Wabasha County 4‑H leaders report enrollment and summer programs, note SNAP‑Ed funding ending

Wabasha County extension staff updated the board on 4‑H enrollment and summer programming and warned that the federally funded SNAP‑Ed nutrition education program will end Sept. 30.

Lisa Dirks, regional director for extension, told commissioners the extension committee recommended no change to the extension department’s budget and noted the memorandum of agreement contains a 3% increase for 2025–26. She said the SNAP‑Ed program, funded federally and administered through University of Minnesota Extension, will sunset Sept. 30 and that roughly 60 staff statewide will lose the positions tied to that federal funding.

Local staff highlighted 4‑H activity: 244 enrolled members and 53 volunteers (temporarily 53 at fair time), two day camps with strong participation, a three-day regional camp with 18 youth and one high-school counselor, five youth attending the Yellow conference (leadership-focused), and an interstate exchange trip to Pennsylvania that included museum visits and educational activities. Day-camp activities included nature exploration, straw rockets, marble-run challenges and egg-drop engineering; staff said feedback from parents was positive and one planned camp reached capacity with a wait list.

Extension staff credited long-time SNAP‑Ed coordinator Annette Shepherdson for nutrition, grant and community projects including connecting local cull-cow processing to food shelves. Carissa Espinosa is set to return from parental leave and staff thanked interim leaders for their summer work.

Commissioners asked a few clarifying questions; staff said the fair ran smoothly and thanked volunteers and long-term contributors recognized at the auction.