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UNL Douglas‑Sarpy Extension outlines 4‑H, nutrition, urban agriculture and Master Gardener programs
Summary
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Douglas‑Sarpy Extension staff presented program highlights to the Sarpy County Board, citing outreach to childcare providers and thousands of volunteer hours from Master Gardeners; commissioners praised the program’s community return on investment.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Douglas‑Sarpy Extension staff on April 22 briefed the Sarpy County Board of Commissioners on outreach and education programs that serve the county’s youth, childcare providers and gardeners.
Unit leader Carrie Schneider Miller told the board the Extension offers programming across multiple areas and highlighted nutrition, health and food‑safety education. Miller said the Extension provides food‑safety certification classes for food‑service establishments and delivers grant‑funded nutrition and health education to limited‑resource youth and adults. "As of today, we have awarded 3,000 continuing education credits to child care providers in both Douglas and Sarpy County," Miller said, adding that many of those trainings were moved online after the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Brett Rifles, head of the forestry/4‑H area for Douglas and Sarpy counties, summarized 4‑H activity. He said Extension programming reaches urban and rural youth and highlighted two recent agricultural festivals that drew nearly 1,100 young attendees over two days, about 90% from Sarpy County school districts. Rifles described embryology classroom programs that hatch chicks in schools and said the Extension is expanding that curriculum in Papillion‑La Vista schools.
Dana Freeman, horticulture and urban agriculture educator, described Master Gardener volunteers and other horticulture work. Freeman said Extension Master Gardener volunteers — about 315 people — support 20 teaching gardens across the two‑county area (including six in Sarpy County), staff more than 100 outreach tables at community events and answered more than 10,000 lawn, gardening and pest questions last year. She said Master Gardeners volunteered "over 20,000 hours" in 2024 and that the in‑kind benefit of that volunteer time was "over $670,000." Freeman also reported the program grew and donated more than five tons of produce to local food pantries last year.
Commissioners praised the Extension’s work and noted its value to youth development and community engagement. Commissioner comments thanked staff for the presentation and invited Extension staff to keep the board informed and to invite the commissioners to 4‑H events and the county fair.
The presentation closed with staff offering contact information and a link to Extension resources for follow‑up questions.
