Catawba County News
Catawba County 101
Published: September 05, 2024
MAKING. LIVING. BETTER: Cooperative Extension
What is its mission/purpose?
NC State Extension extends research-based knowledge to all North Carolinians, helping them transform science into everyday solutions that improve their lives and grow our state. The vision of Extension is to be a trusted, go-to resource for connecting research and education to the communities, economies and families of our state.
How do you achieve your mission – what services are offered?
Each county has a Cooperative Extension office, which is an outreach of NCSU in partnership with county government. The staff offers educational programs and information in the areas of horticulture, youth programs (4-H), health and nutrition, agriculture/livestock and local foods.
Who does this department/service area/program serve?
Our programs and services are open to the general public, but some programs may target certain audiences. For example, 4-H youth programs are for ages 5-18. The livestock agent supports established farms or those who would like to get started in farming, but the general public can attend educational programs of interest to them.
How and where are services delivered?
The office is located at the Agricultural Resources Center in Newton and there is a large meeting room at this location that is often used for programs. The staff also spends a significant amount of time providing programs and services outside the office in various locations. The Juntos College Readiness program is offered in partnership with Catawba County Schools and the coordinator is primarily working in the schools during the school days. The 4-H staff also offers programs in schools around the county and lego robotics programs at library locations. The agricultural agents spend time outside and make farm visits to connect individually with agricultural producers.
How many staff members are involved in delivering services?
When fully staffed, Cooperative Extension has a staff of 8 individuals in the Catawba County office. The staff is also able to utilize specialists based at NCSU and in different counties that also support the work of our local Extension staff and can also provide programs and resources.
How does our community and/or organization benefit from these services?
Educational programs address current issues while utilizing the resources from NCSU and working collaboratively with partners. Some examples of recent programs include:
- Eat Drink Be Local - a week-long annual program series focused on local foods and agriculture, started in 2015. This year, over 600 people were involved in a variety educational programs and tours offered as part of the week. A highlight of the event is the Farm to Fork dinner with almost 400 attending this year. For the dinner, food was prepared by a team of professional chefs using food that was locally sourced from 15 different farms putting back over $6000 into the local agri-businesses.
- Juntos College Readiness - focuses on academic success and college readiness and primarily involving first-generation, Latino students. Juntos has a 100% graduation rate during the 7 years the program has been offered in Catawba County. In 2024, 77% of the graduating Juntos seniors had plans to enroll in post-secondary education and that group of seniors were awarded over $67,000 in outside college scholarships.
- Your Land, Your Legacy - a collaborative 3- part program offered in 2024 focused on Farm Land Preservation. The series involved a variety of county government and agriculture partners. The program series enabled families to learn more about practical ways to preserve and utilize agricultural property in Catawba County.
Please share anything unique or interesting about this program you would want people to know.
There is a Cooperative Extension office in each county in NC that offer the same core programs, but offerings do vary based on local needs and staffing. NC citizens can utilize programs offered by Cooperative Extension in any county of their choice, no matter where they live. Cooperative Extension is a national service offered through the land-grant University in each state.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Volunteers are an important part of the educational outreach of Cooperative Extension. Adult and teen volunteers provide leadership for 4-H clubs and many different educational youth programs offered with 4-H. Master Gardeners complete a 40 hour course and volunteer at least 40 hours each year. This volunteer group assist with garden and horticulture related projects throughout the county and volunteer at the Extension office answering homeowner questions 2 days a week. Most every program area utilizes volunteers in some capacity.