Shawnee County Extension reports parity across programs, highlights 4-H and nutrition outreach

Candace Stiles, director of the Shawnee County Extension Office, told commissioners Jan. 27 that the office reached demographic parity for its program year in 2024, meaning participation demographics match county demographics, a milestone K-State Extension tracked for the county.

Stiles summarized activities from the October–December quarter and highlighted volunteer contributions and outreach programs. She said 4-H agent Grace Wiens reported 152 volunteer hours for the quarter and hosted club leader and youth officer leader trainings. Stiles described the program's school-enrichment offerings (chick embryology, ant hills, wheat kits) and said the Shawnee County Extension Foundation sponsored scholarships to pay program fees for first-time teachers; 27 teachers used the scholarships.

Stiles said the county's community-vitality programs held a youth pitch contest with 15 participants and cash awards, including a $1,000 first prize, and credited partners OmniCircle, Shawnee Startups and Go Topeka for help organizing the event. She cited a client testimonial from a nutrition program participant reported by Sofia Diaz Bueno, the extension's expanded food and nutrition agent: "I'm now choosing more fruits and vegetables and less processed snacks. And making a menu has really reduced the cost of my groceries because I'm not impulsively buying food." Stiles said nutrition classes were held at Topeka Rescue Mission, Mirror Inc. and the Southside Filling Station.

Horticulture programming led by Lane Weens drew statewide attention: Stiles said a Master Gardener webinar on home hydroponics attracted about 300 live viewers and has since been viewed many times on YouTube. The Master Gardener volunteers logged 8,803 volunteer hours in 2024, about 600 more hours than in 2023, Stiles said.

Abigail Goettinger, the county's agriculture and natural-resources extension agent, described work around outreach to producers in January, including five educational sessions at the Topeka Farm Show covering body condition scoring for cattle and forage sampling. Goettinger said those sessions reached 52 attendees and that extension staff engaged or distributed publications to another 54 people at indoor and outdoor booths.

Goettinger said the extension has hay probes available for checkout (free with a $20 deposit) so producers can test hay for crude protein, moisture and energy content. She announced local upcoming programs including a farm-and-ranch transition conference in Lawrence on Feb. 27 and a prescribed-burn workshop planned for March 13 at the Shawnee County Public Library with the Kansas Forest Service and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

Stiles and Goettinger answered commissioners' questions and said additional program details are available through the extension office. They left brochures on the table with schedules and volunteer opportunities.