With food, entertainment and more than 150 auction packages, the Iowa 4-H Foundation's Third Annual Gala netted $73,500 to support the Iowa 4-H program statewide and at the club level. Even some 4-H youth played a role in reaching this amount, which more than doubled the 2011 gala total.
Twenty-four Iowa 4-H clubs have been awarded 2012 Pioneer Rural Community Improvement Grants totaling $4,605 to support service projects within their own communities. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, in cooperation with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development, granted $55 to $250 to each awarded club.
March is National Nutrition Month, and this year the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages Americans to “Get your plate in shape.” Sarah Francis, an ISU Extension and Outreach nutrition specialist, suggests reducing the amount of sodium in your diet.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has begun a trend in southeast Iowa aimed at enhancing economic development and quality of life by partnering with Iowa communities. The effort has yielded three shared positions specializing in community and economic development, most recently Charles "Chuck" Betts in Keokuk.
The Iowa 4-H Center has three camps that encourage family time, in fact, require it. For a weekend during the summer, parents and children are invited to spend the night and make some memories.
An Iowa State University Extension and Outreach drainage workshop will be offered in three north Iowa locations – Mason City, Algona and Le Mars in March. The workshop will examine various aspects of farmland drainage, including information about control systems for pumped outlets being used in the Red River Valley of North Dakota.
“Managing for Today and Tomorrow," a new Annie’s Project course covering business, estate, retirement and succession planning, will be offered in Carroll as well as Ames and Shenandoah. The Carroll course will be held on four consecutive Thursdays, beginning March 8. Registration deadline is March 6.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University presented annual awards to faculty and staff at its spring convocation on Feb. 16. The Team Award was presented to the Iowa State University Dairy Extension Team.
ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will update farmers with current research during the workshop "Mega Trends in Agriculture," on March 28 in Rockwell City. Information provided will help farmers position themselves for the next decade.
The Crop Scouting Competition for Iowa Youth 2012 will be held July 31 at the Iowa State University Extension Farm near Boone. High school students are invited to compete and showcase their scouting abilities in corn and soybean during this one-day event.
