Cooperative Extension - News

4-H Centennial

dennish@ext.usu.edu (Dennis Hinkamp) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 MST

Contact:	Kevin Kesler
	Utah State University Extension director of Utah 4-H programs
	Phone: 435-797-0930
	E-Mail: kevin.kesler@usu.edu

	Julene Reese
	Utah State University Extension writer
	Phone: 435-797-0810
	E-Mail: julene.reese@usu.edu

USU Extension 4-H Centennial

LOGAN, UT – The year 2012 marks the centennial for Utah State University Extension 4-H, part of the nation’s largest youth development organization. The theme, “Celebrating the Past, Creating the Future,” will be integrated into 4-H events held around the state through the year.

Widely known for its early roots in cooking and agriculture, 4-H has grown during the last century to include offerings such as rocketry, robotics and global positioning systems.

The organization reaches every corner of the country with more than 6 million youths in urban neighborhoods, suburban schoolyards and rural farming communities and supports young people from elementary school through high school, according to 4-H.org. Head, heart, hands and health are the four H’s in 4-H and are the four values members work on while participating in the program.

According to Kevin Kesler, USU Extension director of Utah 4-H programs, many people attribute their success to 4-H.

“It is amazing how many people tell me they were in 4-H as a youth, and they then tell me how much 4-H contributed to their success in life,” he said. “We hope that the 4-H centennial events held around the state will provide an opportunity for 4-H alumni to come together and also to experience today’s 4-H program.”

According to Kesler, there are approximately 8,000 volunteers in Utah working with more than 75,000 youths in the Utah 4-H Program.

The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, conducted by the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University, shows young people involved with 4-H are nearly two times more likely to get better grades in school, nearly two times more likely to plan to go to college, 41 percent less likely to engage in risky behaviors and 25 percent more likely to positively contribute to their families and communities.

The research-driven programming of 4-H allows young people to engage in issues from global food security, climate change and sustainable energy to childhood obesity and food safety, according to 4-H.org. Out-of-school 4-H programs, in-school enrichment programs, clubs and camps also offer a wide variety of science, engineering, technology and applied math educational opportunities.

“Celebrating the Past, Creating the Future,” Utah 4-H’s state centennial celebration will be held Thursday, July 12, through Saturday, July 14, at Utah State University. Activities will include youth and adult workshops, youth contests, a 4-H alumni reunion, 4-H Hall of Fame awards, banquets, a barbecue on the quad, games, alumni contests and awards. Individual county events will also be held throughout the year. Contact specific county Extension offices for more information.

Kesler said it is his goal that by the end of the 4-H centennial year, everyone in the state will know that 4-H is alive and well.

“We invite everyone to join 4-H alumni and friends in ‘Celebrating the Past, Creating the Future,’” he said.

For further information on Utah Extension’s 4-H centennial celebration, contact Kesler’s office at 435-797-4444 or visit utah4h.org.

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New Bees Website

dennish@ext.usu.edu (Dennis Hinkamp) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 MST

Click here - bees.usu.edu

Seedy Business

dennish@ext.usu.edu (Dennis Hinkamp) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 MST

Seedy Business

By: Jerry L. Goodspeed, Utah State University Extension horticulturist

Seed catalogs often contain confusing terms. For example, the term “easy-to-grow” can be misleading. The term implies that growing the plant shouldn’t be difficult. In my experience, however, what it really means is the plant will only survive if planted in a greenhouse, cared for by a professional gardener and, even then, the odds are two-to-one it won’t live more than two weeks.

Other terms may be less confusing, but it is helpful to know exactly what they mean. The following is a list of terms frequently used in gardening catalogs and by horticulturists.

* Hybrid: Recently this term has been used when referring to a type of automobile. However, those in the horticulture business lay first claim to this word. Most seeds sold in garden catalogs are hybrids. This means they have been artificially cross-pollinated. Typically the pollen from one variety is used to pollinate another variety, and the cross develops a hybrid seed. This process is called hybridization.

Plants are hybridized to improve their nutrition, flavor, production and resistance to pests. Commercial plants are hybridized to improve their ability to be mechanically harvested and successfully shipped. This probably explains why home-grown vegetables have a superior flavor to those purchased off-season in the grocery store. The seeds of hybrid plants are more expensive than other seeds and cannot be collected and expected to grow the same variety.

Hybridized plants are not classified as genetically altered organisms. The genetic makeup of the pollen or seeds has not been altered — pollination has simply been controlled. Over time, many hybrid seeds have been created by Mother Nature. Many unusual-looking squash plants growing in gardens are seeds that germinated from last year’s hybrid squash left in the garden.

* Open Pollination: This term refers to plants that are pollinated in a field by whatever pollen happens to wander by. Normally, they have a genetically dominant gene that keeps them, for the most part, true to type. There may be some genetic variation because the pollen is different, but usually the seeds can be collected and the same variety grown. These seeds are fairly inexpensive.

* Heirloom: Some plants are given an heirloom designation because they are an older variety. This is just a nice way of saying the plant is an “oldie but goodie.” Most purists believe that for a variety to be called “heirloom,” it had to have been grown before 1940 and been passed down from one generation to another.

Tomatoes are the most popular plant when it comes to heirloom varieties. All heirlooms are open-pollinated and their seeds can be collected from year to year.

* Organic Seed: Most seeds come from plants grown in large fields using fertilizer to encourage healthy growth, and available (organic and synthetic) pest control options are used to control insects and diseases. If you are worried about this practice, seeds are now available from plants grown with close regulation on what can be used to fertilize plants and control pests. The term “organic seed” does not mean that pesticides did not come in contact with the plant; it simply means that any pesticides and fertilizers used were certified to be organic in nature. These seeds are typically more expensive.

Knowing the terms found in catalogs and in garden centers can be helpful. One last term to be aware of is “carefree color all season long.” The color they are referring to is most likely brown.

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