Program Impacts
Community Service
Youth in several White Pine County Extension programs volunteer by providing services to residents and businesses in the community. This year the Steptoe Stockmen 4-H Club painted fences and made needed repairs to the livestock sale area at the White Pine County Fairgrounds. Other clubs and 4-H members spent many hours ridding the area of weeds and cleaning the barns, as well as hanging shade cloth to get ready for the White Pine County Fair.
4-H members organized and conducted the annual Community Easter Egg Hunt, held the Saturday before Easter. Areas are staked out by age groups and plastic eggs filled with goodies are scattered for the kids to gather. There is an egg in each age group that contains a “ticket” for a big prize. 4-H members dressed as a bunny and chick are available for photos.
Outreach and Education
Outreach
White Pine Extension promoted and advertised many programs offered by state extension including the Home Horticulture Certifications class offered online. Three people from White Pine County participated in the class with one planning to continue with the Master Gardener program. The office also prints and distributes Healthy Living While Aging newsletters.
The White Pine office continues to be a presence for people in the community to field questions about things like crops, growing seasons and questions about home gardens. The office provides resources for where people can find answers as well as connecting them with experts such as Master Gardeners and specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno Extension. The office also provides many fact sheets for the community on gardening and pests.
Radon Tests
February 2022 was designated Radon Awareness month by both the White Pine County Commission and Ely City Council in conjunction with the University of Nevada, Reno Extension Radon Program. The White Pine Extension office helped promote awareness that radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless radioactive gas that, at high levels, raises the risk of lung cancer. The White Pine office provided free home radon test kits during the month of February and continues to have them for sale to the public.
4-H Youth Development
In 2021-2022 White Pine Extension served 200 4-H youth in 7 community clubs and the 4-H Afterschool Program. Twenty five adults volunteered as project leaders, program leaders and advisors. In August 2021, the White Pine County Fair was held where 4-H members exhibited 8 market beef, 38 market lambs, 31 market swine, a market goat and a pen of market turkeys. There were also 9 breeding projects in 4 different species presented for judging. Members entered 165 projects in static exhibits in areas like gardening, leathercrafts, welding, woodworking and baking, to name a few. Other competitions members participated in included the Horse Show, Dog Show, Cat Show, Tractors and Shooting Sports.
4-H members built a parade float and participated by riding on it and throwing candy. It was entered in parades on the 4th of July in Ely, Lund Pioneer Days on July 21st and Labor Day in McGill to promote awareness for 4-H. Nine 4-Hers from White Pine County also attended Nevada State 4-H camp in Lake Tahoe in July.
People in Extension
Alana Wise joined the White Pine Extension team in February 2022 as the Community Based Instructor for the 4-H program in White Pine County. Alana is a life-long resident of Ely and was a 4-H member for 12 years. Her hobbies and interests developed from her time in 4-H. She enjoys woodworking, DYI and crafts and photography. Alana jumped right in and started organizing volunteers for various projects and clubs.
White Pine County Extension is pleased to announce Brianna Randow as the new Extension Educator. Brianna was raised in a small coastal town in Northern California. She has since lived in Oregon and Idaho prior to moving to Nevada a few months ago. She grew up participating in 4-H with her focus being on horses, but was also involved in other projects. Brianna has earned a A.S. in Equine Science from Linn-Benton Community College, a B.S. in Equine Science with a Minor in Agriculture Science from Oregon State University. She holds a Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching and a M.S. Degree in Crop Science with a focus on forage from Oregon State University. She is working to expand our 4-H Youth Development Program by recruiting more volunteers and youth participants. She is also hoping to set up new programs for farmers and ranchers, such as programs that explore alternative crops and feed sources.