contact hours (ECH). Programming emphasized core 4-H delivery through in-school club meetings, with particularly high engagement among 5th-grade students, with 27 sessions alone reaching 520 youth on topics such as agricultural literacy, environmental science, and leadership development. Additional program areas, including STEM-based lessons, consumer judging preparation, and healthy living education, expanded the breadth of youth exposure while reinforcing critical life skills such as decision-making, communication, and problem-solving. These structured, standards-aligned lessons ensured that youth not only participated but demonstrated measurable gains in knowledge and applied skills across agriculture, science, and personal development.
Beyond classroom instruction, the agent significantly enhanced youth development through competitive teams, camps, and community-based programming, contributing to 4,798 contacts across 89 outreach programs and events. Youth achieved notable success in District Project Achievement and state-level competitions, earning multiple 1st-place finishes across subject areas such as Wildlife, Entomology, Forestry, and Food Science, as well as strong showings at the Georgia National Fair and other regional events. Leadership development was further strengthened through participation in camps, state council, and specialty programs such as Shooting Sports, in which teams placed competitively at the state level. Additionally, the program leveraged 1,543 volunteer hours and over $26,900 in donated funds, demonstrating strong community support and program sustainability. Collectively, these efforts highlight a well-rounded 4-H program that not only reaches a large number of youths but also produces meaningful outcomes in leadership, citizenship, and workforce readiness