Warren County Commissioners 

Tom Ariss, Pat South and David G. Young

We gratefully acknowledge the continued help and support of our local county commissioners.  Their input and participation into our programming efforts is appreciated.  

Enhancing Agriculture and the Environment

• Locally grown, healthy food is important to Warren County citizens. OSU Extension works directly with our local growers at the Southwestern Ohio Fruit & Vegetable Grower School to provide information on food safety and protecting their crops. In 2011, more than 20 Ohio growers, representing over 1200 acres of produce, attended the school.  Based upon their evaluations, these growers expected to increase their profits over $23,000 by utilizing management information taught by OSU Extension professionals. 
• Learning to grow food at home was a popular subject of OSU Extension programming and personal consultations. Warren County held a backyard grower school to teach individuals how to grow fruit and vegetables at home.  More than 30 people attended the school and 100% of the participants indicated that they planned to use something they learned to improve their own gardens.  Between personal consultations and public meetings, more than 300 individuals were taught how to grow their own food at home.  
• Honeybees are vital for the production of food and the interest in beekeeping has never been higher.  To meet the demand of this clientele base, OSU Extension coordinates an annual school for beekeepers to inform them about current management issues.  In 2011, more than 400 beekeepers from three different states attended the school.  
• Increasing agronomic crop and forage yield through the correct use of pesticides was a primary focus at OSU Extension’s 2011 agronomy meeting.  During the 2011 meeting, more than 20 Warren County farmers, representing 19,650 acres, were provided up-to-date, research-based information to better manage their crops.  The evaluations from these farmers indicated that they expected to see an increase in profit of $40 per acre based on recommendations they received at the training.  
• Small acreage landowners were drawn to OSU Extension for the development of their new farm enterprises.  Locally, landowners received personal consultations from the Agriculture Extension Educator and regional seminars were made available to Warren County residents.  In 2011, more than 30 Warren County landowners took advantage of these programs and services.  
• Warren County has the fourth largest number of horses in Ohio and the equine industry is a significant contributor to the local economy.  OSU Extension taught a class and provided free consultations for horse owners to help them improve their hay and pasture field management.  More than 30 horse farms were helped by Warren County Extension in 2011.  
• Working cooperatively with OSU Extension, more than 50 Warren County Master Gardener volunteers donated over 1,500 hours of time to community service projects in the county, a value of more than $30,000. The projects included educational gardens, school programs and adult education.  

Strengthening Families & Communities

Regardless of the social challenges we face as individuals, family units or as a society at large, solutions are grounded in the development of basic living and relationship skills.  When individuals make healthy choices regarding their relationships, their health, and their personal resources, everyone benefits.  The programs and educational opportunities provided through Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) provide practical and relevant information that can be immediately applied to improve quality of life.

Some of the 2011 highlights include: 

• Ohio Works First clients were provided practical lessons on employability skills, exploring personal values and establishing goals, nutrition, food safety, consumer skills, communication skills, and career clothing choices and care.  Nearly 100 hours of classroom training was provided in 2011 to more than 500 individuals.  
• Over 100 volunteers and staff at non-profit organizations were trained in Faith Works, a four hour training designed to help volunteers working with people in poverty.  This curriculum was written by the Warren County FCS Educator and includes sections on poverty, working with people in poverty, caring for yourself as a volunteer, and how to link those in need with community resources.  
• Specific trainings provided included: Twenty one senior citizens were taught how to avoid identity theft.  Forty eight people were taught basic budgeting.  Fifty four county employees were provided sun safety information and a Derma-scan.  The renewed interest in home preservation of food initiated four home canning programs for over 30 participants.  Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children were trained regarding working with families in poverty. 

The FCS Educator also serves on numerous collaborations and coalitions to improve multi-agency decision making, decrease duplication of effort, and to identify priority areas to better utilize limited resources.  These leadership efforts produced the 2011 Warren County Community Report, a detailed 40 page publication that provides data and narrative regarding the well-being of Warren County citizens.  The 2011 report can be viewed and downloaded at both the Warren County website under Family and Children First Council and at the Warren County United Way website.  

Preparing Youth for Success

• In partnership with local high schools, businesses and community volunteers more than 1,300 high school students from six local schools and the Warren County Juvenile Detention center participated in the Real Money. Real World. program (RMRW).  RMRW is an interactive financial literacy program that gives youth a “real” look into the costs of maintaining a household and the interrelationships between education, jobs, and money.  As a result of the program the number of students who intend to get more education after high school increased from 59% to 85%.
• Through funding from the Ohio 4-H Foundation, 19 teens and 3 adults completed the GLOBE Project.  The program included a series of pre-trip team building activities focused on understanding cultural differences.  Programming at Heifer International’s Global Gateway experience in Howell, Michigan provided the teens in an immersion program designed to experience what it is like to live as a subsistence level farmer from developing parts of the world.  A main goal of this program was to build skills and abilities to prepare youth for employment in a diverse workplace. 
• The traditional 4-H program in Warren County is built on the premise of “learning by doing”.  In 2011, 1,015 youth from 52 clubs participated in 2,434 projects in 162 project areas.  Twenty-seven newly trained volunteers joined 228 experienced leaders to guide and support club activities and county events promoting leadership, citizenship and character development. 
• In cooperation with the Ohio Highway Patrol, and Warren County Juvenile Court, a team of twelve 4-H teen educators provided peer-to-peer instruction to 497 first-time juvenile traffic offenders in Warren County through interactive sessions on seatbelt use, defensive driving, and the consequences of road rage, substance abuse and other irresponsible driving choices.  Based on survey results, 96% of participants believed the CARTEENS program would help them improve their driving skills. 
• Thirteen senior 4-H youth participated in a wide variety of statewide camps and one national trip opportunity.  Participants received full or partial scholarships to Sea Camp, Leadership Camp, Forestry Camp and Citizenship Washington Focus in the amount of $6,500 from the Warren County 4-H Committee and the Warren County Agricultural Society.  An application and formal interview were used in the selection process.
• More than 975 4-H youth and over 450 parents and volunteers participated in Warren County Junior Fair activities.  County Fair participation is designed to showcase project knowledge, leadership, citizenship and sportsmanship through exhibits, interviews and contests.  Experts evaluated more than 5,300 4-H projects offering feedback to participants through placings as well as verbal and written evaluations based on performance, knowledge, communication skills and positive attitude. 
• Forty-five teens from throughout the county served on the Warren County Junior Fair Board.  Together, members completed over 3,000 hours of volunteer service as they committed to a year long program of training and meetings designed to prepare them to organize and conduct the Junior Fair events and shows.  
• 246 young people from around Warren County participated in three local 4-H camps.  Campers had the opportunity to engage in individual and group living skills, developmentally appropriate recreational activities and healthy decision-making. 
• Fifty-four county teen counselors were involved in the 4-H camp counselor program that provided over 30 hours in training in team building, leadership development, and program planning skills.  The training program also enhanced teens’ understanding of child behavior and development as well as grasping camp risk management issues. 
• Forty nine youth, new to the 4-H horse program, developed and improved their knowledge and skills in horse safety and equine nutrition as part of a 4-H safety, ethics and horse management program.  In addition, more than 225 youth and adults involved in the 4-H Horse project participated in four clinics, focusing on driving reinsmanship, trail riding, jumping/dressage, and show ring etiquette.  
• Warren County’s 4-H Endowment fund continues to grow.  With principal funds slightly over $43,000, the endowment is now providing a return back to the county to support current programs and activities.