MontcalmCounty Extension
211 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 308
Stanton, MI 48888-0308 /
Phone: 989 831-7500
Fax: 989 831-7515 / E-mail:Web: msue.msu.edu/Montcalm
International students provide new perspectives to Montcalm citizens
Linda Huyck, MSU Extension educator for Family and Consumer Sciences in Gratiot and Montcalm counties, hosted a small group of graduate students from India in her home and offices for a week this summer. The young women were part of a summer educational exchange program between MSU and Lady Irwin College in New Delhi, India.An important part of this long-running exchange program, called “Perspectives on American Family Lifestyles,” occurs when the students make visits to county Extension offices. They learn about the role MSU Extension plays in the community, how it partners with other community agencies to tackle local needs and how the staff members make positive impacts on families and communities.
This summer’s experience included a visit to a Michigan Works! Job Club site where the visitors presented a short program about marriage and family traditions in India to a group of 30 low-income parents.
The Job Club participants followed the presentation by talking about their family situations with the visitors. The experience was enlightening for both groups. / The visiting women also observed a clinic for parents eligible for aid through the USDA Women Infants and Children (WIC) program, a high school food service department, a 4-H summer program, a volunteer-run baby pantry and a community wellness coalition meeting.
As a result of this experience, these young women took a better understanding of the culture of families in Michigan back to India to aid them as they continue their studies there. The students received lasting memories of their experiences in mid-Michigan, as well as a certificate of recognition for their efforts.
The local host counties received much more. Staffs at the MSU Extension office and county partner agencies had the opportunity to put see the face of another culture and learn a little bit about how that culture deals with its family and social issues. They also gained a new awareness of and appreciation for the similarities and differences between two cultures in this rapidly shrinking world.
Communication supports potatopest management
Potato growers, like all farmers, are at the mercy of the weather, and always have to be aware of threats from weeds, diseases and pests.
Montcalm County agribusiness representatives can find out current information about growing season challenges during weekly Pest Management Breakfasts held during the potato growing season. Several specialists from MSU attend throughout the season to share research and advice with the group.
The Pest Management Breakfasts keep local crop advisors and farmers ahead of the curve and help them respond to problems before they cause economic harm.
/ Michigan State University Extension helps people improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities. Offices in counties across the state link the research of the land-grant university, MSU, to challenges facingcommunities. Citizens serving on countyExtension councils regularly help select focus areas for programming. MSU Extension is funded jointly by county boards of commissioners,the state through MichiganStateUniversity and federally through the US Department of Agriculture.
Leadership program assists local leaders
Leadership Montcalm began its seventh consecutive class on Sept. 13. This leadership development program incorporates critical issues education and skills training to build local capacity.
Sessions offered during the next eight months will include education, health care, government, public safety, economic development, natural resources and leadership styles.
A graduate of the last Leadership Montcalm, which was completed in May 2006, recently communicated these thoughts about the program to his supervisor.
“The program was extremely beneficial to me in establishing a general knowledge base for Montcalm County demographics and offerings. As an Extension course run through Michigan State University, the program was well structured with each session packed FULL of valuable information. I now have a three ring binder full of resource material! I can foresee pulling the book from the shelf on a regular basis to assist in dealing with issues from a law enforcement perspective!”
Plant sale receives support from Carson City Correctional Facility
Montcalm County Master Gardener volunteers and traineesstarted preparing for the countywide annual plant sale in April, though the sale is not held until the first weekend in June.
The Carson City Correctional Facility donated an amazing 13,000 annual and perennial plants for this year’s event. These plants were sold at the ninth annual plant sale at Heritage Village, located on the grounds of Montcalm Community College.
Master Gardener volunteers helped patrons purchase about $11,500 worth of plant material. The monies earned fund the Montcalm County Master Gardener Program and Master Gardener projects.
Master Gardeners learn and serve
Montcalm County gained 13 new certified Master Gardener volunteers in late June. These new volunteers have completed a required 40 hours of MSU Extension sponsored horticulture education classes and 40 hours of supervised volunteer service hours in the field. / At the certification ceremony, the learned about on the Master Naturalist Program.
On July 15, 32 volunteers toured Master Gardener projects in Greenville. The gardens consisted of the Flat River Community Library, Montcalm County 4-H Fairgrounds and Montcalm Community College Technical Center. Each garden featured garden issues and solutions for the Master Gardener volunteers to diagnose.
Throughout the summer, 98 continuing education hours and 1,162 service hours were accumulated. Included in these hours are the MSU Extension officehotline, community and school projects and support
for low-income vegetable gardeners. The value of these combined efforts to the county is nearly $21,000 (based on the value of $18.04 per hour, as determined by Public Sector, a national coalition of nonprofit organization that tracks this information).
Dry bean growers increase yields with help from MSU Extension
As they have for most agricultural commodities, dry beans have been low. To remain profitable, dry bean growers are always looking to cut costs. It is tempting for them to plant home-grown seed, otherwise known as bin run seed, instead of buying a commercial product.
When growers use bin run seed they introduce the risk of a low level disease infection from the crop that produced the seed. This can become a big problem in the following year’s crop. Diseases like bacterial blight can be a huge problem if disease-infested seed is planted.
Growers look to MSU Extension for information on disease risk factors, the prevalence of bacterial blight, and testing services to make their planting decisions.
This year, growers who followed the recommendations given at educational events like MSU Extension’s Western Michigan Bean Day, including the advice to plant clean, commercially produced seed, saw yields that were as much as 50 percent higher than the yields of farmers who planted bin run seed.
Michigan weather conditions can be very favorable for the development of bacterial blights in bean fields. Seed should be produced using strict sanitation practices and preferably in an environment that is not favorable for the development of this disease.
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal opportunity institution, Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Thomas G. Coon, Extension Director, MichiganStateUniversity, E. Lansing, MI48824