Happy January
Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
The Webster County Extension Staff
Master Gardener Training
Do you enjoy plants and gardening? Are you looking to learn more and hone your skills but don’t know where to go? The Extension Master Gardener program will educate you on many aspects of horticulture, allow you to test your knowledge and skills, all while serving your local community.
The Nebraska Extension Master Gardener program is a horticulture related volunteer training program based in many counties throughout the state. It has been part of Nebraska Extension since 1976. Master Gardener volunteers are trained by Nebraska Extension faculty and staff. In return, they contribute time as volunteers working with their local Extension offices and communities to provide horticulture-related information and volunteer service. Participants are required to complete 40 hours of training and 40 hours of volunteer service during the initial year of their involvement in the program. Master Gardener volunteers retain their certification through annual training and volunteering.
Educational topics cover a wide range of horticultural issues. Topics that have been covered in previous training sessions include: native plants for water conservation, an in-depth look at fertilizers, turfgrass and related insects, beneficial pollinating insects and vegetable garden pests, tree and shrub pruning, pesticide safety and non-chemical pest control techniques, soils, and small fruits and tree fruit basics. The content of the topics is geared towards the home gardener, but those employed in the green industry are also welcome. No prior horticulture knowledge or training required.
Volunteer hours can be completed through various activities. These activities could include: planting and maintaining demonstration gardens, collecting data on research projects, helping with county and state fair activities, speaking to community groups, leading garden tours, collecting plant samples, answering phone questions, teaching youth programs, or whatever sparks your interest and utilizes your talents.
The Central Nebraska Extension Master Gardener Program is active in many communities across the region. If you are interested in becoming an Extension Master Gardener contact Elizabeth Exstrom at the Nebraska Extension in Hall County Office, 308-385-5088, prior to January 10th, 2023. The Central Nebraska Master Gardener Program will be offering classes in several different ways, in- person at the Hall County Extension office located in Grand Island, over zoom in the evenings, and through an online platform.
More information, updated schedules, an application, and a brochure can be found at http://hall.unl.edu. If you have questions about the program, contact Elizabeth Exstrom at eexstrom2@unl.edu or 308-385-5088.
A Message from Jason
I’ve written and read many year in review columns in my career. It’s the end of the year so it is time for another one. This column started out in just a couple of papers at the first of the year and now it is in several more, so you might not have seen every column this year.
Purposely, this column touches a lot of different areas in community development, so the topics have been wide ranging. Rural Prosperity Nebraska categorizes community development into 6 focus areas. Regional Food Systems, Placemaking, Leadership, People Attraction, Community Engagement, and Community Economic Development. So, in my columns I try to hit on each of those areas. The only one I haven’t hit on this year is Regional Food Systems.
Placemaking columns touched on housing and community cleanup. Housing is a continuing issue in rural Nebraska. Many houses have fallen into disrepair and the size of households in Nebraska is dropping from over 3 per house several decades ago to just over 2, now. That means we need more houses to hold the same number of people. Although it is now cold outside it is a good time for communities to clean up, especially if there are areas of your community with a lot of brush. I was on a walk the other day and noticed that since the leaves have fallen, you can see deeper into brushy areas, so trash is easier to see and easier to get to.
Leadership was covered a couple of times in this space. One column was devoted to building local leaders. Other columns didn’t necessarily talk about leadership, but they gave leadership ideas or actions. The column about broadband and broadband action teams provided information for local leaders to access funds for increasing broadband capabilities…this funding is still ongoing, and it isn’t too late to start working on it.
People attraction was featured in my first column this year and was talked about in several columns. The First Impressions Online (formerly called Web First Impressions) program is 90% done and can be rolled out to communities any time. The 10% left should be finished by the time this column goes to press. This program should help communities to see what tourists and newcomers see when they search that community on the internet. That helps make an impression before people visit your community, but programs like Red Carpet Service and Marketing Hometown America help to make the best impression on people when they visit your community.
Community engagement was heavily covered in these columns, especially the last few months. Community engagement is some of the most important work that RPN and Extension can do, but it is difficult to find the time. We need to be building relationships with our communities and learning what their issues are and help them to solve those issues. It is difficult to help solve problems if we aren’t out there listening to what those problems are.
Community Economic Development has made its way into several columns as well. Our annual Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference (CEC) helps communities learn from and interact together. Going back to my last column of 2021, I wrote about the importance of business transition to a community.
If your community could benefit from any of the Rural Prosperity Nebraska ideas that I’ve discussed in this column, please reach out to me. I’d love to speak to your community about these topics. You can reach me at jason.tuller@unl.edu or at the Thayer County office at 402-768-7212.
Jason Tuller is an Extension Educator for the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He works in the Rural Prosperity Nebraska program and covers ten-county area including Kearney, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Saline, Franklin, Webster, Nuckolls, Thayer, and Jefferson Counties.
Food Safety After a Storm
How to Tell if Your Freezer Power Was Off When You Were Away
A gentleman had been traveling during a time when the electricity was off for several days in many homes in his community. When he returned home, his electricity was working and everything in his freezer was frozen solid.
He proceeded to eat some food from the freezer and got sick. What happened?
In this case, his electricity had been off for about a week, and then came back on. Everything in his freezer had thawed and been at unsafe temperatures for several days. As the food froze again when the electricity returned, he was unaware there were any food safety problems.
Here's a simple way to help detect this problem. Store an ice cube or two in a sealed plastic bag or small container in the freezer; a sealed bag/container is important so the ice cube doesn't evaporate and disappear. If the ice cube has melted down from its original shape, you'll know the power was off for an extended period of time.
Want more of this article? Check it out here: https://food.unl.edu/article/how-tell-if-your-freezer-power-was-when-you-were-away?fbclid=IwAR0RpjiaNH6OH8BcWZflMC7gIChj4y9GZ9kH-ZdALiS6nw3H-CvXRG4Pcx4
Article by:
Originally written by Alice Henneman. Reviewed and updated by Cindy Brison in 2020.
Megan Burda
Engagement Zone 10 Coordinator
Megan is a Nebraska Extension Educator with a passion for fashion! She holds a Master of Arts degree in Textile and Apparel Design from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a specialization in entrepreneurship. Megan serves as an Engagement Zone Coordinator in Zone 10 with a focus on staff development, stakeholder connections, and UNL engagement. She is a maker, entrepreneur, Husker sports fan and baking enthusiast.
Photo and Bio from UNL Extension
Email: megan.burda@unl.edu
Location: 1340 G Street, Geneva, NE, USA
Phone: 402.759.3712
Lynn DeVries
Early Childhood Extension Educator
Lynn is an Extension Educator on The Learning Child Team, University of Nebraska Extension in South Central Nebraska. Lynn has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Nebraska Kearney in Vocational Family and Consumer Science Education, and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University Nebraska. Lynn works with families, child care providers, teen parents and schools to promote developmentally appropriate practices and enhance parent involvement throughout the child’s education. Lynn has 11 years of experience teaching Family and Consumer Science in the public schools, and 10 years of experience coordinating programming and curriculum with the Head Start programs.
Email: lynn.devries@unl.edu
Website: https://child.unl.edu/
Location: 2975 South Baltimore Avenue, Hastings, NE, USA
Phone: 402.461.7209
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNLExtensionthelearningchild/
Elizabeth Exstrom
Horticulture Extension Educator
I am Community Environment Extension Educator with a horticulture focus who works in the Nebraska Extension office in Hall County. I provide horticulture related programs for youth and adults, act as the Central Nebraska Master Gardener Coordinator, and answer horticulture-based related client questions. I am a Nebraska Arborist Association Certified Arborist and a member of the International Society of Arboriculture and Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association. You might recognize me because I am regular panel member on NET's Backyard Farmer program and even filled in as host a few times. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture with a landscape design emphasis and my Master’s Degree in Public Horticulture from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln.
Photo and Bio from UNL ExtensionEmail: elizabeth.exstrom@unl.edu
Website: https://huskerhort.com/
Location: College Park, U.S. 34, Grand Island, NE, USA
Phone: 308.385.5088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.m.killinger/
Ron Seymour
Crops & Water Systems Educator
Ron Seymour is a cropping systems Extension Educator with emphasis on corn and soybean production. Ron also works extensively in crop pest management with specific expertise in insect issues. Ron has an interest in developing areas that border field crops as habitat that promote populations of beneficial arthropods.
Email: rseymour1@unl.edu
Location: 2975 South Baltimore Avenue, Hastings, NE, USA
Phone: 402.461.7209
Jason Tuller
Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension Educator
Jason has been working in the economic development field in rural Nebraska for more than a decade. He has worked as a small business consultant and as a rural economic developer. His goal now is to help grow stronger communities in Southeast Nebraska and throughout the stat
Photo and Bio from UNL ExtensionEmail: jtuller2@unl.edu
Website: https://ruralprosperityne.unl.edu/
Phone: 402.768.7212
Cami Wells
Food, Nutrition, and Health Extension Educator
I am a Nutrition, Food and Health Educator and Registered Dietitian located in Hall County. Part of my time is allocated to the Nutrition Education Program (NEP) that provides nutrition education to limited-resource families in central Nebraska. I teach a variety of food safety and nutrition programs to adults and youth as well as serve on the media/marketing team that develops content for our food.unl.edu website. I graduated from University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Science and Dietetics and earned a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Health Sciences from Northern Illinois University.
Email: cami.wells@unl.edu
Location: College Park At Grand Island, West U.S. Hwy 34, Grand Island, NE, USA
Phone: 308.385.5088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNLExtensionFoodAndFitness
Dr. Lindsay Waechter-Mead
Beef Systems Educator, DVM
Lindsay Waechter-Mead is the Beef Systems Educator in Webster County and serves surrounding counties in this region. She is excited to bring her interests surrounding cow/calf health and preventative medicine to the Beef Team. Her current work involves looking at environmental effects on neonatal calf immunity and colostral transfer. She is also passionate about rural agriculture and what the veterinary profession can do to positively influence rural communities to ensure that generations can continue to enjoy the life that she loves.
Email: lindsay.waechter-mead@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/webster/
Location: 621 North Cedar Street, Red Cloud, NE, USA
Phone: 402-746.3417
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCBeefExtensionUNL
Beth Janning
4-H Youth Development Extension Educator in Adams/Webster Counties
Beth Janning is a 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator. She provides programming in school enrichment, after-school, and traditional 4-H Programs. Her topic areas include but not limited to animal science, science, engineering and volunteer development.
Email: elizabeth.janning@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/webster/
Location: 2975 South Baltimore Avenue, Hastings, NE, USA
Phone: 402.461.7209
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WebsterCoExtNE
Alexa Pedersen
Office Manager
Email: alexa.pedersen@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/webster/
Location: 621 North Cedar Street, Red Cloud, NE, USA
Phone: 402.746.3417
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WebsterCoExtNE
Katie Bolte
4-H Programming Assistant
Email: katie.bolte@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/webster/
Location: 621 North Cedar Street, Red Cloud, NE, USA
Phone: 402.746.3417
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WebsterCoExtNE
