The University of Florida (UF) administers the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. The Nassau County Extension Service is a partnership between the University of Florida and the county government, providing research-based knowledge and expertise to the public.

The Nassau County Extension provides research-based knowledge in the following 4 Areas

1. Family and Consumer Sciences
2. 4-H Positive Youth Development
3. Natural Resources and Agriculture
4. Horticulture

April 2021 Quick Summary

Total Educational Programs/Activities: 73 Total Participants: 585 Total Educational Publications: 18

Total Reach through Educational Publications: 15,501 Total Return of Investment (Savings to County): $25,031

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FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES Meg McAlpine

The mission of the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agent is to bring the educational resources of the University of Florida to the people of Nassau County to improve their quality of in the areas of Health and Nutrition, Aging and Human Development, general Financial Management, and 4-H youth development.

Local Resident Receives Additional $50,000 Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption

Local FCS Extension Agent, Meg McAlpine assisted a local resident with their 2020 income tax return, as part of the Extension’s income tax assistance program. Using Extension’s tax filing assistance program, this resident saved $250 in income tax preparation fees.

Ms. McAlpine assisted this resident with information about how to lower her property taxes, because her adjusted gross income, based on 2020 income tax return form 1040 was under $31,000.

In Florida, senior citizens, age 65 and over can receive an additional $50,000 homestead property exemption if their adjusted gross income is under $31,000. The Nassau County Property Appraiser will accept proof of income from either Income Tax Return (Form 1040) or Social Security Statement (SSA 1099). This exemption is required to be filed each year.

Recognitions, Awards, Scholarships, Grants, Certifications

• UF/IFAS Family and Nutrition Program Grant: $2,000 a month

Educational Programs/Activities

• IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance: Provided free income tax filing assistance to residents of Nassau County. In Person. 5 Participants
• Financial Education – Setting SMART Goals with Income Tax Refunds. In Person. 5 Participants
• Understanding Medicare: Provided unbiased information to help Medicare-eligible citizens understanding their Medicare Choices. Individual Consultations: 11 participants: Agent – 8; Volunteer -3
• Food Manager Certification Training and Exam: Per Florida Statute 509.039, all food service managers must receive training by a certified instructor. Taught training via Zoom. In-person class. 3 participants
• Homemade Entrepreneurship Short Course about starting home business under Florida Cottage Food Law. Virtual Group. 8 participants

Total Programs/Activities: 17

Total Participants: 26

Educational Publications

• IRS Behind in Process Tax Returns; The Health Insurance Marketplace; Dine In Take; Nassau County Extension March Monthly Report (Facebook https://www.facebook.com/meg.mcalpine. Blog http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nassauco; http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/nassau/). Reach 720
• Food Safety in Your Kitchen. PowerPoint (15 slides). Reach 10

Total Publications: 5

Total Reach: 740

Interim County Extension Director

• Reviewed, compiled, and submitted Extension’s April monthly report to County
• Provided leadership/management to Agents and Staff
• Participated in monthly UF/IFAS Northeast District County Extension Director Meeting
• Performed fiscal responsibilities: extension county budget, UF/IFAS PCard approvals
• Planning and coordination of Miner Road Extension Building
• Provided Oversight to Master Gardener Volunteers
• Coordinated American Beach Annual Survey Report for Facilities Mainentance Department
• Facilitated DED and Assistant County Manager Meeting and Assistant County Manager meeting with Extension Agents and Staff
• Provided follow-up about UF/IFAS Leadership Trainings to Assistant County Manager

Special Activities, Projects, Partnerships

• Confirmed partnership with Conviva and Council on Aging

Service to County Government and University

• Acting Interim CED
• Attended monthly BOCC Department Head Meeting
• Attended UF/IFAS CED Meeting
• Interviewed CED/Horticulture Candidate via zoom at UF/IFAS; and conducted in person interviews at Extension Office, and then with County Manager and Assistant County Manger

Return of Investment (Savings to County): $4,481

• Volunteer Hours: Total: 3 with a value of $81.60 (Independent Sector gathers data and conducts research on volunteerism in the nonprofit sector. The estimated national valueof each volunteer hour is currently $27.20).
• Family Nutrition and Education Grant $2,000
• Medicare Consults: $1,100 (According to Consulting.com, average hourly healthcare consulting fee: $100)
• Medicare Subsidies Received: $1,500 (Part B Premium paid by State)
• Savings to residents filing income taxes: $500 (Average cost is $250 per return)
• Agent led educational efforts, excluding Income Tax and Medicare Activities/Assistance, valued at $50 an hour: 11 hours = $550

Upcoming Program Announcements

• June 1 and June 2 – Managing Diabetes Workshops Fernandina Beach. Contact Meg McAlpine (904)570-5713
• June 24- Food Manager’s Certification Class and Exam, as required by Florida Statutes 509.038. Contact Meg McAlpine (904)570-5713
• June 3 and June 17 – Financial Issues for Seniors – Conviva Callahan
• June 14 and June 21 4-H Entrepreneurship Camp
• Medicare Education Workshop – Fernandina Beach Library
  

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4-H Positive Youth Development: Kelsey Irvine & Ted Karsch

The 4-H Agent mission is to provide educational programs for positive youth development and overseeing fundraising, record-keeping, marketing, working with the Nassau County 4-H Association, and ensuring compliance with state and national policies. 4-H Agents recruits, trains, and retains youth and adult volunteers.

Kelsey Irvine

Recognitions, Awards, Scholarships, Grants, Certifications

• Received 3 State Awards: Outstanding Young Professional, Program of Excellence, Excellence in Animal Science.
• Received funds from Tractor Supply Paper Clovers $320.56

Educational Programs/Activities

• Florida 4-H State Virtual Horse Club: Equine youth education. Facilitated 2 statewide club meeting discussing equine behavior from UF professionals. Virtual Group Class. 16 Participants
• Virtual Horse-Riding Challenge. Youth learned how to improve their horse-riding skills. Taught 1 virtual group class. 40 Participants.
• Chaired Area North Planning Committee and coordinated horse show tasks for area and state programming. 4 virtual group volunteer meetings. 23 participants (volunteers)
  • Conducted a virtual Area North Preparation.Virtual Group Class. 63 live participants, 20 post-recording views https://youtu.be/HkY1Z_2s1_Y
• Coordinated Embryology school enrichment program for: Emma Love Hardee (8 classrooms), Hilliard Elementary (3 classrooms for 2^nd grade and 4 classrooms for 1^st grade), Bryceville Elementary (1 classroom), Sonshine Christian Academy (1 classroom), Nassau County Farm Bureau, Yulee Primary, and 4 homeschool families.
• Youth Leadership Nassau: Co-taught environmental science and human dimensions of ecology/conservation to the Youth Leadership Nassau. 1 In person group class. 26 youth participants.
• Co-led State Hippology Contest for multi-county competition about equine science In person. 2 Participants
• Assisted 4 youth entries in the Virtual District Events Contest.
• Assisted two youth with their first 4-H Forest Ecology
• Assisted parents, club leaders, schoolteachers, and other volunteers through direct consultations and education. 6 consultations.
• Provided oversight to 4 community clubs

Total Programs/Activities: 19

Total Contacts: 198

Educational Publications

• Updated 2 google sites: Nassau County 4-H and the Statewide Virtual Horse Club websites https://sites.google.com/view/nassau-county-4-h/; https://sites.google.com/view/4-hvirtualhorseclub
• Updated 4 Facebook pages: Nassau County 4-H, Hoofbeats Hippology, Youth Emergency Team, 4-H Intentional Riding Challenge Group https://www.facebook.com/NassauCounty4H/

https://www.facebook.com/NassauYET

https://www.facebook.com/NassauHippology

• Friday Flyer, digital membership newsletter, 260
• 4-H Members Succeed at Hippology Contest, Westside Journal & Record, 14,000
• Edited Statewide Extension Equine Team chapter on equine disaster preparedness
• “4-H’er of the Month: Elijah Hatton”, UF IFAS blog http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nassauco/category/4-h-and-youth/
• “2021 4-H is Going to the Fair”, UF IFAS blog http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nassauco/category/4-h- and-youth/

Total Publications: 3 formal, 6 websites

Total Reach: 14,260

Special Activities, Projects, Partnerships

• Facilitated post-embryology chick adoptions to sponsor growth of program?
• Received specialty training from UF Horse team on Horse Show Points software system management
• Conducted potential partnership meeting for summer camp program, partnership declined by agent
• Joined UF 4-H Agriculture Education Services and TechnologyVirtual Certification Program Taskforce

Services to County Government and University

• Co-chair – FAE4-HA Communicator Awards, judged 20 award applications
• Interim chair and vice-chair for the Area North Horse Show committee
• Submitted Success Story to UF/IFAS NE District Newsletter

Return of Investment (Savings to County) $13,273

• Agent-led educational efforts or consultations valued at $50/hour. 23 hours= $1,150
• Volunteer Hours: Total 15 – with a value of $360 non-embryology volunteer value.
• Embryology Volunteers: 28 hours per teacher x classrooms completed the project in April/May -17 classrooms = 476 hours valued at $11,443
• Funding from Tractor Supply Paper Clover $320.56
• (Independent Sector gathers data and conducts research on volunteerism in the nonprofit sector. The estimated national value of each volunteer hour is currently $24.04).

Upcoming Program Announcements

• State Wide Virtual Horse Club meetings, 4/19 & 4/26
• Area North Horse Show, May 7-8 Clay County
• Forest Ecology Contests (Gainesville) (2 registered participants)
• Area North 5/7-8 in Clay County

Ted Karsch

Recognitions, Awards, Scholarships, Grants, Certifications

• Citizenship in 4-H Youth Development Award – State Award

Success Story

Youth Leadership Nassau won the Citizenship in 4-H Youth Development Award given by FAE4-HA. This state award is to “encourage and recognize the efforts of Extension staff developing and conducting programs and/or projects for youth. These opportunities focus on increasing knowledge and skills of understanding, challenging and engaging with main pillars of our democracy politics, the economy and the law.”

Twenty-five 10^th and 11^th grade Nassau County youth graduated from the Youth Leadership Nassau class of 2021. This was the 18^th consecutive year that Youth Leadership Nassau has graduated a class of young leaders. They persevered through the Covid-19 pandemic by transitioning to an online format for meeting and learning.

Educational Programs/Activities 

• 4-H Life Skills for America’s Youth (afterschool program). Taught 2 Programs on 04/08 and 04/22. Youth are taught life skills, communication, and leadership through a variety of activities and 4-H curriculum. In-Person Group event. 19 Participants
• Nassau County 4-H Council. Facilitated, and taught. This group meets once a month to learn leadership and communication skills by managing 4-H events in Nassau County. Participants are elected to officer roles, and they run all meetings using Robert’s Rules of Order. In Person: 8 Participants.
• Youth Leadership Nassau: This is an eight-hour program that meets once a month with 30 youths in grades 10 and 11 from Nassau County. I organize, facilitate, and teach students about leadership and arrange for them to meet with prominent business and government leaders to learn about leadership. Quality of Life and Graduation Day. 29 Participants.
• Assisted parents, club leaders, schoolteachers, and other volunteers through direct consultations and education. April total: 7 consultations. 7 participants

Total Programs/Activities: 11

Total Participants: 63

Educational Publications

• Friday Flyer, monthly digital 4-H Membership Newsletter. Reach 251

Total Publications: 1; Total Reach: 150

Services to County, Government, and University 

• Attended the social media committee meeting at the University.
• Attended the Leadership and Communications committee meeting at the University.
• Attended the UF PKRC Lunch and Learn for Positive Youth Development
• Attended the UF Inclusion Diversity Equity Meeting
• Attended the UF Volunteer Development Lunch and Learn
• Attended the UF PSP workshop

Upcoming Program Announcements 

• 4-H mural painting camp. Youth will work with a professional artist to create a large, portable canvas, mural at the Island Art Association of Amelia Island. July 19th to July 23rd.

• 4-H Entrepreneurship camp. Youth will learn career readiness and entrepreneurship through participation in an 8-day camp. Yulee from June 14th to June 17th and June 21st to June 24th.

• Monsters, Crafts, and Heroes Camp: for 4 days youth ages 8 to 14 will learn how to create fun crafts and art projects while learning about the monsters and heroes of Greek Mythology.

Return of Investment (Savings to County) $7,257.60

• Volunteer Hours Total: 65 with a value of $1,768.00 (Independent Sector gathers data and conducts research on volunteerism in the nonprofit sector. The estimated national value of each volunteer hour is currently $27.20).

• Agent led educational efforts valued at $50/hour: 32 hours= $1,600
  

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NATURAL RESOURCES AND AGRICULTURE Justina Dacey

The Natural Resource and Agriculture Agent mission is to provide educational programs that promote natural resources and agriculture, such as promoting oyster restoration practices, invasive species management, best management practices for farms, Florida Master Naturalist Program.

Recognitions, Awards, Scholarships, Grants, Certifications

• 2021 Florida Department of Environmental Protection Coastal Partnership Grant. Plastic-Free Restoration of Oyster Substrates. $24,000 grant

Professional Presentations

• Dacey, J. 2021. “Engaging communities using a demonstration living shoreline and citizen science.” Recorded presentation. Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals National Conference.

Educational Programs/Activities

• Invader Raiders: Invasive Species Removal Workshop. In-person field day. 1 event, participants
• Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch Monitoring Events. In-person field day. 8 events, 48 participants
• Florida Master Naturalist Program, Habitat Evaluation Special Topic Module. Taught Oysters. Zoom Class. 21 participants
• 4-H Youth Leadership Nassau, Living Shorelines. In-person field day. 27 participants
• Educational Consults: 6 agriculture consults

Total Programs/Activities: 19

Total Participants: 110

Educational Publications

• Dacey, J. 2021. “Gopher Tortoises and Your Land”, news article, Northeast Florida Farm and Ranch Newsletter https://sway.office.com/gu11yR14BAg4JLc7?ref=Link&fbclid=IwAR1b1P5IuQB3V-eUQT4tTabBk67mmHolbOdPg4o6qR2ycfQGte9GacbC7a0
• Dacey, J. 2021. “Small Ruminant Hoof Trimming”, Factsheet for UF/IFAS Small Ruminant Website https://animal.ifas.ufl.edu/smallruminant/
• Dacey, J. 2021. “Birding in Florida,” Powerpoint presentation for SEASWAG Sustainable Tourism Canvas Course.

Total Publications: 3

Total Reach: 351

Special Activities, Projects, Partnerships

• University of North Florida Environmental Leadership Program student Aida completed project and presented at the Environmental Center Leadership Symposium
• Attended UF/IFAS Artificial Intelligence Extension Education Team (AIEET)
• Attended Northeast Florida Livestock Agents Group Meeting (NFLAG)
• Facilitated Northeast Florida Master Naturalist Friends Group Meeting (NEFMNP)
• Attended new UF/IFAS Hort/CED position interview
• Attended monthly UF/IFAS Nassau Extension staff meeting

HORTICULTURE – Interim Larry Figart, Duval County

Soil Samples: 20

Landowner Consults: 5