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2022 Impacts & Success Stories

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By the Numbers

Program Area no. of attendees/reach no. of contact hours
4-H Youth Development 1,899 251
Animal Production Systems 1,695 21
Plant Production Systems 146 6
Cooking, Food Safety, & Nutrition 1,037 97
Consumer Horticulture 2,303 108
Community Development 1,005 26

YouTube Views (consumer horticulture videos): 30,159

Newspaper Articles Reach (gardening education): 195,000

no. of Volunteers no. of hours served no. of client contacts
565 6,656 10,999

2022 NC State Extension Annual Report

Extension featured in ‘Our State’ magazine


Telling Our Stories, Celebrating Our Successes

Cattle producers need to have a bull soundness exam done before turning the bull out to pasture for the breeding season. Farmers will often overlook this step in the process because it can be inconvenient to schedule and get done. Extension hosted a fall BSE day at the WNC Livestock Center in Canton with a veterinarian to do exams for an entire day.

34 bulls were tested from 3 counties and more than 20 farmers. The impact of proper bull testing is multiplied times 20 at least because each bull services around that many cows. It was a great reach in terms of cattle and allowed our farmers to implement a recommended practice for a lower price than finding a veterinarian to come to their farm.


Engaging Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers in applied research increases their understanding of Extension’s mission, provides a fulfilling volunteer experience, and enhances Extension’s ability to conduct consumer horticulture research in multiple locations. ‘Genovese’ basil is the most widely available sweet basil variety for commercial and home production alike, despite its high susceptibility to the plant disease Basil Downy Mildew (BDM). 79 MGVs across 17 counties participated in the research trial, which compared the disease resistance and taste characteristics among six basil varieties.

85% were ‘very satisfied’ with their experience with the project, and over 80% expressed high satisfaction with the training, support, and communication provided by agents. When asked what motivated MGVs to participate in the trial, most ranked being part of a research project as ‘very important’, while participating in a statewide project and a desire for new kinds of volunteer opportunities.


A younger demographic, and outdated and unreliable home canning practices lead to unsafe situations. Botulism is a risk for low-acid foods. There is a 10-35% mortality rate for those infected, and Low and high-acid foods are at risk for spoilage if not canned properly.

Home food preservation classes were offered to home cooks through our local extension center as well as collaborating with local non-profits such as the Community Kitchen. 69 home cooks participated. Extension offered free canner lid checks to confirm the accuracy of the client’s pressure gauges.

The senior community, the limited resource community, and families including young, senior, and multigenerational were reached through Food Preservation Programming. Participants and their families will benefit from the reduced risk of foodborne illness and food spoilage. Overall, there will be economic savings due to money NOT spent on medical bills and spoiled food.


For many years, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Haywood County Center has sponsored 4th Grade Day at the Haywood County Fair. 4th-grade students, teachers, and parents from every elementary school in the county attend an agriculture education event hosted at the Smoky Mountain Event Center. Students were able to tour the exhibit hall, ask a Haywood County farmer questions while drinking local milk, see a dairy cow, make whipped cream, eat local apples, climb on antique tractors, and learn about soil conservation. Each class was left with SwAG bags that included fun items from agriculture commodity groups.

475 students attended 4th Grade Day at the Fair this year, along with 75 teachers and parent chaperones. All of these attendees left the experience with new knowledge of agriculture. There were many positive comments from teachers who enjoy bringing their classes to this field trip each year.


Printable PDF of this 2022 Annual Report