WSU Thurston County Extension
Summary of Activities
5033 Harrison Ave. NW
Olympia, WA 98502
360-867-2151
thurston.wsu.edu
2016
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WSU Thurston County Extension LeadershipStephen Bramwell, County Director & Agriculture [email protected] – (360) 867-2161
Dianna Ullery, 4-H Program [email protected] – (360) 867-2153
Erica Guttman, Water Resources & Native Plant Salvage Senior Extension [email protected] – (360) 867-2164
Tara Witten, SNAP-Ed [email protected] – (360) 867-2160
Cori Carlton, Master Gardener/Master Recycler Composter program [email protected] – (360) 867-2162
Deborah Bordelon, Office [email protected] – (360) 867-2177
Thurston County Staff
Winter 2016-17
Vicky McCarley, 4-H Program [email protected] – (360) 867-2171
Melissa Davis, SNAP-Ed Nutrition [email protected] – (360) 867-2172
Erika Whitney, Native Plant Salvage AmeriCorps [email protected], (360) 867-2167
Giovanni de Rosa, 4-H AmeriCorps [email protected] – (360) 867-2154
WSU Extension Program Assistants
Our efforts would not be possible without our program staff and numerous volunteers
Miles Nowlin, Research [email protected] – (360) 867-2177
Lydia Beth Leimbach, Extension [email protected] – (360) 867-2177
Temporary employees
Twelve county-based educators positively impact thousands of county residents each year by providing
unbiased, research-based information and delivering educational programs that give people the knowledge
to improve their health and livelihoods. Leveraging County support, WSU Extension brings in resources from
grants, contracts, fees, fund-raising, and the University to develop and deliver locally-relevant programs in 4-
H Youth Development, Agriculture, Food Safety & Nutrition, Master Gardener & Master Recycler Composter, and
Water Resources & Native Plant Salvage Project.
In 2016, WSU Thurston County Extension received $150,425 in direct funding from WSU, and leveraged
an additional $420,552 in programmatic, technical and organizational support from the University. Thurston
County provided $125,237 through the WSU-County MOA, and $546,267 in programmatic, technical, staff
and organizational support.
Thurston County Extension volunteers gave
approximately 33,118 hours of service†, which is
equivalent to 12 full-time employees. At an
estimated value of volunteer time of $27.98 per
hour*, that service is valued at $926,642.
† Not all volunteer hours have been reported to the WSU Volunteer
Database.
* Source: Independent Sector, www.independentsector.org
3February 15th, 2017. Prepared by Stephen Bramwell, Director and Agriculture Extension Faculty (360-867-2161, [email protected]).
5033 Harrison Ave. NW
Olympia, WA 98502
360-867-2151
thurston.wsu.edu
County investment
Leverage
Volunteer Support
Extension Programs: Organizational Collaboration, Community Buy-In
Thurston County Extension Funding Lines
*not including indirect support from WSU
or non-MOA funds from Thurston County
Trained, enthusiastic
volunteers are the backbone
of most WSU Extension
programs. In 2016, WSU
**Budgeted County funds include space use, IT, phones, waste
reduction program staff, front office staff, M&O, reserves, and other.
Thurston County 4-H Council raises funds to enhance and
expand 4-H Youth Development programs in Thurston
County. The Council and Program Committees add value to
the WSU Thurston County Extension program by providing
grants for innovative programs, and subsidizing
registrations fees for camps, leadership conferences,
volunteer leader training programs, and exchanges.
The Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County, founded
in 2005, encourages sustainable gardening and
environmental stewardship practices through financial
support for the WSU Thurston County Extension Master
Gardener and Master Recycler Composter programs.
Major events sponsored by the Foundation include an
annual Plant Sale on the third Saturday in May, a Bingo
Night hosted by a local gardening personality (prizes are
garden themed), and periodic meetings with educational
lectures which are open to the public.
The Native Plant Salvage Foundation, founded in 2000,
promotes the use, preservation, knowledge, and
appreciation of native plants in the landscape through
financial support for the WSU Thurston County Native Plant
Salvage Project. The primary program areas of the project
include: Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI)/Low-Impact
Development (LID), Shoreline Stewardship Education,
Schools Programs, Sustainable Landscaping/Naturescaping,
Plant Salvages, and Plant Identification.
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Friends of Thurston County Extension
nativeplantsalvage.org
mgftc.org
Three foundations support the following WSU Extension programs in Thurston County: 4-H Youth
Development program, Master Gardener and Master Recycler Composter program, and the Native
Plant Salvage Project. Support is garnered through fundraising activities, accepting donations,
membership fees, and other approaches.
extension.wsu.edu/4h/foundation
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4-H Youth DevelopmentProgram coordinator: Dianna Ullery
2016 NUMBERSParticipation
• 450 youth members enrolled (up from
350) ~ 20% increase over previous year
• 17 Adult Volunteer Workshops (6 more
than previous yr); 30 new volunteers
• 267 adult volunteers gave over 16,000
hours resulting in a financial “contribution”
to the community equivalent to $447,680
• 100 additional volunteers helped at Fair
GRANTS AND AWARDS
• Received $4,500 NRA Foundation Grant
for new 4-H shooting sports program
• Food Smart Families grant reached 150
youth and 10 teens
• AmeriCorps award through Washington
Service Corps provided half ($3,200) of
the funding for member stipend. Thurston
County 4-H Council provided matching
funds
• Chevron Texaco Community Pride Grant
($1,500) used to develop spring/summer
break STEM and Healthy Living program
• Awarded Youth Voice, Youth Choice
Grant to provide healthy living program to
youth in rural county communities
WSU 4-H supports and develops community
leadership through volunteer programs focused on
delivering positive youth development.
Programs:
In 2016 Dianna Ullery applied for and was
selected as the as the state-wide 4-H international
program liaison. This will create additional funding
to provide more County 4-H programming in 2017
The Thurston County 4-H program established new
programs in 2016:
STEM Lego League
Horse Camp
Youth programming in 2016 included:
Three 4-H out-of-school programs (12 full
days)
Three Teens as Teachers training workshops
18 Food Smart Families Sessions
Club management & outreach:
Dianna managed forty chartered 4-H community
clubs and 10 family learning groups
She oversaw the 4-H Leaders Council
Weekly published the County 4-H Leaders Link
Newsletter
Awards:
South Sound Regional First Lego League
Cattle club member competed at National 4-H
Dairy Judging Contest; Horse Project members
competed at National Equine Public Presentations
$75,000 donations, sponsorships from local
businesses and individuals to support 4-H Clubs
The main aims of the Water Resources Program and
Native Plant Salvage Project are to provide hands-on
education to bring about on-the-ground changes that
protect and conserve water resources and habitat from
the prairies to the shores of Puget Sound. The program
depends on extramural funding raised through contracts,
grants, and fundraising by community volunteers. These
are the main focus areas:
Stormwater abatement and ground water recharge: By
law, jurisdictions are required to educate their citizenry
about stormwater pollution. Through workshops, volunteer
trainings, demonstration projects, applied research, and
technical assistance for onsite stormwater management
techniques, our program supports the County’s efforts
under its NPDES permit and realizes on-the-ground
changes that protect water resources and recharge
aquifers.
Stewardship of marine shorelines: By providing training
certified through the Dept. of Licensing to real estate
professionals and technical assistance to shoreline
landowners, we help in the efforts to protect critical
economic resources, such as Puget Sound’s fisheries.
Restoration of native ecosystems: Through re-
vegetation projects and water-wise landscaping with
native plants recovered from development sites and
provided to local jurisdictions, schools, community
organizations and individuals, we show citizens how to
make changes to their landscapes that add value and
protect water.
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Water Resources & Native Plant Salvage ProjectProgram coordinator: Erica Guttman
2016 in numbers
Funding
• Program coordinator secured $26,000 in small project
grants – largely restoration projects
• Native Plant Salvage Foundation fundraising efforts,
$18,100 supporting AmeriCorps placements and
supplies
• Department of Ecology Regional Stormwater
Monitoring Effectiveness Study, $12,280
Volunteers & events
• Engaged 660 volunteers in fields days, workshops,
restoration, and plant maintenance projects
• Program engaged volunteers in 48 field events
focused on ecological restoration and stormwater
management
• 27 workshops and clinics were offered for county
residents, businesses, realtors & waterfront property
owners
Value
• Managed 660 citizen volunteers who served 3,281
hours (an in-kind contribution of $90,000)
carrying out 48 field-based action projects to protect
local waterways, increase habitat, and provide
water-resources education to Thurston County
citizens of all ages.
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SNAP-Ed Program coordinator: Tara Witten
2016 in Numbers
• SNAP-Ed delivered 31 educational
trainings in the community, reaching 430
primarily youth participants
• Educators provided 7 different training
programs reaching low-income families
• PSE (policy, systems and environmental)
reach of over 2,200 across all sites
• 9 new partnerships were formalized, with
PSE interventions provided at 5 sites
• New 2017 partnerships were
coordinated through baseline data
collection at 2 sites and shared goal
establishment at 2 sites
• Student behavior change following
SNAP-Ed training:
• 44% observed their students
making healthier meal and snack
choices
• 52% observed an increase in fruit
and vegetable consumption
• 86% reported an increase in
students’ willingness to try new
foods
The SNAP-Ed program helps youth and families
make healthy choices within a limited budget and
lead active lifestyles through improved nutrition,
food preparation skills, gardening and physical
activity.
SNAP-Ed Policy, Systems and Environmental
Initiatives (PSE) included a Healthy Backpack
program with the Thurston Food Bank, providing
youth with 300 pounds fresh produce at 2
schools; assembled Student Nutrition Advisory
Committees at 2 schools; and began re-
establishment of a garden at Olympia
Elementary.
The SNAP-Ed direct education program provided
multiple class series to educate youth and adults
on basic nutrition, smart shopping, food
preparation skills, food safety, gardening and
physical activity, partnering with Pleasant Glade Elem, Garfield Elem, South Sound HS,
Evergreen Vista (Mercy Housing), Behavioral Health
Resources, Chehalis School District (Cascade, RE Bennett
& Olympic Elem), Toledo School District (Elem & MS),
and Centralia College Youth & Family Studies Dept.
(TEEN Program, ECEAP & Children’s Lab School)
CSA Series at Evergreen Vista: SNAP-Ed
Educator partnered with Battelle/Cornell Univ. to
implement a cost-share CSA program by
providing a complimentary educational series at
a low-income housing community.
We work to maintain and improve Thurston County
farming operations by generating and utilizing
science-based information and delivering this
information through outreach activities. We build and
maintain partnership with the Land Grant University
system as well as external partners.
Education/outreach:
Worked (during 2016) on the steering committee to
prepare for the January 2017 Cascadia Grains
Conference, the largest agriculture conference in
south Puget Sound; Cascadia Grains Conference
Coordinated a panel discussion on Climate Change
Affecting Agriculture in Puget Sound, attracting 45
participants
Developed the Cultivating Success Farm Planning
class to be offered in Thurston County in 2017
Provide one-on-one consultations with County
farmers on nutrient management, marketing, other
Research:
Grant submitted: Evaluation of unique barley
varieties for western Washington craft malting,
brewing and distilling ($40,000)
Unsuccessful grant: Assessing Contributions of
Agricultural Working Lands to Conservation Efforts
in the South Puget Sound Region of Western
Washington – resubmit in 2017
Agricultural producer needs assessment to guide
research and education programming; synthesis
report to be printed 2017
Extension bulletin initiated: “Listening Sessions as
Needs Assessment Tool for First Year Agriculture
Faculty”
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Commercial AgricultureProgram coordinator: Stephen Bramwell
2016 in numbers
Funding
• Established $2,000 contract with Port of Olympia
to complete and publish Ag Producer needs
Assessment
• Secured $14,100 contract with TCSU to assess farm
nutrient management opportunities in Deschutes
Watershed for 2017; linked to VSP
• Obtained $250 in sponsorships for County Fair
Bicycle Blender youth nutrition exhibit
Ag producer needs assessment
• Conducted 4 outreach events
• 70 Thurston County farmers provided input on their
production needs
• Conducted 19 one-on-one farmer interviews
County Fair
• Provided over 200 tasting plates featuring
Thurston County agricultural products at the Savor
South Sound event
• Served over 300 bicycle-powered smoothies
featuring local fruit as part of a youth nutrition
exhibit
• Soil science microscope activity for over 30 youth
to visualize soil insect communities in five different
soil ecosystems.
2016 In Numbers:
25 new WSU Master Gardeners and 0 new Master
Recycler Composters were trained. (MRC’s train every
other year. The next training will be in 2017.)
180 Master Gardeners and Master Recycler
Composters gave over 13,455, service hours.
165 question/answer clinics throughout the county
were staffed by our volunteers. From these clinics
11,489 public inquiries for gardening, recycling, and
composting information was recorded.
3,167 adults attended 82 presentations/workshops
presented by our volunteers.
1,053 youth increased their gardening skills.
1,114 pounds of food was donated to the Thurston
Co. Food Bank on behalf of the Children’s Garden
Program & Black Hills Grange Garden Project.
The Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County
raised $33,095 through various fundraisers to help
cover the $40,000 worth of outreach, program and
garden expenses. The balance needed to cover costs
was raised through training/class fees.
Thurston County Solid Waste Department provided
$2,105 worth of Master Recycler Composter program
expenses.
WSU MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM Our Thurston County program is part of the
statewide WSU Extension Master Gardener
program which combines horticulture training and
public service. WSU Master Gardener volunteers
are trained and certified as community educators
to provide professional, unbiased, researched-
based home gardening and horticulture
information to the public through the following
avenues:
Question/answer plant clinics
Demonstration gardens (Closed Loop Park,
Dirt Works, Olympia Farmers Market Garden)
Youth gardening programs
Other outreach programs & education projects
MASTER RECYCLER COMPOSTER PROGRAMThis Thurston County based program trains
volunteers how to become community educators
on solid waste issues such as waste reduction,
recycling, and composting. In exchange for
on-going, researched-based, un-biased training,
participants agree to volunteer as community
educators to share waste reduction information
with the citizens of Thurston County. In 2016 the
focus for our outreach was sharing information
and answering questions about the Waste Less
Food Campaign.
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Master Gardener & Master Recycler ComposterProgram coordinator: Cori Carlton
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Map
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The Smith-Lever Act of 1914
The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 codified into federal law, and provided funding for, outreach endeavors
at the Land-Grant Universities founded by the Morrill Act of 1862. The act was introduced by Senator
Hoke Smith of Georgia and Representative A. F. Lever of South Carolina to expand the vocational,
agricultural, and home demonstration programs in rural America. Specifically, the Act stated as its
purpose, “In order to aid in diffusing among the people of the United States useful and practical
information on subjects relating to agriculture, uses of solar energy with respect to agriculture, home
economics, and rural energy, and to encourage the application of the same, there may be continued or
inaugurated in connection with the college of colleges in each State, Territory, or possession . . .”
The appropriation for Cooperative Extension as established by Smith-Lever was unique in that it set up a
shared partnership among the Federal, State, and County levels of government. A formula funding
mechanism was designed to insure that there was support from each of the levels to help the fledgling
system achieve stability and leverage resources. The funding would flow from Congress to the United
States Department of Agriculture and then out to the Land-Grant Universities to be matched with monies
from the states and counties receiving programs.
The original formula called federal funding to be divided in the following manner:
• 20% shared by all States in equal proportions;
• 40% shared in the proportion that the rural population of each bears to the total rural population of
the several States as determined by the census;
• 40% shared in the proportion that the farm population of each bears to the total farm population of
the several States as determined by the census.
The unique nature of the Smith-Lever Act brought a systemic process for funding the on-going Extension
education work that had been started in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by educators such
as Seaman A. Knapp, A. B. Graham, Jane McKimmon, and Booker T. Washington. The ideals
espoused by these educators were transformative in the manner in which the Land-Grant Universities saw
their role in their state. The move toward a model of cooperative extension education allowed for
professional educators to be placed in local communities in order to improve lives.
Although the original Smith-Lever Act was far reaching, it was later amended to be more inclusive of
schools beyond the original funding for 1862 Land Grant Institutions. In 1971, Rep. Frank E. Evans from
Colorado presented a proposal to USDA that amended the funding formula and gave an appropriation
in the amount of $12.6 million directly to the 1890 Land-Grant Universities for research and Extension.
Additionally, in 1994, there was a second revision to the language which added the Tribal Colleges in
order to increase the system’s ability to serve Native American communities.
Current information regarding the Act and its applications in contemporary society can be found
on USDA’s website.