OSU Extension Fayette County works closely with our County Commissioners and we thank them for their support. We are the world's largest nonformal educational system. Our practical educational programs combine the needs of local citizens and communities, with new research and technical information. 

Are programs areas: Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H Youth Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, Horticulture and Master Gardeners , we are here to meet the changing needs and issues facing our community. 

Overall, Extension's mission is to help improve and strengthen the lives of Ohioans and we want to start right here in Fayette County. We have answers for communities and individuals.  Our clients are YOU. Please let us know if we can help.

Pat Brinkman

Nadine Fogt

Kim Hoppes

Alyssa Kitchen

Here are our Ohio State University Extension Fayette County 2010 Yearly Highlights:

Strengthening Families and Communities

Influencing over 300 adults, children and youth through classes to eat healthier resulted in:

• Evaluation forms from Dining With Diabetes (three two-hour classes) reported 100% had increased their knowledge of diabetes, 33% reported they had lost some weight, and 24% improved their blood sugar level.  Results from a one time program showed 96% learned the importance of portion control, 87% the plate method, and 91% new cooking techniques.   

• After attending “Eating Healthier” sessions 86% of the 66 participants planned to make some or many changes and 95% reported that they learned something new.  Over 68% wrote down a change they plan to make, such as eat more fiber, eat smaller servings, and read labels.     

• Twenty 4-H youth helped Head Start students learn about healthy eating and being physically active.  In the monthly programs, Head Start students learned about nutrition and tried fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods. Results from surveys completed by parents showed a 58% increase in eating whole grains, children consuming more dairy products and 55% increase in breakfast eating.  4-H youth reported eating more whole grains, 100% eating breakfast, 75% eating 3 cups of dairy products daily and drinking less soda.    

The Family Nutrition Program (FNP) of Fayette County had almost 875 direct contacts, with 157 programs being taught in the areas of Nutrition, Food Safety, and Thrifty Food Shopping to welfare and welfare-eligible adults.  83% reported they learned new information and 75% planned to make at least one change. 

100% of the Parents completing surveys following a series of parenting classes reporting using better discipline techniques and encouraging their children more.   

32 Master Gardeners volunteered over 1155 hours of community service, providing Fayette County with $23,388 in volunteer work.  If five people are assisted for every one hour of volunteer time, then 5,775 people were assisted. 

Community pride and property values have been increased by care and plantings along with Sponsor a Flower Pot. Projects such as planting and maintaining the Washington Courthouse flowers, and Fayette County Museum flowers let us add splendor.  In addition to beautifying the Downtown area with the Sponsor a Flower Pot program Master Gardeners were able to donate over $300 to the local Red Cross. 

Preparing Youth for Success

In Fayette County 1073 youth (age 5-19) participated in 4-H club project work and/or school 4-H programs through the assistance of 158 4-H adult volunteers.  The Junior Fair Board of 38 volunteer teens was responsible for planning the Junior Fair activities for over 1200 Fayette County Junior fair members from 4-H, FFA, FCLA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Campfire. Junior Fair Board members learned life skills such as leadership skills, team building, program planning, decision making, conflict management, money management, ethics, and communication skills.

A four-day overnight 4-H camp and a two-day Cloverbud Camp held at Camp Clifton was enjoyed by 163 Fayette County campers (a 20% increase over 2009).  Over a five-month period, 38 teens were responsible for planning and coordinating the camps.  Program planning, conflict management, decision making, communication skills, leadership skills, and team building were taught to camp counselors through an on-site camp counselor overnight training and monthly meetings.  85% of the Fayette County camp counselors participated in the Sauder Grant work force preparation by evaluating their skills before camp and following camp.  Throughout their training and the reflection, counselors were taught what skills they could use in future employment, college, and what types of summer jobs they could apply for in the future due to their counselor experiences.

180 eighth graders from a local school participated in Real Money, Real World and learned about personal finance. Participants were assigned occupations and received a monthly “salary.” Through a simulation, the students spend their “salaries” on items found in a typical monthly budget. Throughout the activity, students tracked their finances by recording them in their checkbook. Comments at the booths included, “I am going to wait to have kids,” “I had to work two jobs and still did not have enough money,” and “I learned that I need a better job.”

4-H school enrichment kits were created and utilized by 4 classrooms.  “Go Chicks” made a glorious debut with kids learning about embryology, science, and life.

Fayette County 4-H Junior Leaders continue to grow with 68 teens joining in 2010.  Teens conducted on-going community service projects including food drives for the food pantry. The teens assisted with promoting 4-H at the 4-H Open House. Team building experiences and independent living skills were learned on an overnight snow ski trip.

Several teens were actively involved in leadership and educational activities by being co-presenters at conferences.  Teens learned organizational skills and improved their public speaking skills. One teen currently serves on the Ohio 4-H Foundation Board. Another teen was selected to serve as an Ohio 4-H Ambassador and an Ohio 4-H Teen Council member. She was also the winner of the State Achievement Award in Citizenship and Community Service.

Enhancing Agriculture and the Environment

Businesses all produce a product or service and in turn market it to their customer base.  Agriculture is a $1.8 billion business for Ohio and accounts for over $54 million in income for Fayette County Agribusinesses.  The Agriculture and Natural Resources program in Fayette County targeted research to maximize production of cash crops and established marketing and farm business programs to assist producers in managing risk.

Through cooperation of Ohio State University Extension and the Fayette County Commissioners, the Fayette County Demonstration Farm continued to provide a valuable resource to producers.  Nine Applied Research Projects were conducted at the Fayette County Demonstration Farm, at the OARDC branch at South Charleston, and with the aid of local farmer-cooperators.  The projects focused on the effects of corn seed size and early season plant performance, an evaluation of two levels of phosphorus and potassium fertilization in corn and soybeans under different tillage and crop rotation management, soybean seed treatments and plant emergence, maximum soybean inputs for maximum yield, evaluation of crop rotations where soybeans appear more frequently, efficacy of variable rate soybean seeding, management techniques for corn residue, and two projects analyzing the use of soybeans as a cover crop prior to corn.

The Small Farm College was hosted in Fayette County with 35 area farms attending the 9 week course.  The program is designed to help small landowners focus management goals for their property.  Participants learned about informational resources, production opportunities, and challenges for operating a small farming operation.

Master Gardener Volunteers collected data for the state’s research at our Phenology garden providing information that can be used to reduce the use of chemicals in our environment.

Over 600 horticulture questions were answered on pest and plant diagnosis and management Over 180 people attend horticultural seminars and field trips.  

Advancing Employment and Income Opportunities

Eleven food service workers completed 16-hours training in ServSafe (Food Safety) and eight passed a certification test improving opportunities for advancement in employment.  Six food service workers completed five hour food safety training and passed a test allowing them to be shift managers. 

Our horticulture programs teach homeowners and industry professionals to irrigate wisely, save water and adopt environmentally friendly landscape techniques.