Okaloosa County BOCC — July 28, 2015 — 4-5 Agriculture Extension-done

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OKALOOSA COUNTY, FLORIDA SERVICE AREA: PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM: EXTENSION SERVICE PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Okaloosa County Extension Service develops and delivers research-based educational programs, workshops, newsletters and publications in the areas of agriculture/small farms, family and consumer sciences, horticulture, natural resources, marine science, and 4-H/youth development. The nationwide informal educational network links experts and resources at federal, state and local levels. Local advisory committees provide guidance and recommendations for programming based on local community needs. Programs in Agriculture/Small Farms/Natural Resources focus on agriculture profitability and the sustainable use of environmental resources for the larger commercial operations as well as those smaller farms with more limited available resources. Family and Consumer Sciences programming involves food, nutrition, health, food safety, family finance, community prosperity, and housing. Home and Commercial Horticulture programs include training of Master Gardeners and development of Best Management Practices for the benefit of the environment for all county residents. With increased urbanization and growth come increased pressures on our coastal ecosystems. Balancing population needs while conserving our natural resources is one of the major goals of Okaloosa County’s Sea Grant and Natural Resources Extension program. 4-H clubs develop youth leadership, character, and good citizenship. Projects and programs focus on a wide array of youth interests REVENUE: Extension Service is funded within the General Fund and two partners-federal and state. Federal and state partners provided $688,851 to support the Extension Office during FY14/15. In addition, local Extension agents secured $213,931 through grants, in-kind services and monetary donations. For every dollar of General Fund contribution provided to Ag Extension, over $2.60 was obtained from other sources. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS LAST YEAR: Ø The Extension Agricultural program reached 3,167 clientele through on-farm consultations, phone calls, group meetings, emails and office visits. Ø During April 2014, our county received 10-20 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period. The six farmers who followed the University of Florida Extension/IFAS recommended Best Management Practices saved money and time. The estimated savings per farmer was $8,000 in lost fertilizer (due to leaching), lost topsoil (due to erosion) and manpower and fuel costs to repair damages for a total of $48,000. Ø In 2014, the Agriculture Extension Program reached 1,722 youth through Agriculture Awareness educational programs such as embryology, AgVentures and Ag Literacy day. Ø The Commercial Horticulture program in Okaloosa County has enabled 808 Green Industry professionals to obtain and maintain the state required licensing for pesticide and fertilizer application. Additionally, specialized training was offered including Palm Management School, Irrigation Contractor Exam Review and Green Industries Best Management Practices for Spanish-speaking workers. In doing so, the individuals have alleviated the potential for fines from non-compliance, learned how to protect themselves and others from harmful effects of pesticides, and acquired the knowledge needed to prevent environmental damage. Ø Trained through the Master Naturalist program, 21 AmeriCorps volunteers utilized the newly acquired interpretative skills into their Grasses in Classes and Dunes in Schools programs, delivering curriculum to nearly 2,000 elementary school students monthly and enabling 388 students to successfully grow and install 560 coastal restoration grass plants to restore 2,000 sq. ft. of the coastal dune system. Ø Work with the Six Rivers Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas partnership group resulte