FRANKFORT — Purdue Extension in Clinton and Carroll counties is moving to a regional model, 4-H enrollment will open a month later than usual and the county Extension office will move back to the fairgrounds, an Extension educator said Oct. 1 on WILO’s Party Line.
Caren Jenkins is the Purdue Extension health and human sciences (HHS) educator for Clinton and Carroll counties. She said the two counties are now part of Purdue Extension’s Region 4, a seven-county region that includes Carroll, Clinton, Tipton, Howard, Miami, Grant and Cass counties. The area used to have nine counties, but Fulton and Wabash moved to other regions. Region 4 has four HHS educators.
“We are better together and we can just have way more impact working together,” Jenkins said. She said county and regional lines are “not a hindrance by any means.” She also works in Tippecanoe and White counties. “Wherever the community needs us, that’s where we are,” she said.
4-H enrollment opens Nov. 1
4-H enrollment usually opens Oct. 1, Jenkins said. This year it will open Nov. 1 because of Purdue Extension’s realignment and restructuring. Under the new setup, HHS and agriculture and natural resources staff work regionally, while 4-H stays in every county.
4-H serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Clinton County offers more than 70 projects, and children in kindergarten through second grade have their own “mini” projects. Traditional projects such as sewing, cooking and livestock are still offered, along with computer science, aerospace, drones and other STEM areas.
“Kids are learning life skills through all kinds of different projects,” Jenkins said. She credited the volunteers who run clubs and workshops, saying Extension “would not be able to run … 4-H without those volunteers.”
Families can contact Hannah at the Clinton County office or Gretchen in Carroll County, or enroll at IN.4HOnline.com.
Food as Medicine program
Jenkins described a 12-week Food as Medicine program she ran first in Clinton County and then in Carroll County, where she said it was even more successful. The program won awards and took her to a national conference. She said colleagues from Arizona, Michigan State and the University of Maryland asked her about it.
Participants watched cooking demonstrations and took home bags of food. Some also received crock pots and air fryers donated by Healthy Communities of Clinton County. The lessons drew on Extension programs including Dining with Diabetes and Be Heart Smart, Eat Smart, Move More. A colleague in Cass County helped develop the program.
The program lasts 12 weeks “because it takes 12 weeks to see a change,” Jenkins said. The local health department applied for and managed the funding, which came from Health First Indiana grant funds, and also did the participants’ health screenings. By the end, more than 56% of participants had improved at least one measure, such as A1C (average blood sugar over past 2-3 months), cholesterol or blood pressure.
“It’s working. We’ve just got to get the news out,” she said. Jenkins has written a grant to fund the program again.
Technology, farm certifications and the holidays
Jenkins said she is trained in Senior Planet, a digital literacy program for older adults. She said the goal is to help people make “their own smart decisions,” including people who choose not to use smartphones. She also said her Extension colleague Amy Webster is about to begin pesticide applicator recertification (PARP) sessions for farmers.
For the holidays, Jenkins is part of “Urge to Splurge,” an interactive email series with an assistant named Irma. It offers ways to save money and use resources people already have.
Office moving back to fairgrounds
The Extension office will move back to the Clinton County fairgrounds soon, Jenkins said. The learning network will stay in the building the two shared. A date and other details are expected in a later announcement. Program information is available at extension.purdue.edu/clinton and extension.purdue.edu/carroll.
