October 2023 Extension Newsletter

4-H Youth Development Agents with NC Cooperative Extension were recognized for their
achievements during the 2023 North Carolina Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development
Professionals Annual Conference held in New Bern on September 7th, 2023.
Shannon Coleman, 4-H Agent in Cherokee County, Tammara Talley, 4-H Agent in Macon
County, Sarah Kocher, 4-H Agent in Caldwell County, and Cynthia Robbins, 4-H Agent in
Rutherford County received the Excellence in Animal Science award for their horse program.

About the Program:
The N.C. Cooperative Extension Master Food Volunteer (EMFV) program provides citizens with an opportunity to extend the work of Cooperative Extension by providing unbiased, research-based information on food systems, cooking and food safety to our community. Under the guidance of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agents, volunteers complete a 30-hour training and service, volunteers earn the status of Extension Master Food Volunteer.
Who Can Become a Volunteer?
Anyone who has an interest in food preparation, food systems, nutrition, or food safety can apply. Ideal candidates will possess a desire to enhance their skills, increase their knowledge and enjoy working with people.

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If you would like to learn more about what it takes to be a Extension Master Gardener in Cherokee County it is required to attend one of the informational sessions below (click on the date to register online):

October 19 at 1 p.m.

November 2 at 7 p.m.

January 11 at 3 p.m.

January 13 at 10 a.m.

Informational class will be online or in person. In-person classes will be held at the meeting room at 699 Connahetta Street in Murphy, NC 28906.

Learn the process to become an Extension Master Gardener in Cherokee County.

Classes will be taught in 2024 to renew private pesticide applicators license (V training) and commercial applicators can attend the X training for 2 hours credit. Classes will be taught at the N.C. Cooperative Extension Meeting Room at 699 Connahetta Street in Murphy, NC . If you have a commercial license and do not a private pesticide designation then you only need to attend the training X training. Registration is required. Seating is limited to 40 participants and registration will end 1 day prior to the class.

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Take Control is an 8 session chronic disease prevention program that provides strategies to help adults manage their health. It informs, empowers, and motivates participants to change their eating and physical activity patterns. The program provides opportunities for participants to track their goals and progress toward healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Sessions are 1-hour in length and participants receive recipes and nutrition handouts. Evaluation of the program is conducted via a pre- and post-behavior survey.
Agenda, Class Dates and Times.

The Spring Garden Classes are open to the public (anyone can attend), and also serve as a foundation for understanding research-based home gardening and horticultural practices for prospective NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers. Prospective Extension Master Gardener trainees can miss only 1 of the spring garden series classes to be eligible to attend the Extension Master Gardener certification program. There is a $90.00 fee (online credit card payments through only and no refunds) to attend 1 or all the classes. The fee includes access to attend all the training classes, hands-on activities, and lifetime access to the online information “Extension Gardener Handbook” through TopHat.
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Lifelong Improvements Through Fitness Together is an 8 week strengthening program consisting of 16 one-hour sessions. Participants will focus on 8 core exercises with a warm up and cool down at each session. Nutrition education is a large part of the program with a focus on eating more vegetables and fruits.

Classes begin on January 9th and will be held every Tuesday and Friday following from 2:00pm-3:00pm. Classes are located at the Bellview Community Center and will conclude on March 1st.
Reserve Your Spot!

Our local 4-H clubs could use extra sets of hands during their meetings and we would love to have some new volunteers ready to start new clubs as club leaders. So whether you want to help co-lead or be a volunteer 4-H Club leader we have a space for you. If you don’t want to be the leader but want to help a in another way, we may have a place for you as well. We always need some volunteers for some of our school enrichment programs and summer programs. So if you have a heart for kids and hands for service, please contact Shannon Coleman by email shannon_coleman@ncsu.edu or by phone 828-837-2210 ext. 4 to get more information on how to become a 4-H volunteer.

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Cherokee County 4-H has not had a new needs assessment survey in five years so to better understand the needs of Cherokee County youth and families we have created a new Youth Needs Assessment Survey. Since the COVID-19 pandemic things have changed from how programs are delivered, how we need to be marketing programs to families, and what program topics are now of greatest interest to and needed by county youth. We would greatly appreciate it if you would share this link with other Cherokee County youth, parents, nonprofits, or anyone else that interacts regularly with youth in a formal or informal capacity.

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Providing habitat for wildlife and lessening maintenance chores for yourself are just 2 of the many benefits of using native plants over non-natives in your home landscape. On October 11, 2023, come join Tony Ward, Western Regional Program Coordinator with MountainTrue, to find out more about making your property more environmentally friendly. Take home a free gift to help you get started! There is no charge for this class but seating is limited!!!! Register today for this great session sponsored by the Cherokee County Master Gardeners.

The 4-H West District 4-H Volunteer Conference is open for registration!

Have you been wanting an opportunity to attend workshops? Or an interested parent to see what 4-H is about, but not sure about traveling to Raleigh for State events? This will be a great event for anyone to attend! We will go “Back to the Basics” together learning in workshops, leaving with tools to utilize in your own counties and hear from a keynote speaker! Plus, there is breakfast, lunch, and even a chance for a raffle basket(s)!

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Did you know we have a Facebook page? This is a great way to follow N.C. Cooperative Extension — Cherokee County Center and view our upcoming Extension events. Over the last 9 months, our Facebook page reach has increased from under 5,000 to over 30,000 users and continuing to grow! On our Facebook page you will find agriculture education, upcoming Extension classes and events, program success stories, 4-H happenings, healthy recipes, food safety tips, relevant research articles, Homegrown videos and more! It is our hope that you would partner with us by following our page and sharing our posts to reach as many people in the community as possible! Visit us on Facebook and we hope to see you at an upcoming event! If you have any questions about information posted, please call the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Cherokee County Center office at (828)837-2210.

If you are a citizen of Cherokee County and have questions that Doug Clement or the Cherokee County Master Gardeners can assist with, submit your request at this link. It is very important that you provide detailed information. This information request is for Cherokee County, NC citizens only. Please allow 2 days for a response. Access the entire NC State Extension database by visiting cherokee.ces.ncsu.edu and typing the keyword in the search bar located in the upper right hand corner of the website. Also enjoy our monthly newsletter by scrolling to the bottom of our website and entering your email address."

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