Cooperative Extension serves all needs

Impressive numbers in 2010

• Cooperative Extension Contacts reported in 2010 — 12,787 through face-to-face contacts and 27,032 through non-face-to-face contacts;

• 184 trainings, educational programs or workshops totaling 567 hours, reaching 6,536 participants in Rowan County;

• 11 4-H Clubs in Rowan County reaching 175 youth;

• 15 special interest 4-H groups (six hours of contact) reaching 317 Rowan County youth;

• Total youth participating in 2010 4-H programs —2,136;

• 4-H programs had 264 youth and adult volunteers;

• School enrichment programs — 75 classrooms reaching 1,558 youth.

• Extension Master Gardener volunteers help expand the Cooperative Extension programming by contributing 5,363 volunteer hours to Cooperative Extension with a dollar value (based on $20.25/hour volunteer) of $108,608.85

• Cooperative Extension conducts food safety program for 158 Hispanic and other food handlers, producers and farmer’s market vendors.

• Sixteen youth participated in Rowan County 4-H dairy judging and livestock judging team, resulting in one national champion, eight state, two state runner-up, and three other teams placing third or fourth in North Carolina.

• Parents of 54 students reported their children have requested healthy foods as part of their diet from healthy eating program conducted by Master Gardener Volunteers;

• Eighty-seven Rowan County residents participated in radon testing sponsored by Cooperative Extension;

• 700 children in Rowan, Iredell and Catawba counties received training on healthy eating and physical activity with “Color Me Healthy” program;

• Extension Community Association (ECA Members) reported 5,078 volunteer hours or $102,819 dollars ($20.25/hour volunteer time) to Rowan County.

• ECA members recycled nearly 10,000 pounds of recyclables in 2010.

• Seventy-five percent of Salisbury Farmer’s Market vendors had 30 percent sales increase from increased exposure from Master Gardener news articles and Family and Consumer Science demonstrations.

• 54 radio programs on WSTP 1490 reaching approximately 6,000 listeners per show

• Rowan County residents double soil tests in 2010 from 2007 with 3,352 single samples and 454 participants.