By the Numbers

Claudette Smith, Ph.D.

Each year, Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T provides North Carolinians with information and education that that leads to better farming techniques and more successful small-scale farmers, healthier and happier families, young people equipped to lead and succeed, and communities with the skills needed to make positive change. With staff in half of our state’s 100 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, our work impacts about a half million people each year. Extension outreach includes one-on-one consultations, hands-on workshops, field days, training programs, on-site technical assistance for farmers, and increasingly, online programs that ensure we serve our audiences even when social distancing is necessary.

Our programs mean that people in underserved, limited-income and minority communities have the tools they need to create a better quality of life. As we move forward in a time of change and uncertainty, Extension at A&T will continue to educate North Carolinians, cultivate leaders, and empower small-scale farmers, communities, families, youth, and individuals.

– Claudette Smith, Ph.D., associate administrator

SMALL-SCALE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT

Successful and sustainable small farms are vital to the well-being of rural North Carolinians and their communities. Small-scale farmers face a host of challenges, and Cooperative Extension programs through N.C. A&T help them meet those challenges. Our programs help farmers develop best practices, find new markets and new crops, and increase their profitability. In the last programming year, our agriculture and natural resources staff reached 118,570 individuals through direct and digital contacts. A total of 2,116 producers increased their skills and knowledge on best production practices, control of pests, diseases, weeds and wildlife, farm financial management, and alternative crops. Programs that focused on increasing production for local markets reached 1,653 farmers, and programs designed to improve local food marketing skills reached 1,455 farmers.

Another 221 farmers involved in animal production adopted Extension-recommended best practices related to ration balancing, mineral supplement, breeding and reproduction, and 165 gained skills or knowledge to increase production for local markets. The horticulture program helped 520 individuals gain knowledge and skills related to vegetable and fruit gardening and reached 57 people who grow food in community gardens. Another 323 program participants reported growing food for home consumption, and 125 began home food production by starting a vegetable or fruit garden.   

NATURAL RESOURCES SUSTAINABILITY

Small-scale growers must understand the importance of natural resources in order to preserve them and prevent their misuse. Extension at A&T provides educational programs on natural resource best management practices, including septic system management, erosion control, storm water systems, water conservation, water quality protection, and the use rain gardens. As a result of programs, 87 acres now use recommended agroecosystem adaptation strategies for agriculture or natural resource management. These include adaptations for managing pests, invasive species, and pollutant loads, and wetlands management. In addition, 34 teachers and youth educators plan to implement high-quality outdoor learning environments for children.

FOOD SAFETY AND SECURITY  

Keeping our food supply safe is a way to protect against foodborne illnesses, which are spread easily and lead to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For 15 years, Extension at A&T has offered the ServSafe program for restaurant workers and other food handlers, including a class in Scotland County in 2019. An additional 582 program participants increased their knowledge about safe food handling, preparation, and food preservation at home. Eighty school personnel gained knowledge about school Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles—a food safety planning process required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—through Extension programs. In the area of food security, 1,653 producers gained skills or knowledge to increase production for local markets and 2,464 youth and 356 adults increased their knowledge of local food and agricultural systems. In addition, 126 beginning farmers started selling in local markets for local consumption.

CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION

Chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes disproportionally affect lower-income and minority populations, and those diseases mean more health care costs, loss of income, and sometimes, early deaths. To combat these health disparities, Extension at A&T offers programs in nutrition and wellness that work to change eating habits, build knowledge and skills about food and nutrition, encourage exercise, and lower the risks of developing chronic diseases. A total of 10,889 youth and families were reached through the Try Healthy program, which is funded by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). More than 50 percent of participants increased their knowledge about the benefits of physical activity and about half the children in Try Healthy families demonstrated a better understanding of healthy food choices and the benefits that result from improved diets. Another 1,744 Extension program participants increased their fruit and vegetable consumption and 1,460 increased their level of physical activity. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFENP) reached 50 adults and 1,500 family members and another 800 youth. Speedway to Healthy, a walk-through educational exhibit to fight childhood obesity, reached 3,273 students in eight counties.

4 -H AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

4-H programs use hands-on learning opportunities to help young people grow and develop, explore career opportunities, and build leadership skills. Extension at A&T 4-H and youth programs reached 40,938 young people through direct contacts in 2019 and made another 204,065 contacts through online programs and digital media. A total of 14,827 youth increased their knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and 13,271 learned life skills. 4-H STEM curriculum was used in the classroom by 115 North Carolina teachers. Innovation Station, Extension’s mobile STEM learning environment, visited 29 counties in 2019 and engaged 2,862 youth. Another 1,509 youth participated in Computer Science Pathways, a program that introduces 4-Hers to computer science and software programming, and two teen STEM leaders trained 26 of their peers to implement the lessons with younger children.

FAMILY WELL-BEING 

Strong families lead to strong communities and children who are more equipped to succeed in school and beyond. Extension helped 2,347 adults develop and use healthy life skills in areas such as goal setting, stress management, self-care, and healthy relationships. Fifty-three parents and caregivers learned about positive parenting, including communication skills, and how to use constructive discipline. Another 75 adults learned to identify and use community resources.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 

Leadership programs through Extension at A&T help nontraditional leaders develop into community decision makers and problem solvers with the skills to address the issues facing their communities. Community Voices, a program aimed at developing the skills of those who have not previously had a voice in community affairs, trained 60 participants on topics such as group decision-making, conflict management, problem solving, communication, managing change, and community and economic development. Another 100 people participated in the annual Grassroots Leadership Conference, which brings together stakeholders from across the state to identify and discuss issues and develop strategies that will lead to a better quality of life for North Carolinians. Extension at A&T builds youth leaders through the Leaders In Training (LiT) program, a weeklong residential program for teenage 4-H members. Now in its third year, LiT has graduated 44 youth from 11 counties. Another 416 program participants increased their knowledge about community disaster preparedness planning, mitigation, and recovery and 171 adults acquired the skills needed to become a community volunteer.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

The ability to make informed decisions about family finances helps keep families stable and productive and able to live within their means. In 2019, 2,299 North Carolinians accessed programs that support family economic well-being and 2,609 individuals gained skills in basic financial management, including budgeting, record keeping, goal setting, and consumer decision-making. A total of 2,427 people learned about credit, credit scores, debt management, general banking skills, and how to protect themselves from fraud, scams, and identity theft. Additionally, 2,398 people implemented basic financial management strategies, such as budgeting and record keeping. Another 329 people gained information on resources to improve their economic security, including SNAP benefits and SHIIP Medicare Part D, and learned financial management skills, such as food cost management, cost comparisons, and selecting long-term care insurance.