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Washington State UniversityServing Mason County for more than 100 yearsWashington State University Extension Mason County helps people put research-based knowledge to work, improving theirlives, communities, and the environment.To realize this mission, faculty and staff plan, conduct and evaluate research and experience-based educational programsto improve the lives of Mason County residents.WSU Extension Mason County also employs the assistance of hundreds of volunteers and community partners and providesaccess to the resources available at Washington State University and the National Land Grant University Extension System.PartnershipsDan Teuteberg, County Director &4-H Youth Development [email protected] Ext. 686WSU Extension Mason County303 N 4th Street, Shelton, WA 98584360-427-9670 Ext. 680http://extension.wsu.edu/masonFacebook pages:Mason County 4-HMason County Noxious WeedsMason County Master GardenersMason County and Washington State University have along-standing partnership in providing educationalprograms and research-based information to residentsthroughout the county. This partnership ensures thatresources are committed from Federal allocations andUniversity funds to keep important educational programsavailable in Mason County.Other Mason County partnerships include: United Way of Mason County Early Learning Coalition Shelton Timberland Library Mason Conservation District Mason County Health Department The Salmon Center Hood Canal Coordinating Council School Districts—Shelton,Pioneer and Hood Canal Community Services Offices Saints Pantry Food Bank Behavioral Health Resources Mason General Hospital Washington Conservation Corps
Washington State UniversityBY THE NUMBERS2019/2020 1,602 youth engagedin 4-H YouthDevelopmentactivities 68 trained adultvolunteers 14 trained youthvolunteers 144 youth engaged inSHOOTING FOR THE STARSeducational campingprograms 146 families reachedthrough communityoutreach programsThe Mason County 4-H Sharpshooters club is not just teaching youth to shoot,but helping them take proper aim at life. The objectives of the program centeraround building life skills that include decision-making, teamwork,self-discipline, self-confidence and problem solving. The program also works topromote the highest standards of safety and sportsmanship, along with anappreciation and understanding of natural resources. Project activities includeFriday night archery practice and Saturday morning shotgun practice in additionto club business meetings. Theprogram is open to youthbetween the ages of 8 – 18and takes place under theguidance of certified, trainedvolunteers. Many participantshave their sights set oncompeting in the WashingtonState Shooting Sports NationalQualifying Event in May.Shotgun Practice4-H CoordinatorExt. 6814-H empowers youth to reach their full potential,working and learning in partnershipwith caring adults.
ROBOTICS IS ON A ROLLThe 4-H Robotics project growing in popularity acrossMason County as 4-H volunteers and youth worktogether to make critical decisions to successfully meetchallenges. The activities combine science withtechnology while the kids develop problem-solving,QUOTESteamwork, leadership, and engineering skills. Armedwith laptop computers, Lego robotic kits, electronics“I love 4-H campequipment, and an undeniable passion 4-H volunteersbecause it lets kids beare reaching and teaching youth in Mason County. Sitesinclude Squaxin Island Learning Center, Sheltonkids. They are away fromelectronics, can get dirty,and don’t have to worryTimberland Library, North Mason Boys and Girls Club,and a newly launched Family Robotics Night at Memorial Hall. With STEM beinga major focus in education, robotics, electronics, and coding are great ways toabout anything but beingintegrate science, technology, engineering, and math into fun activities wherea kid.” Daniel, 4-Hyouth engage in playful and meaningful learning while they discover the fun incamper parentscience and technology. Robotics is an important component of the MasonCounty 4-H program and we are thankful for the knowledgeable volunteers whoenthusiastically provide this opportunity to families in our community.CLOVER KIDS CLUBAfter a brief winter break Clover Kids is back with a lineup of fun, educational,and hands-on activities for Mason County families. We will begin the 2020series on March 4 learning the art of decorating sugar cookies with a localprofessional cookie artist. The activity will include ingredients, supplies andtechniques for participants to create their own masterpieces. Clover Kids is amonthly series for kids ages 5-12 where we have fun and learn new things.Each month we explore a newtopic and help kids spark theirinner passions, interests, andtalents, helping them to discovertheir best self! The series is freeFamily Robotics Nightand takes place the firstWednesday of each month withwoodworking, pizza, art, sewing,and more on tap for 2020.“ I PLEDGE my HEAD to clearer thinking, my HEART to greaterloyalty, my HANDS to larger service and my HEALTH to betterliving for my club, my community, my country and my world. ”
Washington State UniversityBY THE NUMBERS2020Total Reached 445 15 youth seriestaught, 1st through11th grades Total youthreached: 425 1 adult series 9 participants Total adultsreached: 20 PSE at CSOTotal reachedSNAP-Ed reconnected with the local DSHS Community Service Office (CSO) to effect positiveannually CSO &organizational changes which will better support and assist SNAP clients with makingFood Bank: 1,553healthy choices and increasing access to healthy foods. We attended an all-staff CSO2 adult single events:meeting to discuss past, present and future nutrition education lobby demonstrations andTotal contacts - 11impacts. We also familiarized staff with our programming and services provided to thecommunity. SNAP-Ed provided introductory Policy, Systems and Environment (PSE) trainingrelevant to CSO staff. The training helped create an awareness amongst staff on how PSEstrategies influence clients’ choices regarding food and physical activity. Some strategiesthat CSO staff were willing to incorporate are: creating a more inviting and user-friendlylobby by including a play space for children which will include nutrition education coloring/puzzle pages in English and Spanish, and better signage directing clients to appropriatelines so they do not become frustrated and leave before obtaining needed services.Another strategy involves CSO employees modeling healthy behaviors while waiting onclients, such as having water bottles/unsweetened beverages and healthy snacks visible,while leaving sodas/energy drinks and less healthy foods at their desks. CSO staff alsoagreed to promote healthy food access/SNAP matching incentive resources provided byRobert expertly dicing onions PSSC participantCoordinatorExt. [email protected] program, recruiting and directing clients to our Plan, Shop, Save & Cook (HEAT)nutrition and cooking classes, and promoting lobby demonstrations.SNAP-Ed Nutrition Programs focus on providingdietary quality, physical activity and foodresource management for adults and youth.
Quotes"Look! We made smoothies forour class party! They have lots offruit and some vegetables(spinach and I forget the other'sname) and they'resuper healthy!They're perfectly delicious!" Maelani B., 1st grade studentSNAP-ED AT PIONEER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPioneer Elementary School once again welcomed SNAP-Ed back into its firstand fifth-grade classrooms. One hundred first-graders are experiencing ReadFor Health, a 6-lesson series, which focuses on eating a rainbow of fruits andvegetables, trying new whole grains,discovering the sources of our foods andhaving fun with physical activity. Duringeach lesson, the nutrition educator readsa story which pertains to the core themeand provides an adventure bite whichreflects that theme. One week thestudents may listen to I Will Never, NotEver, Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child thentaste “Moonsquirters” and “Twiglets fromJupiter”. The next time, students willtaste homemade bean dip with tortillachips after listening to The TortillaFactory by Gary Paulsen. IncorporatingTeagan Blanchard serving uptasty samples, 1st gradephysical activity breaks into the lessonhelps get the ‘wiggles’ out and modelshow a little bit of movement can refocusRilynn Sampica & Viviana Escobarsampling vegetables, 1st gradethe students so they are ready to learn.One-hundred ten fifth graders are experiencing Growing Healthy Habits, whichzeroes in on food and body systems. Students learn to differentiate betweenprocessed and unprocessed foods, why eating a variety of fruits and veggies isimportant and the phytonutrients they contain, and maintaining a healthyweight by monitoring energy taken in with energy expended. All lessonscontain physical activity breaks using fit sticks. All lessons also includetastings, like Rainbow Slaw, Almond Butter with Apple Slices and Carrots, BeanDip with Veggies, Whole Grain Crackers and Farmers’ Market Salsa with WholeJared Edwards drawing hisfavorite family meal, 1st gradeGrain Chips.EducatorExt. [email protected]
The Partnership Continues and Gains MomentumQuotes“My child (Owen) is a verypicky eater and will only eatchicken nuggets.” (an hourlater) ”Oh my gosh —he’s eating this!”Mariah at the beginningof the class and at the endduring the chili tasting withher son during HEAT class.Shelton School District and WSU Mason County SNAP-Ed presented the first oftwo Plan, Shop, Save & Cook (PSSC) HEAT series to district parents andcommunity members. The four-lesson series focuses on planning ahead,shopping wisely, saving money and eating healthfully. Learning by doing,participants practice the skills they acquire each session. During Lesson 1,participants create a meal plan for one meal based on sale items and write ashopping list for that meal. Lesson 2 focuses on using Nutrition Facts panel andingredient lists on food labels to make healthier choices. Participants comparenational and store brand foods in Lesson 3 to select the lowest cost option“I am excited about ournext cooking class. Ilearned so much in lastweek's class, not onlyabout cooking essentials,but also and maybemore importantly howto organize my dailywhen buying healthy foods. Finally, participants plan a low-cost meal and applyMyPlate guidelines to combination foods.Thanks to Kristen Fendley, Parent/Family Engagement Coordinator and theShelton School District (SSD), PSSC has expanded from 60 to 90 minutes, soparticipants cook an entrée each session. SSD provides the ingredients for thefeatured meals. The District provides on-site child care, which often presents abarrier to parents attending class, and also provides a Spanish interpreter.cooking activities. For asingle person and even aMariah,William,Robertand Bobpreppingbusy family, organizationcan be so important insaving money, not wastingmeals prepared andDuelingpots ofchilishopping. I found at FredMeyer's a package of 10meal containers to freezeor refrigerated leftovers.”Bob, HEAT nutrition/cooking class participantOwen andMamaenjoyingchiliKalika,Gaby &KristenmodelHEATapronsPlan, Shop, Save& Cook classes
Washington State UniversityBY THE NUMBERS2019 / 2020 43 active MasterGardener Volunteers 9 Master Gardenervolunteers completedtraining in May 2019- 5 have becomecertified 5,596 volunteerhours provided toMason Countyin 2019 - average of120 hours per MasterGardener - 5thhighest in WA Mentor 1 schoolgarden at BelfairMASTER GARDENER PROGRAM MISSIONEngaging university-trained volunteers to empower and sustain diversecommunities with relevant, unbiased, research-based horticulture andenvironmental stewardship education.THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE WORKSHOPSA wide range of horticultural and environmental topicswere offered during this year’s workshop series running onalternating Saturdays, January through March. Our localElementary: 237 K-5Mason County Master Gardeners shared their knowledgestudentsand insight on a variety of topics including: “Great PlantPicks for Mason County,” “Keep it Growing,” “Can Your 287 communitymembers educated atThrough the GardenGate workshops in2019Landscape Take the Heat?”, “The Life of a VegetableGarden,” and “Indoor Gardening.” The responses from theaverage of 50 attendees per session, was tremendous.Comments: “So much to learn!”, “Very informative and relevant.”, “Greatpresentations! Thanks Master Gardeners for all you do for the community.”CoordinatorExt. [email protected]
CATALYSTThe Catalyst Park Food Bank Demonstration and Community Garden gives backto the community in many ways!BY THE NUMBERS2019/2020 to get hands-on learning and grow their own produce. Monthly educationalprograms are being developed and will be delivered April through September.1,941 pounds of FreshApplications are due to the Extension Office by the end of February. The MasterOrganic ProduceGardeners are reaching out to the community to obtain materials and fundingdonated to Saint’sto create beds that can accommodate three requests for accommodation. ThePantry Food Bank Applications are available for the 24 community beds for community members24 community gardenrequests are for higher raised bedswhich would allow for three individualsbeds available towith specific disabilities to participate inMason Countythe garden. The group is hoping tocommunity residentscreate five community beds that canaccommodate these and additionalrequests.The Catalyst Demonstration Garden“nap” is almost over. The garden will beopening up in March with bedpreparation and vegetable planting.Once again, the produce grown will bedonated to Saint’s Pantry Food Bank. Inkeeping with the mission of the MasterGardener program, more emphasis willbe placed on getting vegetablegardening information out to thecommunity via Facebook posts andYouTube videos.Randy has rented beds for years. Hetries out new crops and new gardeningtechniques.Master Gardener Office ClinicE ve r y M o n d a y 1 2 - 3 p . m . E x t . 6 8 7E-mail: [email protected]
PLANT AND PEST CLINICThe Master Gardener Plant and Pest Clinic is becoming more well-known andquestions are coming in year round, not just during the growing season. TheBY THE NUMBERS2019/2020 193 plant and insectquestions answeredduring MasterGardener Plant andInsect Clinics volunteers have been busy answering the community’s plant and pestquestions since mid-January. Master Gardeners are available every Mondayfrom noon until 3:00 at the Extension Office and via email, to investigate andrespond to questions regarding Mason County gardening issues.MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER TRAININGJanuary saw the start of a new training class where ten individuals began theirpath of becoming Mason County Master Gardeners! The training consists ofboth an online WSU developed horticulture program along with face to faceParticipated in 21sessions on various program and horticulture topics. Trainees must completeShelton Farmer’s60 volunteer hours to become certified Master Gardeners. Volunteers payMarkets: providing 275 to enroll in the program with a 100 refund when the initial volunteergardening educationand problem solvinghours are completed. Training will be completed in May and the trainees willthen have a year to become certified.PLANT SALE AND OTHER FUNDRAISINGWork is in progress for the two major fundraisers which provide the fundsneeded to keep the program going. Master Gardeners are planting seeds andtending perennials for the Plant Sale Festival being held at Kneeland Park onFriday and Saturday, May 15 and 16. As the Program receives no Countyfunding, it is primarily up to the volunteers to raise funds keep this communitybenefitting program alive. Not only does the event provide a wide range ofwonderful plants suited to our location, we provide an educational tent andplant expertise. We hope to see you all there supporting the program!The Garden Tour will be returning this year! Several beautiful and instructionalMaster Gardener Clinic at theShelton Farmers Marketgardens in the Pickering and Agate area have been selected for the tour. Theevent will be held on Saturday, July 11 and tickets will, for the first time, beavailable online.Master Gardener Office ClinicE ve r y M o n d a y 1 2 - 3 p . m . E x t . 6 8 7E-mail: [email protected]
Washington State UniversityBY THE NUMBERS2019/2020 100 property ownersassisted with noxiousweed control 1,502 contacts at 7local events 4 articles for theShelton-MasonCounty Journal 4 Mason Countyprivate rock sourcesinspected forcompliance withfederal “Weed Free”specifications 104 USDA ForestService acres treated95 propertiesinspected forgiant hogweed 23 giant hogweedsites controlled 460 propertiesinspected forknotweed 97 knotweed sitescontrolledCoordinatorExt. [email protected] unseasonably wet weather, and an early end to the field season, Mason CountyNoxious Weed Control staff made significant progress in the control of noxious weeds in thecounty during the 2019 season. Multiple reports to fulfill legal and contractual obligationsprovide an opportunity for staff to recognize those accomplishments. Completed reportsinclude: Washington State Department of Agriculture - Knotweed program - Fulfilledrequirements of the Washington State Department of Agriculture Knotweed ControlProgram.Olympic Invasisves Working Group - Provided year end data for knotweed control effortsby MCNWC.NPDES - This report summarizes the amount of aquatic pesticides discharged to surfacewater of Washington State to control noxious weeds.Olympic National Forest Title II Participating Agreement - Thiscomprehensive report details the efforts made by MasonCounty Noxious Weed Control to control invasive species onNational Forest land. For 2019, noxious weeds were controlledon 104 acres of National Forest land. In additional, ten rocksources, which included four private pits, were inspected toreduce the potential for spread of invasive plant species throughcontaminated materials. The report may be found at:https://extension.wsu.edu/mason/.Responsible for identifying noxious weeds that areimpacting our county resources, including agriculture,forestry, fisheries, recreation and native habitats.
GRANT PROPOSALSIn an ongoing effort to augment program funding to assist Mason Countyproperty owners with noxious weed control or preserve habitat in the county,the program submitted three grant proposals in early 2020. These include:Proposal to the Olympic National Forest for Title II funded noxious weed controlto be initiated in fiscal year 2020.Quotes“I appreciate youanswering myquestions and giving me acourse of action to take ifI have any future concerns.” JWProposal to the Washington State Department of Agriculture for funding toassist property owners with control of the class A noxious weed, gianthogweed.Proposal to the Washington State Department of Agriculture for funding tobegin survey and treatment for the class B designates, perennial pepperweedand common reed. Both species are only known from the Hood Canal area inMason County.2020 MASON COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED LISTPursuant to RCW 17.10.090, the Mason County Noxious Weed Control Boardvoted to adopt the 2020 Mason County Noxious Weed List on February 12,2020. The list may be found at: oxious-weed-list.pdf.WEED ALERT UPDATEWe have a new look to our popular Weed Alerts.The new version will be posted to the NoxiousWeed website as they are completed. Our goal isto have all our handouts updated in time for ourfirst event of the season, theMatlock Old Timers Fair.We are available to help landowners and landmanagers with information, services, and resources to dealwith invasive, non-native plant species.
Washington State UniversityBY THE NUMBERS2019/2020Food Safety &Food Preservation 19 gauges checked. 12 were not accurateand requiredadjustment orreplacement.Septic SystemWorkshops 3 classes conducted 195 participants 2020 goal is toconduct threeworkshops in MasonCounty and possiblySMALL FARMS NATURAL RESOURCES POSITIONWashington State University posted the Small Farms Natural Resources positonon February 7th. The applicant screening should begin by mid March.The Small Farms and Natural Resources Educator will assist in managing,promoting and evaluating the Small Farms and other Natural Resources Extensionprograms throughout Mason County. The educator will also work closely withregional faculty and staff in developing methods to increase participation andeffectiveness of the small farms/natural resources Extension programs. The fullposition description can be viewed at https://www.wsujobs.com/postings/50561a few by request.2020 MASON COUNTY FARM FRESH GUIDEThe guide lists local farms that provide a wide diversity of products for saledirectly to the consumer. Updates have been made and submitted to the graphicdesigner, the 2020 guide is expected to be out in April. The new Small FarmsNatural Resources educator will be distributing the maps to local establishments,farms, along with recruiting new farms for 2021.HTTP://EXTENSION.MASON.WSU.EDU303 N 4th St., Shelton WA 98584(360) 427-9670 Ext. 680Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination.Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.
available in Mason County. School DistrictsUnited Way of Mason County Early Learning Coalition . to club business meetings. The program is open to youth between the ages of 8 – 18 . Timberland Library, North Mason Boys and Girls Club, and a newly launche
