What made the meal so special was that ingredients were grown by the students themselves.
In March, students received cabbage, kale, and lettuce transplants from NC A&T State University and recently harvested their first crop of lettuce. Following the harvest, students traveled to the Cooperative Extension office to prepare a salad lunch. Melissa Tomas, Cooperative Extension Community Garden Coordinator, and Sharon English, Family and Consumer Agent instructed the students on hand washing, cleaning and preparing vegetables, and table setting.
The program is just one of the many done in collaboration with the county Cooperative Extension.
The agency's staff, volunteers and supporters gathered recently to talk about the work done by Cooperative Extension over the last year.
According to the agency, annual Report to the People, the Cooperative Extension, which sponsors educational programs, publications and events, assisted 17,777 people in 2009 including more than 2,960 face-to-face meetings.
Officials say that helping people put knowledge to work so that they can improve their lives -- that has long been the mandate, and the essence, of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
Formally established in 1914, the Extension Service is a partnership of county, state and federal governments. Throughout its history, it has focused on providing people with learning opportunities that allow them to benefit from research-based knowledge.
East Laurinburg Alternative Learning Academy Principal John Teal said the community garden has given teachers there a chance to make school subjects more interesting for students.
A garden can create an environment that allows for creative thought, active learning and interpersonal skill development. Subjects such as math, science, and social studies can be taught utilizing gardens.
In addition, school gardens teach life skills that go beyond the classroom including: improved interpersonal social skills, learning to work cooperatively together, teaching responsibility by caring for the plants grown, instilling a sense of accountability, developing a sense of pride in their garden efforts, an opportunity to learn in an outdoor environment, and patience as gardens do not grow overnight.
"The garden has been valuable to our students, and they respected it and took care to see that no damage was done to it," Teal said. "The students enjoyed watching the plants grow and liked the hands-on opportunities the garden provided. Harvesting the produce and enjoying the fruits of their labor was a wonderful experience for the students."
Tomas assisted the students in planting their spring garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and cantaloupe. The spring garden vegetables coupled with the kale, lettuce and cabbage will allow the students to experiment with new recipes.
"Our goal was to introduce the youth to the many benefits of gardening, especially making healthier food choices," English said. "We have found that youth are more inclined to try vegetables when they have put forth the effort to grow them."
Other Cooperative Extension program include:
Community Garden: Due to budget constraints, many limited resource individuals and families do not have access to fresh produce or nutritionally rich foods. To address this concern, Cooperative Extension and NC A&T State University received a 5-year grant to establish model community gardens in 3 counties in the state. The town of Wagram was selected as one of the garden sites. The project will assist low-income families to: reduce food costs, increase nutritional knowledge, engage youth in agri-entrepreneurial activities, improve parenting skills, and provide leadership opportunities. Also, educational programs will be provided in diet, nutrition, pest management, vegetable diversity, composting, youth entrepreneurship, physical fitness and community leadership. Comprehensive community programs, partnered with active citizen participation, can develop resiliency and protective factors in youth, families, and communities. Further qualitative and quantitative data will be collected at the end of the project.
4-H Sewing Club: A growing interest in sewing was recognized by a Scotland County 4-H parent. The volunteer started a 4-H special interest club, which focuses on teaching sewing techniques. The club currently has 25 members and 7 volunteers. Youth participating in this club have also shown an interest in other 4-H programs and community service projects. Following a sewing workshop, pre and post-test results showed youth had a 59% increase in basic sewing skills. Also, the volunteer’s efforts inspired the organization of 2 new clubs.
Shred-It: The North Carolina Department of Justice reports 300,000 North Carolinians are victims of identity theft annually. Nationally, identity theft cost consumers $5 billion last year. To educate citizens on identity theft prevention, Scotland County Cooperative Extension collaborated with Extension and Community Association (ECA) to offer Community Shred-It. The event attracted 200 citizens and shredded 9,700 lbs. of personal documents. The NC Attorney General’s office distributed information and answered questions on identity theft prevention. A Scotland county resident stated’ "The opportunity to safely dispose of confidential information is a benefit to me. I didn’t want to throw away my paperwork because of the possibility of identity theft. This event gives citizens a means to dispose of their paperwork, in addition to providing a sense of security." The shredded paper was recycled at a secure bailing facility, making this event environmentally friendly and saving 49 trees. The proper disposal of personal documents can prevent the likelihood of identity theft and reduce the waste stream going into the county landfill.
Parenting Matters: Scotland County Department of Social Services (DSS) has limited parenting resources for DSS referred and court-mandate parents. To address this concern, Scotland County Cooperative Extension collaborated with DSS to offer 8-week parenting classes. Utilizing Parenting Matters, an NC A&T State University developed curriculum, parents gained knowledge needed to enhance their parenting skills. Parents learned how to: 1) to be a positive influence in their children’s lives 2) take better care of themselves 3) communicate effectively 4) improve their parent/child relationship 5) use discipline appropriately 6) manage stress effectively and 7) build a stronger support system. A father who completed the parenting classes shared, "Before I came to class, I had different thoughts about being a parent. I didn’t know how to build relationships, discipline, or the importance of spending time with my kids. Thanks to information I have received in class, I realize what I was doing wrong and will parent different in the future." Parents who successfully complete these classes will preserve and strengthen their family, gain reunification with their children, and decrease or eliminate their child’s need for foster care. Scotland County DSS saves $475/month per child when foster care is not needed.
Healthy Eating: Scotland High School has the only student-operated restaurant in the state. Culinary students prepare and serve meals to the public. Restaurant patrons have requested a salad bar and more fresh vegetables. However, due to the high cost of these items, they are not offered on a consistent basis. To address this issue, Cooperative extension installed a donated greenhouse at the high school to grow vegetables and herbs. The greenhouse will provide culinary students a hands-on opportunity to grow food products. Therefore, students can learn about the flow of food from the planting process to the dining experience. The ability to grow vegetables and herbs will provide many benefits. These benefits include: development of gardening/planting skills, experience in harvesting and preparing fresh vegetables/herbs, economic savings, entrepreneurial opportunities by selling overstock to local establishments, and healthy food alternatives for customers. By growing their own products, culinary students can become sustainable and reduce operating costs. Further more, patrons will benefit by having healthier food options at a better price.
Youth Nutrition and Fitness: In Scotland County, 27% of youth are not reaching the recommended daily levels of physical activity according to the Scotland County Eating Smart and Moving More profile. Four-H Youth EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) collaborated with Covington Street Primary School to conduct classes for 57 kindergarten students on the importance of physical activity and healthy snacks. Post-test results show 100% of participants improved their diets through healthier food choices and increased their daily physical activities.
NC Hospitality: In 2008, tourism in Scotland County generated $35.29 million in expenditures; including $6.15 million in payroll. In an effort to assist business owners and organizations to capitalize on exceptional customer service, Cooperative Extension conducted an 8 hour customer service-training seminar. Using the North Carolina Hospitality curriculum, 25 participants received training in the 7 hospitality habits. The habits are 1) Make A Good 1st Impression 2) Communicate Clearly 3) Mind Your Manners 4) Know Your Community 5) Know Your Job 6) Handle Problems Effectively 7) Make A Good Last Impression. A business owner who registered 13 participants reinforced the impact of the training. The owner stated, "Our employees said this was one of the best trainings they had ever had the opportunity to attend. Also, the employees now had a better understanding of the importance of professionalism, community awareness, and proper communication since attending North Carolina Hospitality." When trained employees implement the 7 habits effectively, Scotland County will see an increase in customer returns, reduced employee turn over, increased economic growth and a stronger community. In today’s economy, superior customer service is not only a competitive edge, but also a survival skill.
Adult Nutrition: Senior citizens ages 65 and older are at higher risk of becoming ill from certain food borne pathogens. Cooperative Extension’s Adult EFNEP collaborated with Grandparents as Parents to address this issue by presenting "Fix It Safe." Several participants implemented changes based on knowledge gained in the workshop. One participant stated, "Before this workshop I was not using a separate cutting board for meats and vegetables. I was not aware of the risk of contracting a food borne illness because of this practice. Now I am using two separate cutting boards." When safe food handling practices are applied, 100% of food borne illness can be prevented. According to centers for Disease Control and Prevention each Scotland County family can save $612 in medical cost when not exposed to food borne illness.
Livestock Production: Area swine farmers are required to take educational recertification classes every 3 years to maintain their state certification. This certification allows farmers to spread animal waste on crop and grass fields. In 2009, over 75% of swine farmers in the surrounding area needed re-certification credits. Cooperative Extension conducted four recertification classes. Over 100 swine farmers registered for the classes and renewed their certification. A post-survey showed, 85% of participants increased their knowledge on the presented topics.
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