Sullivan County Profile 2007 - 2008

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension provides practical education to people of all ages. The partnership of Sullivan County, the State of New Hampshire and the U.S. Department of Agriculture forms UNH Cooperative Extension. In every Sullivan County community, this program is at work, increasing economic development, enhancing the environment, supporting community needs and developing human potential. Sullivan County Extension educators provide non-formal educational programs in Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, and in Family, Community and Youth Development, with the assistance of a local advisory council. Sullivan County residents also benefit from a wide range of statewide Extension programs directed by state Extension Specialists. These efforts focus on monitoring water quality in Lake Sunapee, reducing the use of pesticides, and Community Profiles to name a few.

• Educational radio spots and newspaper articles throughout the year by Extension Educators - WNTK, Eagle Times, Valley News and other local newspapers; five newsletters to 1700 households in Sullivan County.
  
  
• Extension educators participated in numerous countywide events, forums, fairs and public exhibits including the Cornish Fair, County Government Week, Career Days and Health Days for area high schools and the County Commissioners' Pancake Breakfast in Unity.

Agricultural Natural Resources & Community Development Programs

• The Sullivan County UNH Cooperative Extension Agricultural Resources program area assisted commercial and non-commercial growers in all phases of agricultural production and management.  This included crop production methods, pest management, whole farm planning, financial analysis, nutrient management, conservation practices, and marketing. 

• Six major areas of agricultural programming were the focus of the past year: farm management and record keeping, whole farm planning/holistic management, estate transfer, fruit and vegetable production, forage production and quality, and pest and disease control.

• Sullivan County UNH Cooperative Extension also provided support to the agricultural community in the following areas: agricultural engineering, home gardening, nutrient management, pesticide re-certification credits, on-farm research, and strategic planning.

• Over 150 farm visits were made, and over 300 phone calls were responded to this past year.  Not only were the services of the Sullivan County Agricultural Resources educator made available to growers, but so, too, were the knowledge and services of 9 different agricultural specialists who work with UNH Cooperative Extension.

• The Sullivan County Master Gardener Program continued to provide educational programs on home gardening and landscaping using their active core of 20 Master Gardeners.  Additional support for homeowners was provided by the Family Home and Garden Center in Manchester.  This Center offers a toll free hot line and is staffed by volunteers from around the state.  Homeowners can call with their questions Monday through Friday.

• The Agricultural Resources educator also provided support to the Sullivan County Farm Bureau, the Cold Pond Community Land Trust, the Cornish Fair, and other county and community based organizations. 

• The educational programs and assistance listed above have resulted in increased farm profits, increased farm efficiency that resulted in hours of time and labor saved, reduced, and/or more judicious use of farm inputs, and increased support for the agricultural communityhere in Sullivan County. 

FOREST RESOURCES PROGRAM

• Forest Resource Educator, Sullivan County UNH Cooperative Extension, through woodlot visits advised 40 landowners, owning 7,776 acres of forestland, on management practices to enhance and sustain the timber, wildlife, water, recreation and biodiversity values of their forestland.

• Forest Resource Educator provided technical assistance and conducted needs assessment for 17 landowners from Sullivan County in support of their application to NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides cost-share dollars for practices that improve and protect forestland. 

• Forest Resource Educator coordinated and conducted 22 forest related workshops and presentations attended by 950 people.  Educational topics covered: land conservation, forest history, forest ecology, silviculture, forest roads and trails, long-term forest stewardship, forest health, GPS and GIS mapping, selling timber, tree identification, timber harvesting, and wildlife habitat management.

• Forest Resource Educator assisted over 20 forest-related enterprises, including private foresters, timber buyers and harvesters, sawmills, and Christmas tree growers.

• Forest Resource Educator served as the Sullivan County Chair of the NH Tree Farm program and coordinated the Tree Farm program in the county.  Ninety-two Tree Farmers manage over 45,000 acres in Sullivan County to benefit the long-term productivity of our forest for current and future generations.  Forest Resource Educator also worked closely with the Sullivan County Chapter of the NH Timberland Owners Association to promote long-term forest stewardship and the value of a viable forest-products industry in maintaining our rural quality of life.

          FAMILY & CONSUMER RESOURCES PROGRAM

• Approximately 460 parents learned about child development and effective parenting practices by attending parent education program series, workshops, and/or receiving Cradle Crier/Toddler Tales age-paced, monthly newsletters focused on early childhood development.

• Seventy-nine food handlers from school food service, hospitals, nursing homes, home catering, fast food restaurants, senior meal sites, assisted living and restaurants increased safe food handling practices to reduce food-borne hazards by attending Safety Awareness in the Food Environment and ServSafe Food Safety programs around Sullivan County.

• Increasing financial literacy, building present and future financial security, decreasing debt, increasing savings, and improving credit were the goals of our multi-session, money management class series, workshops, publications and newsletter articles offered to the general public, the Claremont Shelter, Sugar River Mills, Sullivan Academy, and Sullivan County House of Corrections audiences reaching over 160 residents this past year.

• The Sullivan County Strengthening Families Project was conducted by the Family & Consumer Resources and 4-H Youth Development Educators with a grant through the Governor’s Drug Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Treatment Fund.  Classes were held in Claremont and Charlestown reaching over 25 Sullivan County families. “Teen Talk” newsletters reached another 435 families of 7th graders in Newport, Claremont, Charlestown, and Plainfield with timely tips about important teen issues.  An interactive display was created to reach parents and other community members with key messages to promote the importance of connecting with their children, school and community to raise healthy youth at various school and community events.

NUTRITION CONNECTIONS PROGRAM

• Limited income residents from Claremont, Newport, Charlestown, Lempster, and Langdon participated in a series of food, nutrition and physical activity lessons. Nutrition Connections programming reached 62 families, either in a group series, the home study course or through individual visits. Together with the Family & Consumer Resources Educator, a series of money for food, shopping, and meal planning lessons was presented to residents of the Claremont Homeless Shelter, as well as a cooking demonstration using commodity foods.

• Using a series of nutrition and physical activity lessons, Nutrition Connections programming in 6 schools during the 2007-2008 school year reached 405 youth from Claremont, Newport, Acworth, and Charlestown.  Programming included monthly sessions at the Newport Head Start Centers.  Teachers and students provided information on healthy changes such as eating healthier snacks before soccer games, bringing more fruits and vegetables for school snacks, and trying more new foods in the school lunch. Ten youth participated in the Food Is Fun home study course, and 14 senior citizens participated in the NutriNews home study lessons.

• Families were referred by various agencies including Southwestern Community Services, WIC, Southwestern Homeless Services, Good Beginnings, and Welfare offices. Some food stamp recipients referred themselves to the program through information provided in the state-wide Smart Choices Newsletter and Nutri-News newsletter and flyers distributed to the schools and Head Start.

• Nutrition Connections was promoted throughout the county by the distribution of materials and brochures, school and agency contacts and visits, and newsletter articles.

4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

• With the help of 99 volunteer leaders, the 4-H Youth Development Program fostered life skill development in youth.  This year 292 youth took part in 24 community and 5 family clubs to build personal skills in communication, relationships, leadership and management through their participation in club and county project activities. Fifteen adults were screened and interviewed and became new 4-H volunteers this year.

• Twenty adult and teen leaders took part in regional leader training in Newport during November.   Sessions conducted included “Microwave Magic”, “4-H Flight Command”, GPS Treasure, Teaching Animal Science Projects, and a Club Organization Leader Update.  A county workshop day was held in February with 38 leaders and older 4-H youth attending. Workshops included “County 4-H Records”, “Six Easy Bites", “Fine Arts”, “Salsa Dance” and “How to Get 4-H News in the Eagle Times”.

• The Sullivan County 4-H Teen Club continued to meet monthly with teens participating from all area high schools.  Ten teens and 2 chaperones traveled to Wharton County, Texas in July and visited the capital in Austin, the Alamo in San Antonio and NASA in Houston.  Participants also learned about crops grown in the southern part of Texas: maize, rice, soybeans, and cotton.

• The 4-H Educator worked in collaboration with the director of the Newport Enrichment Team to apply for a grant from JC Penney to increase the number of students able to use the Newport Teen Center.  The Center received $9000 and $4500 worth of JC Penney gift cards for the students to purchase back to school clothing and supplies.

• The Strengthening Family Governor’s Commission grant included recruiting and training 29 teens and 6 adults to work as community facilitators to teach 4-H Health Rocks classes in area schools and after-school programs.  After attending 8 hours of training, teams taught 6 weeks of lessons to 285 students in grades 4th-8th at Claremont, Charlestown, Sunapee, Newport and Unity schools. Students learned to make healthy decisions about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.