USU Extension outlines 4-H expansion, horticulture trials and farmer mental-health and water-quality grants

Utah State University Extension staff briefed the Utah County Commission on youth and adult extension programming that staff say produces about $2 million in county impacts.

Melanie Hogan, 4-H coordinator, described a summer partnership with the Utah North Juab County bookmobile that provides hour-long free STEM activities at 10–15 locations countywide. She said the initiative began June 7 and has reached "over 60 youth" in the first three weeks; weekly library programs in Salem, Mapleton and Payson are also planned. Hogan said current 4-H enrollment across the county is about 880 and staff hope to reach roughly 1,000 youth by August as summer programs continue.

Jake Hadfield, the county's ag-economics extension agent, described two grant-backed efforts: a statewide mental-health voucher program for farmers and ranchers that he said secured about $500,000 and aims to give struggling producers vouchers for free mental-health services (program launch hoped for in late August), and a $90,000 grant from the Division of Water Quality that will fund a small-farm wastewater improvement program giving eligible farmers up to $10,000 (20% match, which may be met with labor). Hadfield said the mental-health work will require careful HIPAA and provider coordination; he said Farm Aid and other hotlines are available as interim resources.

Horticulture staff (Mike) described grape research trials at Thanksgiving Point evaluating winter-hardy table grape varieties and work on drip-irrigation fact sheets and calculators to help growers adopt efficient irrigation. Mike said trial varieties show potential yields and that drip systems can be up to about 90% efficient when run properly.

Cindy Jenkins (Home and Community) highlighted nutrition, Create Better Health activities and a Community Health Quest pilot with 47 participants; Jenkins said Spanish-language programming accounts for about two-thirds (66%) of current Extension programming and that online outreach reaches roughly 13,000 people through social media and video.

Gabriela Mirza (HEART initiative) summarized substance-use prevention, naloxone trainings and living-well self-management programs funded in part by Intermountain Healthcare.

Commissioners praised the programs and asked staff to coordinate on mental-health telehealth partnerships and to follow up on farm-field-day venues that might host more youth education.