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OSU Extension outlines restarting 4‑H and Master Gardener programs in Josephine County
Summary
OSU Extension regional director Jamie Davis told county commissioners the program has rebuilt local staffing, an advisory council and volunteer networks; about 27 adult volunteers are in 4‑H onboarding and more than 70 youth are in the enrollment process, officials said.
Jamie Davis, regional director for the OSU Extension Service, told the Josephine County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 16 that the agency has used a transitional "bridge year" to restore local extension programming and rebuild community relationships.
Davis said the county—s service‑district budget approved in June allowed the extension to reassign regional faculty to Josephine County, create a service agreement with the county, and hire a community relations/program manager; Frank Busby started in the role in late September. An advisory council of 15 community members has been meeting monthly to advise the program, Davis said.
"We began enrollment for 4‑H youth and adult volunteers in October," Davis said. "There—s about 27 adult volunteers who are in the process of becoming volunteers for the 4‑H youth development program, and we have over 70 youth who are enrolled in some stage of the enrollment process." She also reported Master Gardener volunteers have reengaged, running a plant clinic and a speaker series that has drawn roughly 17–30 attendees to date.
Commissioner Barnett, who served on the advisory council during the restart, praised the outreach and said the program has taken steps to restore public confidence and oversight.
Davis outlined ongoing activities that include Growers Market outreach through December, on‑farm site visits for producers, pressure‑canner gauge testing in the food‑safety program, and a monthly Master Gardener speaker series scheduled through May. She said the current Colonial Square office space is adequate for now but that the program will likely need expanded facilities as staffing and programming grow.
The presentation concluded with an invitation for questions and ongoing coordination with county staff; commissioners offered thanks and invited the extension to return for future updates.
The county did not take a separate formal vote on the presentation itself. The next procedural step described by Davis is continued recruitment and onboarding of volunteers and finalizing facility needs identified by the advisory council.
