Share
 
 

CAMDEN EXTENSION CONNECTIONS
APRIL 2022 RECAP
Camden Extension Spotlight: Marcia Berry
Marcia Berry is the 4-H Program Assistant and JCPC Program Coordinator at the NC Cooperative Extension Camden Center. In the three years that she has been with Cooperative Extension, she has filled a vital role in enriching the lives and providing services to Camden youth. As coordinator of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Marcia heads three major program components.

The Fostering Originality Character Understanding and Success (FOCUS) program provides students with the strategies needed to set goals, develop coping mechanisms, and form interpersonal communication skills. For each participant she develops a specific plan that is centered around their individual needs. Through initiatives like summer camps, vocational trainings, and weekly school visits, these participants develop life skills that help them to form positive relationships with their peers and community members.

Marcia has successfully re-established the Teen Court program in Camden County. With her guidance, 14 students have now been trained as leaders for the program. This diversion strategy helps to keep kids out of the juvenile court system therefore preventing them from obtaining a criminal record.

In the event that a young person is involved with the legal system, Marcia organizes and supervises their community service. By developing strong relationships with the Camden County bus garage, the Camden Youth League, and the Camden Sheriff’s Department, she is able to provide safe working locations where the required hours can be completed.

Due to Marcia’s hard work and dedication, FOCUS, Teen Court, and the Juvenile Community Service programs flourish. Marcia adds great value to Cooperative Extension in Camden County, and we look forward to the future impacts she will make serving youth in Camden.
Agriculture
Area Field Crop Variety Trials
Variety selection is one of the most important decisions that farmers have to make on a yearly basis. This can be a challenging task due to the abundance of varieties offered suitable to a wide geographic area. To assist with corn, soybean, and wheat variety selection, Cooperative Extension Agents from Camden, Currituck, Chowan, Gates, Pasquotank, & Perquimans collaborate annually to plant variety demonstration trials in each of the 6 counties with cooperating farmers. These trials generate local, unbiased data to assist the farmers of the region.

Over the month of April corn trials were planted across the 6-county region. A special thank you to John E. Ferebee Farming, Inc. for hosting the Camden County location which will be featured at the 2022 Northeast Ag Expo Summer Field Day on July 28th.
4-H Youth Development
7th Grade Anatomy
127 7th graders at Camden Middle School participated in a two day 4-H program focusing on anatomy. Students made "working" models of the digestive tract as well as dissected owl pellets.
Earth Day Festival
In celebration of Earth Day, we hosted a festival at Treasure Point, at which we had 12 participants. The activities included fishing, kayaking, a nature hike, coffee filter art, sand art, and making pinecone bird feeders.
Pollinator Games
The agriculture classes at Camden Middle School (27 students) participated in a hands-on day of studying pollination and life cycles. Painted Lady caterpillars were brought in for the kids to raise and we played games that modeled the process of pollination.
The Power of Plants
4-H hosted a planting and gardening workshop for kids ages 5-9 at the Camden Public Library. Three (3) participants learned about the special needs of plants and how to grow various types of seeds. Each child was able to plant seeds of their choosing to take home and they also received a sunflower to plant.
Albemarle Area 4-H Livestock Show & Sale
The annual livestock show took place on April 26th and 27th. Kids from around the region showcased the animals that they have raised over the last year. Livestock was auctioned at the end of the show. Camden County 4-H had 8 participants with a total number of 12 animals shown.
Outdoor Movie Night
4-H hosted a movie night at Treasure Point 4-H camp. We showed "The Greatest Showman". This free event was open to the public. Twenty-one (21) Camden County citizens came out to the movie.
FOCUS & Teen Court
This past month 5 FOCUS youth got to enjoy some fishing at Treasure Point 4-H Camp.  The Camden County Teen Court Program proceeded with their final Teen Court cases of the school year, there were 12 youth present.
Family & Consumer Sciences
In-Person Food Preservation Series
The first in-person Food Preservation class was held on April 13th. Participants made strawberry kiwi jam using powdered pectin. Then participants demonstrated proper water bath canning methods. Participants noted an increase in understanding the proper steps for water bath canning, seal testing, and identifying approved equipment. Next up is the pickles class in May, and in June we will preserve salsa. To find out more information and to register visit https://2022foodpreservationseries.eventbrite.com
The Importance of Self Care
Olivia provided an educational presentation to one of the circle groups at Camden United Methodist. There she discussed how important it is to make sure everyone is taking care of themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Participants took a self-care inventory to identify areas where they could improve. If you want Olivia to visit your group call 252-232-2261 or email Olivia at olivia_patchel@ncsu.edu.
Upcoming Events:
 
 
 
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Facebook
  
Twitter


Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign