Muskingum County Program Highlights
	225 Underwood Street Zanesville, OH 43701-3789 Phone: 740-454-0144 Fax: 740-454-0154 Office Hours: Monday- Friday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Agriculture 4-H Youth Development Family & Consumer Sciences Community Development Horticulture	2005 Program Highlights Agriculture & Natural Resources High Water Dillon Lake reached historically high levels in January of 2005. The back waters of the lake flooded thousands of acres of land in the county. These landowners received assistance from OSU Extension on soil testing, hay and pasture survival, referrals to government agencies and damage assessments to timber stands. The impact of the flooding to farmers was shared with local and statewide media. Green Thumbs at Farmer’s Market Muskingum County Master Gardeners is an organization of trained OSU Extension volunteers who share their knowledge of horticulture with the community. One of their projects in 2005 was an informational booth at the weekly Zanesville Farmers Market. Twenty-four different Master Gardeners answered gardening questions and distributed 1,200 fact sheets during the market season. At a typical market, 15-20 horticultural questions were answered for market customers. Fences and Neighbors Good fences make good neighbors. Understanding Ohio law about line fences is difficult. OSU Extension and Farm Bureau sponsored a county program that discussed the provisions of Ohio fence laws. Over 90 residents participated with half being township trustees. Ohio law assigns certain responsibilities to trustees in resolving fence disputes between neighbors. The most requested OSU Extension fact sheet in Muskingum County in 2005 was “Ohio Line Fence Law” with 300 copies being distributed. Rust Never Sleeps Nearly 11,000 acres of soybeans are grown in Muskingum County. A devastating disease called soybean rust was expected to show up in Ohio soybean fields for the first time in 2005. Training from OSU Extension on how to identify and control soybean rust was provided for 110 Muskingum County farmers. During the summer, OSU Extension provided regular updates on the progress of the rust disease in the country. Fortunately, the disease was a no-show in Ohio. However, another pest, the soybean aphid, caused damage in some area fields. Five farmers were individually assisted in determining the bug’s potential damage to their soybeans and if it was necessary to treat for the pest. Hundreds of acres of soybeans that were originally going to be sprayed did not require the treatment, resulting in cost saving for the farmers and less pesticide in the environment. Agriculture – It’s What’s for Breakfast OSU Extension organized monthly breakfasts in 2005 for area farmers, ag agency personnel, elected officials and other interested individuals. Monthly participation averages about thirty-five. Participants shared agricultural experiences and activities while a speaker provided an update on a topic of local interest. Topics included hunting leases, recycling, legislative update by state representative, county health department update, animal identification system, soybean rust, economic development, bee inspection, forestry management and family communications. Back to top Family & Consumer Sciences Parents in Conflict Parents who divorce and continue to have conflicts put their children at higher risk for behavioral, academic and emotional problems. Three programs were offered to Muskingum County families that had experienced separation or divorce. The goal of these parent programs was to develop skills to reduce conflicts and improve communication. The youth program addressed how to stay out of the middle of parental conflict and to improve ability to express emotions. Eighty-six adults and twelve youth participated in the programs. Eighty-eight percent reported they plan to adopt one of the recommended practices to improve either their relationship with their co-parent or to improve parent-child relationships. Nutrition – What’s New for 2005? In 2003 the rate of obesity on Ohio was recorded as 47.1 per 100 adults by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Health Accounts data recently estimated the annual cost associated with overweight and obesity at $78.5 billion. Information on the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the new food guidance system, My Pyramid, both released in 2005, was shared through local media, newsletters and programs reaching 138 adults and youth. The goal was to improve food choices and health and reduce the rate of obesity, eighty percent of the program participants reported that they plan to make changes based upon the two new resources. Homemakers Making a Difference in Their Community Sixteen members of the Muskingum County Homemakers and Community Education Council developed leadership skills. They attended train the trainer programs and taught lessons on downsizing your family home, life planning, and what’s new in nutrition in their 5 clubs to 91 members. They planned a member’s recognition and awards day and completed a variety of community service projects within their clubs throughout the county. Back to top 4-H Youth Development 4-H Overnight Camp Hiking, canoeing, scuba diving and outdoor cooking were only a sample of the offerings at Muskingum County 4-H Camp. One-hundred eleven campers, ages 8-13 were led by 27 4-H teen counselors through their 5 day, 4 night adventure at 4-H Camp Ohio. Campers gained skills in the areas of leadership, independent living and nature appreciation. Highlights included a pioneer living re-enactment and building and launching rockets. Get Real Twenty-five 4-H teens participated in the real life simulation activity “Reality Store”. The program gave teens a taste of reality where life and budgetary choices had to be made. The purpose was to demonstrate how career choices, family size, material possessions and standards of living are inter-connected. Evaluations after the program showed the participants’ experience in the program will help the with ‘real world’ decisions. A Horse is a Horse?? This new program instructed 17 youth, ages 10-15, in a series of five workshops to develop skills in horse judging. Participants learned how to evaluate horses based on conformation and performance. Participants gained public speaking skills through verbal defense of their placings. Ten youth competed in State 4-H Horse Judging Contest at the Ohio State Fair. Eight youth received top 20 awards out of 190 total contestants. Youth Earn National Recognition Three Muskingum County 4-H teens earned an invitation to National 4-H Congress, the most prestigious 4-H event in the United States. Held in Atlanta, Georgia, this conference celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding youth while providing training in leadership. These youth were selected based on their 4-H accomplishments as reflected in the completion of the 4-H Achievement Record. Multi-year training sessions conducted by the 4-H Extension Educator assisted the teens in successfully competing in this selection process. CARTEENS In 2005, 300 teens and 289 parents participated in 4-H CARTEENS, a 2 hour traffic safety educational program for 1^st time teen traffic offenders. OSU Extension, teen volunteers, State Highway Patrol and a car crash victim provided instruction during the 13 sessions. The 4-H CARTEENS program generated user fees that covered program costs and provided college scholarship for teen volunteers. Overall effectiveness of the CARTEENS program was rated good or excellent by 92% of participants. Your Vote Counts Citizenship includes staying informed and voting, obeying laws and rules, and honoring and respecting the principles of democracy. Those were some of the goals of the OSU Extension County Government Day. Over 150 youth from three schools participated in the program, under the leadership of 9 4-H teens. This program served as a hands-on method for teaching citizenship principles. Back to top Community Development Coping with Job Loss With the rate of unemployment staying between 7% and 10% in 2005 in Muskingum County, the need to address coping with stress and financial problems following job loss was identified by Muskingum County Department of Job and Family Services Workforce Division. A two hour program was offered four times to address the issues. Thirty-five individuals participated in the program and noted the information was useful to assist them in managing a difficult situation. Back to top If you have questions or would like more information on these or any of our educational programs, please contact the Extension office. All educational programs and activities conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to all potential clientele on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era status. OSU Extension will provide accommodations to handicapped persons needing assistance to participate in Extension programs.  If you require some type of assistance/accommodations to attend programs, utilize written materials, or visit the Muskingum County Extension Office, please contact the Muskingum County Office at 740-454-0144.  The Ohio State University, The United States Dept. of Agriculture and Commissioners Cooperating.  Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868 Updated: March 2006