PROGRAM IMPACTS
Agricultural Programs
Farm to Fork—tour of local farms/ranches while discussing the history, sustainability, and future plans. Tour stops included a berry farm with tasting of different varieties of blackberries and raspberries; lunch and talk from local Basque restaurant owner and ranching family; tour of Bently Ranch, Meats, and Distillery to learn more about how the grains grown at the ranch are used for distillation and then fed to cattle.
Eagles and Ag—A program to promote the benefits agriculture provides wildlife and the community, conservation and prosperity of ranching in western Nevada, and enhance participant knowledge in wildlife habitat and local agriculture: Cattleman’s Update – Provides current research-based information about important management practices and issues that may affect the efficiency, productivity, profitability and sustainability of cattle production businesses.
Community Development
Leadership Douglas County – A community leadership program designed to develop informed, involved, and knowledgeable community members for Douglas County.
Sustainable Living – Working with GreenACTnv, a local non-profit, to promote sustainable practices, renewable energy use, and environmental responsibilities in the way we work, live, and play.
Economic Vitality – In coordination with Douglas County Agrihoods.
Natural Resources
Climate Change Partnership – UNCE collaborates with the Southwest Regional Climate Hub of the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) and with Cooperative Extension in six western states to build a partnership to assist Extension in incorporating climate science into Extension programming.
Flood Education and Planning – Working with the Carson Water Subconservancy District this educational effort helps citizens better prepare for flood hazards and understand the importance of keeping floodplain lands open and functional.
The Living With Fire Program (LWF) teaches Nevadans how to live more safely in wildfire prone areas. LWF reached 375 direct contacts and distributed 790 publications within Douglas County. The LWF program attended one community event, assisted three communities (i.e. Holbrook Highlands, Job’s Peak Ranch and Skyland) with preparing for or helping plan events in their community, presented to one civic community group and provided Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District with the Ember House youth activity twice for their events. The Nevada Network of Fire Adapted Communities’ Fourth Annual Conference was held in Washoe County. This statewide event drew 16 Douglas County community leaders, civic group members and representatives of the local fire protection districts. During the conference’s afternoon session, participants had the opportunity to interact with their local fire district about how both could work more effectively towards becoming a Fire Adapted Community. As a result of the conference held by the Living With Fire Program, Douglas County residents, East Fork Fire Protection District and the Nevada Division of Forestry met to discuss the process and objectives of becoming a Fire Adapted Community.
Horticulture
Master Gardeners – Provides clients with up-to-date, reliable information and offers a fun and useful volunteer activity, which gives participants a sense of community spirit, accomplishment and intellectual stimulation.
Classes offered: Grow Your Own – A program to help citizens who want to get on a path to more sustainable, local, healthy living by growing more of their own food: Offered in the spring and fall. Weed Warriors – An introductory-level training on the principles of integrated weed management and focuses on improving ability to identify noxious weeds of local importance. Pesticide Safety Education – A program to help pesticide applicators obtain and retain their certification and teach safe pesticide use.
Children, Youth, and Families
4-H – Participants are youth, ages 5 to 19, taking part in programs provided as the result of actions planned and initiated by Cooperative Extension personnel in cooperation with volunteers. 4-H is characterized as being community centered, volunteer led, extension staff supervised, research based, home and family oriented, publicly and privately funded and responsive to change. It offers youth opportunities in communications, leadership, career development, citizenship, healthy living, science, technology, engineering and math and more.
4-H
- 4-H Enrollment at 259 youth and 39 adult volunteers for 2018-19 continues to positively impact youth by providing practical life skills, community service, public speaking, civic engagement and record keeping.
- Sent more than 400 handmade cards to our troops overseas and Douglas County Seniors living in assisted living homes.
- Annual donation drive benefitting the Douglas County Food Closet with participation from 200 youth collecting 650 pounds of non-perishables.
- More than 300 educational meetings, lessons and activities for: Horticulture, Science and Technology, Livestock Education, Equine, Small Animas, Firearm Safety, Public Speaking, Home Economics, Outdoor Education and Leadership.
- 35 youth, 6 teen counselors and 5 adult chaperones attended Nevada State 4-H Camp, a week long overnight camp at Stateline, NV.
- 57 Portfolio Record books were turned in for judging. Completing a Portfolio Record Book is crucial to learning life skills. It incorporates record keeping, resume writing, essay writing, creativity and time management skills.
- 10 families attended the Nevada State 4-H Shooting Match in Las Vegas, Nevada with youth participating from across Nevada.
- 27 youth competed at the Nevada Junior Livestock Show in Reno in sheep, swine, steer and goat and more than 10 additional competitions during the year.
- Co-sponsored youth livestock show with more than 150 participants from across Nevada and California.
- Co-sponsored shooting competition to raise funds for youth shooting sports attended by 300 from multiple states.
- Sponsored a public, all ages, family friendly fall family event and fundraiser with more than 600 in attendance.
- 225 attended annual 4-H Award’s Night.
- 35 attended record keeping workshops.
- $2,000 grant funds from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and $5,000 private donations were obtained for the 4-H Shooting Sports Program.
Radon
Radon Education – A program to educate citizens about radon health risk which offers literature, educational programs and radon test kits: In Douglas County, 40.8% of the homes tested have elevated levels of radon, which is the third highest county for radon potential. In some areas of the county, such as Stateline, Glenbrook, Zephyr Cove and Gardnerville, the ratio is higher, with 58% to 66% of the tested homes having elevated levels of radon.
Since program inception, more than 5,247 homes in Douglas County have been tested. This is 22% of the total housing units in the county (using 2016 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for number of housing unit estimates). At least 10,988 short- and long-term radon test kits have been distributed since the program’s inception, and at least 6,966 of the kits have been used, for a usage percentage of 63.4%. In fiscal year 2019, 706 short- and long-term kits were distributed, with 411 kits used, for a usage rate of 58%. At least 451 of the kits were distributed from the Extension office in Douglas County, while others were distributed from partners and program events by the Nevada Radon Education Program. Extension gained one new Douglas County partner for distributing test kits, Indian Hills General Improvement District.
Of the homes needing mitigation (after confirmation testing), 409 have undergone mitigation, resulting in a 22% mitigation percentage. Also, there are a total of 685 reported real estate tests and 109 Radon-Resistant New Construction (RRNC) homes in Douglas County since the program’s inception. In fiscal year 2019, 35 homes were reported mitigated, 7 homes built RRNC, and 103 homes tested during the home purchase process.
Douglas County has provided the Nevada Radon Poster Contest with seven first place winners since its inception in 2010. And, the Nevada contest has also garnered two national first place winners, in 2016 and 2018, and two national second place winners and three of the national winners were from Carson Valley Middle School. In January 2019, Nevada had its fourth national poster winner with Ana Marquez from the Carson Valley Middle School garnering a second place win in the national contest. Ana had the winning poster for the Nevada contest, and was automatically entered into the national contest.
Radon Poster Contest Winners Through the Years
- 2010 Las Vegas, Junior Gardeners
- 2011 Gardnerville home schooler
- 2012 Las Vegas, Helen C. Cannon Junior High School
- 2013 Sparks, Mendive Middle School
- 2014 Gardnerville, CVMS
- 2015 Gardnerville, CVMS
- 2016 Gardnerville, CVMS and 1st place national
- 2017 1st, Fernley, Silverland Middle School, 2nd Canarelli Middle School, Las Vegas won 2nd place national
- 2018 Gardnerville, CVMS and 1st place national
- 2019 Gardnerville, CVMS and 2nd place national
