Polk County Extension & 4H Restored, But Not Out Of the Woods

By Stephanie Farmer /Associate Publisher

The news from Heather Nedley with Polk County Farm Bureau was very positive. Extension and 4H were voted back into the Polk County budget on Sept. 11^th!

But, even though the battle was won, the war is not over. According to the County Manager, Polk County is anticipating even deeper budget cuts the next fiscal year, leaving a strong possibility for Extension and 4H being on the chopping block again.

So, what should supporters do? First, take a moment and email a thank you to the Polk County Commissioners and County Manager for restoring funding for Extension and 4H this fiscal year. They read your letters, heard your calls and admit they were the reason for voting it back into the budget. If you had not acted and if they had not listened, the results would not have been so positive. So, thank them. We have put a link on our website www.farmandranchnews.com to help you do so. Also, thank Heather Nedley with Polk County Farm Bureau for all of her hard work and efforts on this issue.

The next step is for Polk County Extension and 4H to market what they do to the to the residents of Polk County. They need to help them see and understand the good Extension and 4H does for their County. First, 4Hers need to wear green, the color of 4H. Then, when you are doing community service, on a field trip, at an event, even when going out and about in town, the general public sees the 4H green. Plus, when the people in your community see more 4-H green it gives them opportunities to ask what is 4-H and Extension and for you to help them learn. Agricultural newspapers know 4-H and Extension exist, but the key to reaching the general population is to get other papers and media to run more articles about what 4H and Extension has been up to.

Next, mark your calendars for November 17^th at 7pm at the Polk County Extension office for a marketing workshop on Keeping 4-H Seen. We will be discussing how to work with your local government and media plus brainstorm ideas on how to help keep Extension and 4H noticed by the general population in Polk County. Stephanie Farmer with Farm & Ranch News will be one of the guest speakers at this workshop.

The goal of this workshop is that when the next fiscal budget rolls around next year, the need for Polk County to keep funding Extension and 4H will be a mute issue. That the residents and government are better informed as to the good Extension and 4-H does for their County and are ardent supporters.