HOWELL COUNTY EXTENSION

2011 ANNUAL REPORT

Mission To improve Missourians'

lives by addressing their highest priorities through the application of

research-based knowledge and resources.

Howell County Extension 217 Aid Avenue

West Plains, MO 65775 Phone (417) 256-2391 FAX(417) 256-8569

Office Hours 8:00-12:00; 12:30-4:30 M - F

http://extension.missouri.edu/howell

2011 EXCEL Class - Twenty Years of EXCEL in Howell County

Sixteen individuals completed the 2011 Experience in Community Enterprise and Leadership Development (EXCEL) class, bringing the number who have participated in the course since its inception in 1991 to 235. The goal of the class is to develop a network of leaders with a broader understanding of the needs and issues of the county and to increase commitment to community service and leadership. The ten-session learning experience included a creative thinking retreat, a University of Missouri – Columbia campus and a Jefferson City legislative tour, study tours of West Plains, Willow Springs, and Mountain View. Other session topics were: Ozarks Culture, Economic Development and Regional Issues, Education Concerns, Challenges and Opportunities, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, and Agriculture Trends and Realities. The class content challenged EXCEL participants to: * Analyze current economic and social demographics of Howell County * Develop an understanding of cultural values and their impact * Enhance skills in facilitating group decision making * Examine action strategies for community development * Foster a better understanding of Howell County communities 2011 Class participants, first row: Chastity Foster, Shandi Brinkman, Heather Peugh, Ashley Grisham, Heather Chowning Second row: Jan Rickert, Darrell Hampsten, Chad Martin, Mallory Thompson, Courtney Judd Third row: Sammi Wallace, Logan Wallace, Bill Temple, Josh Kenyon, Todd Wilbanks, Lynn Bentele

Howell County Extension

2011 Howell County Extension Council

The county council is the link between University of Missouri Extension and the people of the state. Established and directed by Missouri state law, the council assists the staff in educational program development and implementation, personnel and fiscal management and membership. County councils are comprised of elected and appointed members who serve two-year terms. The 2011 Howell County council members are:

Elected

John Richards, Chairman

Barry Slayton, Vice Chairman

Ron Gould, Treasurer

Greg Brown

Josh Cotter

Julie Hart

DD Johnson

Jake Long

Doug Taber

Melinda Vance

Jo Wagner

C. Kyle Walker

Appointed

Emily Gibson, Secretary

City of West Plains

Billy Sexton,

Howell County Commission

Lee Jordan Howell County Farm Bureau

Staff Brenda Bell

County Program Director Human Development Specialist

Willis Mushrush Business Development Specialist

Amy Patillo 4-H Youth Development Specialist

Logan Wallace Livestock Specialist

Nena Kimball Nutrition Program Associate

Family Nutrition Program

Wanda Bowman Nutrition Program Associate

Family Nutrition Program

Pam Powell Secretary/Bookkeeper

Tammy Woodworth Secretary/Receptionist

Dear Citizens,

Thank you - your support has made it possible for University of Missouri Extension to provide educational programs for the citizens of Howell County. University of Missouri Extension provides research-based resources and programs to address high priority issues, and is a direct link to the four campuses of the University of Missouri System. In 2011, more than one million Missourians statewide turned to University of Missouri Extension for help in improving their farms, businesses, families and communities. For almost 100 years, the University of Missouri has provided cooperative extension services to Missouri residents. Missouri’s extension effort has its roots in federal acts (The Morrill Act of 1862, The Hatch Act of 1887 and the Smith-Lever Act of 1914) that enabled the university to create and sustain an Extension service. The success of University of Missouri Extension in Howell County depends upon the dedication and support of members of the County Extension Council. The council assists staff with planning and implementing programs by communicating the interests and concerns of local citizens. Programming efforts require the best efforts of our partnerships in the state to maximize and apply our resources where the greatest impact can be made. Highlights and outcomes of local program efforts in 2011 are included in this annual report. For more information about University of Missouri Extension, please visit our website at http://extension.missouri.edu/howell/, or contact the Howell County office at 217 S. Aid Avenue, West Plains, MO 65775; 417-256-2391.

John Richards Emily Gibson Brenda Bell

John Richards Emily Gibson Brenda Bell Chairman Secretary County Program Director Howell County Extension Council Howell County Extension

2011 County Appropriations Budget

Salaries/Wages/Benefits $53,425

Secretaries and Youth Education Assistant

Travel 7,000

Telephone Service 4,800

LAN Internet 600

Publications/Printing 1,325

Supplies/Services 2,950

Rent 6,900

Utilities 3,700

Insurance/Surety Bond 620

Contract Services 970

Equipment Lease 1,000

Council Election & Activities 350

Total 84,140

Funds from the University of Missouri and USDA are used to pay the salary and benefits of Extension specialists and most education assistants, training for Extension specialists, travel to state-sponsored training and committee meetings, regional and statewide administration, a portion of the cost of computer equipment, and maintenance costs, and postage for official business mail of Extension specialists.

County funds are used to provide the space for the Extension office, salaries and benefits for secretaries and some education assistants, travel within the region, long-distance phone calls and local phone service, office furniture and equipment, audio-visual equipment, office and program supplies and printing, a portion of computer costs, insurance for office equipment and furnishings, and cost of council maintenance such as elections, bonds, and audits.

Business Development

Agriculture and Natural Resources

The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program (SMS): SMS improves herd reproductive efficiencies and farm profitability through increased added value for Missouri-raised heifers. In 2011 a total of 1,129 heifers in Missouri were sold through the Show-Me-Select program grossing over $1.9 million in revenue and averaging over $1,700 per head. Seven producers from the region enrolled one hundred fifty-four heifers in the SMS program. Two farms from the South Central Region consigned 34 heifers in either the Spring or Fall Southwest sales with the heifers averaging $1,412/head. A growing number of producers have been utilizing the program to raise quality replacement females to retain on the farm to improve the productivity of their herd.

South Ozarks Premier Beef Marketing Program (SOPBM): SOPBM allows producers to cooperatively market beef calves in 50,000 lb semi-truck loads, and receive performance and carcass data which allows them to make management decisions about their cowherds. To date, fifty-two producers have back-grounded twenty-four groups and 10,895 head of cattle in the program. In 2011, producers enrolled a total of 321 head of steers and heifers for the spring and fall commingling groups. Producers involved in SOPBM learn advanced marketing and management techniques for their beef operations, and improve profits from their beef enterprise.

South Central Cattlemen’s Association: The association has been going strong the past year and has a membership of 71 producers from Howell, Oregon, Ozark, and Shannon counties. The group had eight meetings last year with topics about current agricultural markets, reproduction, artificial insemination, animal health, farm taxes, and husbandry practices. The purpose of the Association is to advance economic, educational, political and social interests of the Missouri Cattle Industry

Fence Law ITV: Missouri’s Fence and Boundary Law remains one of the more confusing state laws we have. Higher land

values and the influx of folks from the city have made fence and boundary concerns and conflicts an even hotter topic here in Missouri. The state fence law can be difficult to interpret and few if any attorneys and judges keep up on rural legal issues. The program at the Howell County Extension Center had 37 individuals in attendance and discussed Missouri’s fence and boundary laws during 2011. Joe Koenen, Agricultural Business Specialist, coordinates the sessions with support and assistance other faculty statewide.

Beef and Forage Seminar: This seminar focused on bringing researched based information to producers in the Ozarks to assist producers in beef and forage production. Attendance at the seminar located in West Plains included seventy-two individuals from four counties. Topics covered at the seminar included tips and strategies on forage management considerations during the spring breeding season, bull selection, and fertilizer strategies for pasture productivity.

Grazing School: Sixty-three farmers participated in workshops that were conducted through a partnership with USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The workshops focused on forage utilization and grazing management. Grazing school participants have shown an average stocking rates increase by nearly 20% after implementation of grazing systems and the length of the grazing system increases by 18%. The longer grazing season generated annual savings of approximately $900 per herd.

Brown Bagger Hay Program This program focused on assisted the farmer on how to produce high quality hay and how to interpret hay that was tested for nutrient value. Due to the increased price of supplements, producing quality hay and knowing the quality of hay being fed are important practices to follow. This program was presented in Howell, Texas, and Oregon counties.

Ag Energy Field Day Twenty-two farmers from three counties participated in the program that was focused on saving energy on the farm and farm home. The presentations were focused on practices that could be implemented to conserve energy and reduce costs. The Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team – A Revolutionary Opportunity Program (MAESTRO) was as covered and is a cost-sharing program to assist farmers in implanting the energy saving practices.

Private Pesticide Applicator Training: This program educates farmers about the safe and proper use of agricultural pesticides. In order to purchase and apply restricted-use pesticides, producers in Missouri must attend a training session or view a training video. Twenty-two Howell County residents obtained their license by attending the training session.

Soil Testing serves to assist landowners with understanding the nutrient needs of their soils and helps producers determine the best course of action for fertilizing pasture and crop ground. Soil testing enables producers to determine the best investment for profitability. 606 soil samples were evaluated for

Youth Biz, a youth-oriented entrepreneurial program, was developed in 2007 and continued into 2011.with funds provided by Extension’s Community Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Development (ExCEED) program. A partnership with MU Extension, Ozark Heritage Region, and Ozark Action, works with the Ozark Heritage Region economic developers of Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Shannon, Texas, and Wright counties. University of Missouri Extension received a grant from the Small Business Administration to continue working with entrepreneur programs in these counties. This program teaches entrepreneur skills to high school seniors through “hands-on” in-school projects as well as classroom training. West Plains and Willow Springs Schools have participated previously. Funds were awarded to continue this effort as well as expand the effort to adult entrepreneurs through training programs in all 7 counties.

In 2011, the EXCEED program assisted the Ozarks Small Business Incubator and its partners by sponsoring Operation Jumpstart. Additional programs are planned for 2012. As part of the Youth Biz program, the Extreme Entrepreneur Tour, which is a dynamic youth oriented

served 76 people and their companies with business start-up and management counseling, training, and other assistance. In addition, entrepreneurs and business owners in Howell County reported the following economic impact and activity as a result of the services provided

New jobs: 218; sales increases: $6,112,071; government contracts: $363,008; new businesses: 3; jobs retained: 18; loans and investments in business: $3,407,000; acquired assets: $61,119; clients/companies receiving business counseling: 76; business training attendees and conference participants: 26.

As entrepreneurs and innovators, Missouri’s small businesses are becoming a more diverse group that continues to make the state’s economy productive. There are approximately 500,000 small businesses in Missouri. Nearly 98 percent of all businesses with employees are categorized as small businesses. In assisting the owners and managers of those businesses, MU Extension contributes to a county’s economic development through growth in jobs, sales, innovation, technology development and commercialization.

national program sponsored by the United States Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled at the West Plains Civic Center on February 28, 2012. Schools in the 7 county area have been invited. The primary goal of these youth programs is to retain youth in our area after graduation from high school or college. For contribution to these efforts, and assistance with client needs, Willis Mushrush, Business Development Specialist, was presented the 2011 Missouri Chamber of Commerce Award .

A Business Start-up Kit outlining the steps involved in starting a new business was distributed to approximately 30 prospective business owners. Many prospective entrepreneurs have been referred to the Missouri Business Development Network’s website, www.missouribusiness.net.

Business Consulting: In Howell County, during 2011, business development program specialists and business counselors with MU Extension, Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Centers (MO SBTDC), Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (MO PTAC), Missouri Environmental Program, Missouri Career Options Project, and the Missouri Market Development program

2011 Youth Livestock Show

Missouri Century Farm Program

Established in l976 as part of the American Revolution Bicentennial to recognize the role of agriculture as the state’s number one industry. Recognizing continuing interest the “Missouri Century Farm” program celebrates families’ accomplishments in farming over the years. The program has continued each year with approximately 100 or more farms being recognized each year Century Farm Program Guidelines:

1. The same family must have owned the farm for 100 consecutive years or more.

2. The line of ownership from the original settler or buyer may be through children, grandchildren, siblings, and nephews or nieces, including through marriage or adoption.

3. The present farm shall consist of no less than 40 acres of the original land and shall make a financial contribution to the overall farm income.

Applications are available March 1 through May 15 from University of Missouri, Century Farms, Extension Pub., 2800 Maguire Blvd., Columbia, MO 65211 or from the University of Missouri Extension Center in Howell County.

Sponsorship: MU Extension, MU College of Agriculture, and

Farm Bureau jointly sponsor this program. Locally, the Howell County Extension Council

sponsors the cost of the application, and provides recognition and publicity of the

award.

For more information visit the Missouri Century Farms website:

http://extension.missouri.edu/centuryfarm

Howell County Century Farm Families

1976 Burk and Ilene Hopkins

Muriel and Beatrice Parker Mr. & Mrs. Charles Parker

1986 Walter Horak

James L. and Stella Murrell Muriel and Charles Parker

1989 Arnold Stubbs

1990 Don R. and Carolyn Proffitt

1994 Jack and Patricia Sloan

2000 George and Mary Jo Corman

2004 John C. and Goldie Eagleman

2008 Dunn-Eidson-Fugate

2009 Dixon

Britton-Corwin

2010 Larry and Carol Asberry

Johnson Farm Michael, Linn and David Johnson

2011 Isaac A. Cherry Homestead

MISSOURI CENTURY FARMS

State Fair Farm Family

The Missouri State Fair Farm Family Day provides the opportunity to honor and recognize one outstanding farm family form each county in

the state. Criteria for selection include being actively engaged in agricultural activities in

cooperation with University of Missouri Extension for technical assistance having children actively

involved in 4-H and/or FFA; and active within their community.

The Rob and Shelly Mantel Family was selected to represent Howell County as the 2011 recipient of this award that was presented at the Missouri

State Fair.

Congratulations to Rob, Shelly, Amanda, Jaclyn, Jessica and Robby for their contribution to family

farming and to Howell County.

Leaders Honor Roll

Each year an individual is selected in recognition of their

contribution of time and service to the county extension program. These individuals are listed on a permanent Honor Roll maintained by the county Extension office and the University of

Missouri.

2011 Recipient Tonya Jedlicka

As an agriculture instructor at the South Central Career Center, West Plains, Tonya has worked closely with MU Extension Youth and Livestock Specialists for many years. This partnership has enhanced the 4-H and FFA programs, and the Heart of the Ozarks Fair Youth Livestock Show

and Sale.

Brenda Bell, County Program

Director and Human Develop-

ment Specialist, was presented

the Citizen of the Year Award by

the West Plains Chamber of

Commerce. Recognition was

given for Brenda’s involvement

in community organizations and

projects such as the Born to Read

Program, Rotary, the West Plains

Chamber Board, the West Plains

Community Foundation, the

South Central Career Center Ad-

visory Board, and the MUNCH

Scholarship board.

Photo provide by the West Plains Daily Quill

Family and Youth Development

4-H Youth Growing and Learning: Howell County has 9 4-H clubs including 131 members and Clover kids with more than 40 project leaders and volunteers. Our volunteer base includes civic club/organizational and project leaders and community members. 4-H members and volunteers are engaged in large and small animal livestock, including meat and dairy goats, swine, beef and dairy cattle, poultry, rabbits and pocket pets (hamsters, gerbils). 4-Hers also enjoy projects with horses, sewing, foods, robotics and photography. Members attended many youth development activities: White Oak Camp, Achievement Day, Heart of the Ozarks fair, 4-H Club Officer/Leader training, Recognition Night, 4-H Horse Bowl Contest, Livestock Quality Assurance.

Three winter project days were offered for youth to get involved in Photography, Robotics, Poster Presentations and food projects, with 28 students participating.

Volunteer Training: 4-H Volunteers participated in a the state mandated volunteer training entitled Making

the Best Better, which is offered annually to all new and re-enrolling 4-H volunteers. Volunteers attend a number of training sessions to further develop their project and club leader skills as well as identify focus areas to further develop youth programming activities in the county. Volunteers work on club planning, project leader requirements and duties, principles of youth development, experiential learning activities and implementation of the 4-H curriculum.

4-H Achievement Day: Achievement day gives 4-H members an opportunity to display the 4-H projects they have worked hard on throughout the year to complete. The projects are judged and participating youth are recognized through ribbons. Conference judging includes youth discussing their project one-on-one with a judge and evaluated based on a system where exhibits are compared to a standard, rather than projects competing against one another. Exhibits receiving a blue ribbon are eligible to be exhibited in the 4-H division at the Heart of the Ozarks County fair.

Heart of the Ozarks Fair: 4-H member’s exhibits included foods, clothing, record books, poster presentations, arts, crafts, photography and horticulture. More than 100 youth participated in the livestock show and sale. Youth also participated in the third annual horse show, 4-H Fashion Revue, and exhibited in the dog show. 4-H and FFA youth also exhibited goats, lambs, steers and swine.

Missouri Show Me Quality Assurance: This program is designed to teach young livestock producers the importance of quality assurance, consumer acceptability and demand for meat products. Topics covered include food safety, proper animal handling, and good management practices for their livestock enterprise.

White Oak Camp: Sixty –three campers between the ages of 8 -13 from Howell and surrounding counties enjoyed a 3 day camping experience at Hammond Mill camp. The 2011 camp theme was “Adventures in the Great Outdoors”.

Youth/4-H

Better Child Care for Missouri: Two hundred child care providers and Head Start staff from six counties attended 34 hours of workshop training to meet state licensing requirements. Topics presented included: School Readiness, Reactive Dissociative Disorder, Family Engagement, Advocating for Children with Special Needs, Stress Management, Meaningful Play, Emergency Preparedness. Head Start staff participants receive Continuing Education Credit through MU for the workshops. Additional workshops were offered to home and center providers.

An Ounce of Prevention is a curriculum resource to educate adolescents and young adults about preconception health concerns. The first edition was funded by March of Dimes in 1998. Since then, the curriculum was evaluated and updated in 2005 (2nd edition), with more than 900 copies distributed to schools and health educators. In 2010-11, additional grant funding sponsored a total revision of the curriculum resource. The third edition includes an update of the scientific content, addition of two new chapters and development of on-line learning activities and internet-based training. Regional trainings and presentations were made to approximately 225 teachers, health educators and professionals :

Five trainings for teachers ( 6-hr sessions)

Two pre-conference sessions for teachers and

health professionals at state conferences

One hour concurrent sessions presented at two

national conferences

Eighty educators are planning to submit

evaluation feedback by April 30, 2012

A group of high school students at the Health

Occupations class of South Central Career Center, West Plains, MO, are currently reviewing the learning activities and resources for the newest chapters

The Basics of Home Canning was presented in presentations and as a demonstration workshop series of five sessions with participants from multiple

counties. This series was co-sponsored by Ozark Action. Pressure canner gauges were checked for accuracy, with canning information also provided. Interest in home food preservation continues to grow, with the demographic equally represented by younger families as well as the middle aged “retired” generation. The Howell County office checked 20 gauges in 2011.

Community Coalition Projects: the Community Baby Shower provided 100 layettes for newborns of needy families. The layettes are distributed through local human service agencies such as the Howell County Health Department, Family Services, Birthright, and Samaritan Outreach.

The Born To Read program presents a book to all newborns at Ozarks Medical Center. Now in the fifteenth year, this project serves 700 new babies each year.

Participation in the Non-Profit Alliance sponsored by the West Plains Chamber of Commerce, and the West Plains Rotary Club offer opportunities for networking and marketing extension.

The Heart of the Ozarks Health Fair was held at the West Plains Civic Center with 50 vendors and 300 participants from a multi-county area attending.

West Plains Rotary Literacy Projects in 2011 presented “first readers” to all the kindergarten students in the West Plains, and surrounding rural schools, and also provided books for distribution to children receiving immunizations at the Howell County Health Department. These projects were coordinated by Brenda Bell.

The Family Nutrition Education Program (FNEP) University of Missouri Extension (UME) Family Nutrition Education Programs (FNEP) reached 5,258 low-income participants with nutrition education in Howell County during 2011. FNEP provides information on nutrition, food safety, and physical

activity for lifelong health and fitness. Nutrition education for youths provides information in kid-friendly terms and lessons with hands-on activities. Activities include opportunities for taste-testing healthy foods and practicing skills that lead to good health. Education for adults includes nutrition, food safety, physical activity, and food resource management. Back-to-school and other Health Fairs, and the Pyramid of Power presentation were also featured this year.

During 2011, both youth and adults were served through schools, community groups and agencies. The following is a list of the locations where participants were served:

Schools: Fairview, Glenwood, Junction Hill, Richards, Howell Valley, South Fork, Willow Springs, and West Plains Elementary, Middle and High Schools.

Agencies: Howell County Health Department/WIC, West Plains Food Bank, 4-H and DOW Camp, Ozark Action, First Baptist Food Bank, Christos House, Everyday Blessings Food Bank, Behavior Healthcare at WP HS, Howell County Housing Authority, Samaritan Outreach Food Bank, The Learning Tree Daycare, Victory Family Worship Food Bank, Family Counseling Center, and the West Plains and Willow Springs Public Libraries.

4-H Pledge I pledge my Head to clear thinking,

My Heart to greater loyalty,

My Hands to larger service,

And my Health to better living,

For my club, my community, my

country and my world.

The 4-H Motto::

To make the best better.

University of Missouri Extension in Howell County

Equal opportunity is and shall be provided to all participants in Extension programs and activities, and for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran. This policy shall not be interpreted in such a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or military organizations associated with the armed forces of the United States of America

State Fair Farm Family

The Rob & Shelly Mantel Family Howell County

2011 State Fair Farm Family

This award recognizes an outstanding farm family from each county in the state, and is a joint program of University of

Missouri Extension, Missouri Farm Bureau, and the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Criteria for selection includes

being actively engaged in agricultural activities, utilizing the University of Missouri Extension as an educational resource, being active in the community and having children actively

involved in 4-H, FFA or other youth organizations. 2011 Youth Livestock Show

2011 Youth Livestock Show

2011 Bucket Calf Show 2011 Winter Fun Days Photography class