Marlin Bates, County Extension Director

Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter – I’m sure you’ll find something here that catches your interest. From healthy eating and the benefits of physical activity to growing a better garden and knowing who to ask when you’re stumped, we’ve got the homescape covered. You’ll also get a glimpse of the breadth of our 4-H Youth Development and Agriculture programs. We’ve welcomed new faces onto our team, and we’re excited to introduce them to you. 

At the heart of it all, you’ll find a sense of community. Regardless of how you choose to engage with your local Extension Office, you’ll gain exposure to neighbors with similar interests who are trying to address the same issues you face. While increasing access to research-based information is our century-old mission, connecting people has always been a critical part of that recipe. After all, these human connections make for a rich experience and create effective learning environments. 

Increasing your civic engagement doesn’t just benefit you – it translates into a more robust, democratic society. Currently, we are in the middle of a four-part series aimed at board leadership. Thirty of your neighbors are gathering weekly throughout this program to become better board members for community organizations. Some of the participants have long been engaged in this capacity across the county while others are just getting started. Their conversations are leading to the sort of knowledge gain that will surely improve the organizations they are serving or will serve in the future. I want to thank the members of the Douglas County Extension Council (past and present) who are helping deliver this program. This is the sort of community we’re working toward. 

We invite you to step out of your comfort zone to participate with us in this community. From our volunteer programs to our efforts to develop and shepherd the community health plan, you’ll find ways to engage with your peers beyond attending a traditional Extension class.   

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Margit Kaltenekker, Agriculture Agent

Inflated fertilizer prices and supply issues don’t have to be the end game for adding fertility to the fields around your farm. Composting manure, and/or livestock mortalities, and offal, is a reliable way to recycle nutrients on your farm, turning waste products into a valuable source of decomposed organic matter, rich in microbial life and concentrated nutrients. Some refer to Compost as ‘Black Gold’ because it is so highly valuable as a soil amendment.

Many agricultural operations already have all the necessary elements to begin composting, just by the nature of what they do: surplus plant material (bedding, spoiled hay or straw, green chop ), and/or animal waste, access to land and a level area necessary to make compost, as well as equipment on site (a tractor or skid steer with a bucket, and spreader)….making compost a feasible, beneficial and economically attractive solution to address soil and crop fertility.

But why bother composting compared to just spreading manure out of the dry lot? Sure, manure applications can be effective where a quick release of nutrients are desired, but risk losing nutrients to volatilization or runoff. Composting is a controlled decomposition process transforming biological wastes into a biologically stable humic substance, increasing fertility and structure of soils. Some of the advantages of composting include:...

Click the link below to find out some advantages of composting!

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