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May - June, 2023
Volume 4, Issue 3
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Working to improve lives, communities, the environment, and economies throughout Pima County. | | |
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Youth Success at the Pima County Fair
The Pima County 4-H end-of-year competitions continued to impress in 2023. Our 11-day Pima County Fair included two days for the highly anticipated Pima County Junior Livestock Sales Inc. auction. At the auction, 4-H youth succeeded through and through. Livestock sales were outstanding, with $1,039,063 raised through large stock sales and $155,775 raised through small stock sales. The funds go straight back to youth to help them fund new projects next year and to help them build their college funds. We are so grateful to buyers and bidders from the community, who supported so many of the 4-H and FFA youth in Pima County at this event. Aside from the auction proceeds, youth were also recognized for their abilities in the show ring. These youth competed with their animals day in and day out, hoping their projects would win best of breed, grand champion in market, Arizona bred and fed, etc. Many youths were awarded buckles, ribbons, and plaques, most of which were generously donated by businesses or members of the Pima County Community, but youths also helped by fundraising to pay for the awards. Awards given for Grand and Reserve Champion Showmen went to youth members who were the best that day at showcasing and working their animals. Members were also awarded ribbons for their work in Old Pueblo Hall (OPH), which was thriving this year. Because every member exhibiting livestock at the fair also submitted a project to OPH, the hall was filled with educational posters, welding projects, artwork, and more! Members' projects were judged by a team and then awarded ribbons according to their placings, many of whom were awarded blue ribbons for outstanding work. Our 4-H team looks forward to another successful year in the Pima County 4-H Club Program. We can’t wait to see how the members thrive in the 2023-2024 project year.
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Pima Extension Reaching More People Every Day!
Each year, Pima County Cooperative Extension collects information from all our programs to learn how many people we reach and how many hours of service we provide. As we emerged from our pandemic closure, 2022 saw a big jump in our numbers, with over 63,000 engagements and over 100,000 hours of service and education provided by our Extension unit. It is interesting to think about the different modes of education, the amount of time spent with each individual, and how it varies between programs and activities. If you are training to be a Master Gardener, you will receive over 60 hours of education, and in turn, you reach out to the community to help others. During 2022, the program provided over 20,000 public engagements, ranging from a 30-minute discussion about a plant problem to a 90-minute garden tour or workshop. A Pima Smartscape participant may sign up for a single class or a series of classes. A child visiting Tucson Village Farm may attend a week-long camp, a single culinary class, or be part of the teen Healthy Living Ambassador Club, meeting monthly and putting on amazing events like Tunes under the Moon. If you are one of the 700 kids participating in our 4-H club program, you have ongoing education to build skills that will take you all the way to the County Fair. In 2022, nearly 5000 people worked with us to change and improve their lives by developing better nutrition, health, and parenting skills. Learning new life skills takes time, so we offer multi-week classes and bring those classes where they are needed, whether it is a school, a community center, a recovery home, or a prison. Each of these programs seeks to provide the educational time and depth needed by that particular stakeholder or group - there is no magic one-size-fits-all. At the end of the day, one thing is certain, this outstanding reach into our community would not be possible without our many volunteers, board members, funders, and dedicated faculty and staff who work with passion and integrity every day. And to you, I say thank you!
Claire L. Zucker
Director, Pima County Cooperative Extension
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Growing
Extension Leadership
This spring, Pima County Cooperative Extension hosted the Western Extension Leadership Development (WELD) Conference. WELD is a 15-month-long leadership program, designed for Extension professionals in all disciplines including 4-H Youth Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, Natural Resources, and Agriculture. The program helps participants develop leadership and nurture new ideas they can directly apply to their programming in their own communities. During their stay here in Tucson, they were able to see first-hand some of the innovative and exceptional programming here in Pima County. The group of 30 went on a tour of The Garden Kitchen, where they learned about community partners, gardening, and food preparation. They took a tour of the gardening/parenting program run through the Family Engagement Program and held at the prison complex south of Tucson where they engaged with incarcerated men. They tested their communication skills at the 4-H High Ropes Course and participated in an “Iron Chef” competition at Tucson Village Farm. The spring seminar was the first meeting of this cohort who will now spend the next several months developing their own innovative project using the skills they learned here and tying into the needs and interests of their own communities.
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Sharing Parent-education Successes with State Political Leaders
In April of this year, the PCCE Family Engagement Program (FEP) joined leadership from the Triple P (Positive Parenting Program), one of the world’s most effective parent education programs, to visit the Arizona Capitol. Triple P works closely with state agencies and policymakers to make this valuable program, which contributes to reductions in child abuse, available to more families in Arizona. Since 2016, FEP has educated 1,750 parents and caregivers through the Triple Program – including 236 parents and caregivers of children with special needs and 1,000 incarcerated individuals. In addition, the FEP program has broken new ground, making Arizona the first place in the world where incarcerated individuals are trained to teach the Triple P curriculum to their peers. FEP helps incarcerated teachers adapt the program to the prison setting. In talking with incarcerated teachers at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville about Triple P, one woman said “I used to think that I wanted to have children right when I got out of prison. Now, I realize I need to wait until I’m ready.” Training individuals to teach their peers increases the relatability of the instruction and research shows lower levels of reoffending amongst ex-prisoners who improved relations with their families during their sentence. According to numbers generated by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR), of 268 individuals who completed Triple P classes, only 12% returned to custody within one year, whereas the return rate in the general population is 29%. As a result of the visit to the capital, several legislators as well as representatives from the Governor’s office learned about the success of FEP and Triple P in Arizona and the promise these programs hold for parents and children throughout the State.
Photo: Debbie Curley, Extension Agent; Marissa Morabito, U.S. Head of Public Affairs, Triple P America; Frances Holguin, Family Engagement Program Senior Coordinator; Brad Thomas, CEO, Triple P America.
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Arizona's Water Solutions
The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center invites you to its July 11-12 conference, What Can We Do? – Solutions to Arizona’s Water Challenges. As evidenced by near-daily news media coverage, Arizona’s multifaceted water challenges, which touch every aspect of life, are coming to a head. Recent articles have detailed how long-term drought continues and the situation in the Colorado River Basin evolves as basin states and the federal government grapple with rapidly shifting conditions and tough negotiations. While water managers look for new supply opportunities, recent stories on exporting Arizona-grown alfalfa have brought the lack of rural groundwater regulation to public consciousness. Though these and other challenges continue to mount, there is cause for measured optimism. In addition to the wet winter, which is providing some very welcome relief to the critically stressed Colorado River system, members of the water community are taking advantage of historic government investment in water infrastructure and conservation to propose creative solutions to pressing questions. How do we balance the needs of Arizona’s highly productive agricultural sector with growing urban populations? How do we improve water governance structures to preserve precious supplies? What more information do we need to better understand water challenges and possible solutions? What effective conservation technologies are available and how do we incentivize their widespread adoption? The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center’s 2023 Annual Conference, What Can We Do? Solutions to Arizona’s Water Challenges aims to provide a forum for answering these and other critical questions. The public is invited to engage over two days, July 11–12, with a diverse assemblage of speakers and panelists who will describe and discuss a wide range of solutions.
Article contributed by Michael Seronde, WRRC Program Coordinator, Sr.
Photo “Rainfell” by Stephen Cumberworth – contributed to the WRRC 2022 Photo Contest.
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Healthy Habits Start With Water!
The benefits of staying well-hydrated are pretty profound. Whether we want to live longer healthier lives or just want better digestion, clearer skin or to lose weight many of us should be drinking more water. There are several ways to support good hydration and here are two great ones that are so easy to do you don’t have to wait for summer to try, in fact, we hope you try these ASAP!
Make Water More Exciting! Plain water can be pretty boring because, well, it’s tasteless and this is often what makes it harder to drink more of it. That is where infused water comes in! Slice cucumbers and strawberries or lemons and oranges and add them to your water and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. This is perfect to put together before you start making lunch or dinner. You can also just squeeze a bit of fresh fruit juice (or 100% fruit juice you may have on hand) into your water to add flavor. Eat Your Water! Many fruits and vegetables are naturally high in water! Here are some super-hydrating foods to help increase your daily water intake: Cantaloupe, Strawberries, Watermelon, Cabbage, Celery, Spinach, Apples, Grapes, Oranges, Carrots, Pears, and Pineapple. One of the many lessons that the Community Nutrition Team at EFNEP brings to our county is that fruits and vegetables are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals, fiber, and water. Everyone needs these essential nutrients for proper body function and healing, better digestion, and hydration.
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Mosquito Info!
Mosquitoes are one of the most important insect pests that affect the health and well-being of humans and domestic animals. They can cause a variety of health problems due to their ability to transfer (vector) viruses and other disease-causing pathogens. Children and the elderly are more susceptible to the effects of these mosquito-borne pathogens (such as West Nile virus). Below are some tips that you can take to avoid mosquito bites.
Cover up: Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent. These repellents contain EPA-registered active ingredients, such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone. Follow EPA and CDC guidelines for the safe use of repellents on children.
Eliminate standing water on your property, such as in flowerpots, buckets, birdbaths, fountains, pet dishes, and toys. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in very small amounts of standing water. Check for pooled and standing water at least weekly.
Find and eliminate hidden water sources: repair leaking faucets, and broken sprinklers or hoses, cover rain-collection containers with 18x18 mesh, and keep rain gutters free of leaves.
Keep mosquitoes out. Install screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of your home. Avoid propping doors open, especially after dark.
Report neglected swimming pools and day-biting mosquitoes to your county mosquito and vector control.
For more information on mosquitoes, check out this UA Extension Publication: Mosquitos: Biology and Integrated Mosquito Management.
Article contributed by Associate in Extension, Public Health Integrated Pest Management, Dr. Shujuan “Lucy” Li. Dr. Li also works with and coordinates the Public Health IPM Team at the University of Arizona.
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UArizona Pima County Cooperative Extension
Programs and Upcoming Events
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Pima County Cooperative Extension
Website | 2021 Annual Report
Main Office: 4210 N Campbell Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719-1109
Green Valley Location: 530 E Whitehouse Canyon Rd
South Tucson, The Garden Kitchen: 2205 S 4th Avenue
Email: pcce@arizona.edu
Our Main Office on Campbell is open M-F 8:30 - 4:30
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