Asotin

A major focus of activity was the marketing of the WSU Learning Center concept to state legislators and our new partner, Walla Walla Community College. Once the legislature had appropriated the money for the learning center, the marketing focus shifted to the promotion of the “two plus two” post-secondary education concept to the citizens of the four southeast Washington counties that will benefit the most from the availability of college degrees offered through this new facility.

The new WSU-WWCC Learning Center will open its doors in the spring of 2000. The Extension staff have been busy giving presentations about the offerings and benefits of the learning center to prospective students, chambers of commerce and other civic groups, secondary school district administration and other local agencies.

Benton

Food safety educators helped over 7000 individuals in Benton and Franklin counties adopt food handling practices that enabled them to prepare and process foods that were health promoting and free from risk of illness. These Extension-trained volunteers also provided point of purchase food handling information at the Pasco Farmers Market, enabling community members to get information in one stop.

The “Plants Grow Children” program reached 12,000 elementary school students in Benton and Franklin counties in 1999, teaching programs on plant growth, composting and pest management. Classroom presentations Included active learning events such as planting seeds, setting up a worm composting bin and constructing an insect magnet. Educational programs were given to 300 existing and potential grape growers eager to enter a rapidly expanding industry. Production guides have been developed and published as resource material for the industry.

An innovative program, Tri-Cities Farm Fair, reached 2000 fifth- grade students with information about agriculture. During this two-day event, students participated in a guided tour of educational booths with “hands-on” activities. They learned where food comes from and how area economy depends on farming and ranching.

Columbia

Helping agricultural producers practice good stewardship of their natural resources base to remain economically viable and be compliant with environmental regulations has been the major programming goal of the Columbia County Extension program. Refining producer generated ideas into workable and economically viable production systems within the changing regulatory environment has resulted in major reduction of soil erosion and improvement in water quality and fish and wildlife habitat. Recognizing that the individual land manager is the person most capable of analyzing the specific needs of each unique field, an informal grower network has been established to allow interchange of ideas and trial demonstrations of new approaches.

Franklin

During the past 10 years, carrot production in the Lower Columbia Basin has increased 29% and the value has increased to nearly $12 million. Local Cooperative Extension efforts have aided this growth and change through educational meetings and applied research projects. Trials and field days have helped identify new cultivars and brought national media coverage to the Washington carrot industry.

Cooperative Extension and the Franklin Community Public Health and Safety Network launched a mobilization project in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood of Pasco to determine residents’ concerns. As a result, three programs are being established through the leadership of neighborhood residents: 1) The Alderwood Parent Network was formed to oversee and support a neighborhood block watch; 2) a 4-H youth club; and 3) a 13-week series of Spanish parenting classes.

Garfield

WSU Cooperative Extension Garfield County Chair David Bragg, is working with colleagues at WSU on the development of “soft insecticides” for traditional and alternative dryland crops. These new insecticides allow producers to control insects safely and economically in traditional crops such as wheat. In addition, these products allow producers to grow alternative crops successfully using integrated pest management techniques to control insect pests because the soft insecticides do not impact beneficial species.

While maintaining this highly successful program for area farmers, the 4-H program continues to thrive. The 4-H enrollment in Garfield is usually at or near the top on a per capita basis each year when compared with other county 4-H programs.

Grant

Several dozen inmates at the Grant County Work Release facility in Ephrata took part in an unusual gardening program this year. They gardened with help from the WSU Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program. Their teacher was master gardener Pat Lamphere, a retired assistant police chief for Seattle. The inmates grew more than half a ton of vegetables with most of them providing a much welcomed supplement to the prisoners’ diet at the work release facility.

Grant County Sheriff Bill Wiester said the program helped lower the food bill for the county facility and helped meet state requirements for inmate meals.

“Inmates appreciated being busy and accomplishing something for the community. The produce saved a considerable amount of tax dollars for our community and county,” said Wiester.

Plans for next year call for 12 more 4 foot-by-50 foot garden beds with a goal of doubling this year’s production.

Kittitas

Kittitas County is experiencing growth from the residents of the urban westside of the state seeking a rural lifestyle. Extension continues to offer educational programs for commercial agriculture as it faces challenges from this influx of people as well as increased environmental concerns. New residents are purchasing 1 to 20 acres and enrolling their children in 4-H with an animal science project. In most cases this is the first time they have managed land or animals, and they need information. The Master Gardener diagnostic clinic’s clientele increase (211% for 1998 and 137% for 1999) is directly related to new residents. Over 55% of the citizens using the diagnostic clinic are small acreage landowners seeking help with plant/disease/ insects and plant/weed identification. Projects in the county’s strong traditional 4-H club program are 61% animal science, focusing on quality assurance including such topics as: product quality, proper treatment of animals, and knowledge of feeds and animal medications.

Klickitat

WSU Cooperative Extension-Klickitat County emphasizes using volunteers to extend the reach of its small but dedicated staff. Residents benefit from the efforts of Master Gardeners, Food Safety Advisors, and Master Fiber Artists. Plans call for Master Goat Farmer, Master Gardener, Food Safety Advisor, and Master Clothing and Textile Advisor classes to be held in the near future. The Learning Center has been bringing higher education opportunities to county residents for two years. Various grants have funded the purchase of a Portable Challenge kit, training of Challenge volunteers, and implementation of 4-H Family Challenge Nights in communities throughout the county.

Klickitat County Cooperative Extension also participates in a 21st century after-school grant with the Goldendale School District and partners in another grant-funded program that coordinates county volunteer services.

Walla Walla

WSU Walla Walla County Cooperative Extension continues to provide award winning educational programs and leadership. This year it played a major role in forming a land trust to preserve farmland from Whitman County to Walla Walla County, Washington, to Baker City, Oregon. Its efforts at economic development via eco-tourism led to the second annual local bird festival.

In the area of economic development via historical tourism, the extension office also played a major role in initiating an annual Lewis and Clark festival, a Lewis and Clark day camp, commissioned a nationally known artist to paint a picture of Lewis and Clark and created a diorama on Lewis and Clark worth about $10,000. 4-H efforts expanded to other communities this year and the 4-H faculty played the lead role in setting up a local 4-H endowment with a goal of $500,000.

Yakima

The highly successful Abuela Project led by Cooperative Extension received state and national recognition during 1999. This program is credited with essentially ending Yakima Valley outbreaks of Salmonella poisoning from queso fresco cheese. The Abuela Project team was honored by Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman at the USDA’s 53rd Annual Honor Awards program in Washington, DC. The team also received Governor Locke’s state award for “Service and Quality Improvement.” The Abuela Project education continued during 1999 with the “How to Make Cheese Safely” program being taught to 426 additional Hispanic cheese makers.

The “Partners for Promoting Strength” program in the town of Granger reached over 230 community members and involved 77 youth and adult volunteers contributing 1059 hours back to the community. This community involvement program resulted in significantly improved positive feelings among Granger residents about their city.

Whitman

Whitman County Cooperative Extension partnered with public agencies, private sector business and the Community Colleges of Spokane to establish Community Education and Training Centers (CETC) in Colflax and Pullman, Washington in December 1998. The CETCs used existing buildings to establish classrooms for distance education opportunities for all Whitman County residents. The centers, modeled after formal WSU Learning Centers, are unique in that they are funded through grassroots volunteer donations and public sector support and involve multiple “campuses.” The Community Colleges of Spokane provided a coordinator and teaching faculty for courses. Enrollment has doubled since the first class offerings during fall 1999. This is a first for Whitman County to have both a 4-year institution and a community college physically located in the county. Cooperative Extension is a major contributor to the management and expansion of the CETC program.