Our Impact
Making A Difference in Our County
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working hard for its constituents. The following are examples of Extension’s impact in the county over the past year.
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Union County Extension conducted a trial on sweet sorghum for syrup varieties. The 2024 trial was conducted at the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center. Sorghum aphid resistant varieties from the USDA-ARS were planted in May. As the season progressed sorghum aphid counts were conducted to evaluate resistance. As varieties matured they were harvested and evaluated for sugar content and yield. The resistant varieties were evaluated against Top 76-6 which is a non-resistant variety.
The Master Naturalist program is designed to educate adults on the natural world around them. In Union county this training covers: soil health and management, history of natural resources, tree identification, watershed management, ecology, nuisance animal management, hemlock woolly adelgid management and research native plants, ornithology, mushrooms, pollinator gardening, mushrooms, fisheries, mountain bogs, aquatic invertebrates, salamanders, and invasive species. Speakers come from 海角官方首页, University of North Georgia, US Forest Service, Young Harris College, US Fish and Wildlife Services, Mountain True, and more. Trainees had the opportunity to go on field trips and get first-hand experience with rare and endangered species.
The Master Gardener Extension Volunteer (MGEV) program has approximately 60 volunteers that maintain 30 projects. Annually MGEVs volunteer the equivalent of 2.5 employee hours. MGEVs make thousands of contacts annually and help answer homeowner questions related to plants through their Ask a Master Gardener booth at the Union County Farmers Market. They maintain demonstration gardens that educate the public on things they can plant in their own yard and make the county a more beautiful place.
4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
According to the National Library of Medicine, about 77% of the general population fears public speaking. Recent studies have shown that exposure to public speaking assists in lessening fear. Through Georgia 4-H Project Achievement, students are introduced to public speaking in an engaging way that allows the students to choose their topic and compete in a low-stakes atmosphere. Project Achievement assists in developing student’s creativity, research skills, and leadership capabilities.
Students in Union County have participated in Project Achievement for years, sending many students to district and state competitions. In 2024, Union County sent 25 4-6th?grade students to Cloverleaf District Project Achievement. Students presented on topics ranging from the mechanics of the Porsche 911 to the cultural significance of Día de los Muertos. Union County also sent 22 7-12th?graders to Junior/Senior District Project Achievement with topics ranging from the history of South Africa to the Toyger cat breed. Junior and Senior 4-H’ers not only present their speech, but they also prepare a portfolio which acts as a “resume” of their work towards their chosen topic. The portfolio process prepares students for job and scholarship applications after high school.
The students in Union County 4-H excel in their public speaking competitions, regularly placing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd across the Northeast District. We also regularly send students to the state level competition and have several Master 4-H’ers who placed 1st?at State Congress. Students who have gone through the Project Achievement program reflect on their progress and often attribute their confidence to the program. A senior student from Union County noted “Although I have faced challenges throughout my 4-H life, like public speaking, I have overcome it and now I am in a club I love and stand for.”