Jessamine County CES

Title:

Homes, landscapes and gardens

MAP:

Home Environment

Agents Involved:

Karli Jessie, Cathy Weaver, Steve Musen

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Home & Consumer Horticulture

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Securing Financial Stability (general)

Situation:

Jessamine County ranks in the top 10 fastest growing Kentucky communities. Estimated median house/condo value in 2005 was $133,269 and the cost of building a single family home in 2006 was $224,300. Part of the value of any persons home is in the landscaping of the home. Not only does attractive landscaping add value to a property, it also brings enjoyment to the individuals living in the home and provides a sense of pride throughout the community where the home is located. Many people consider yard work as a relaxing hobby, while others use work around the home landscape as a way to escape the pressures from work.

Home gardens and community gardens have grown in popularity the past few years. The community garden concept is perhaps the most popular topic with groups at this time. As home lots become smaller, there are fewer possibilities for homeowners to have any appreciable garden. Extension continues to address the needs of these individuals by providing educational programming related to container gardening, raised bed gardens and community gardens to assist homeowners find ways to produce their own healthy foods.

Regardless of why people choose to work on their landscape or home gardens, there comes a time when problems arise or questions need to be answered.


How we live life is ever-changing but learning basic life skills is still as important as ever. Learning to practice healthy habits, select clothing to emphasize one’s best appearance, create and live within a budget, prepare nutritious meals safely, nurture children, create a safe and pleasant home environment, practice common courtesies, and form relationships with others—all of these skills are basic to everyday life. Many schools no longer include family and consumer sciences classes in the curriculum. Reality is that today’s youth and adults are busier than ever. Many of these basic life skills are not consistently taught to youth at home or at school. 4-H family and consumer sciences projects equip youth with these skills.

4-H often offers basic learning activities on a topic of interest to youth but the addition of activities which support that interest (such as fair exhibits, related subject matter workshops or day camps, field trips, and decision-making judging contests) significantly increase the development of life skills in youth. In a study by Olson, Croymans and Ji (2014), 4-Hers reported that participating in 1 or 2 educational opportunities influenced the development of critical thinking and decision making skills, and participating in 6 to 8 opportunities significantly increased the program’s influence by adding development of life skills in leadership, planning/organization, wise use of resources, useful/marketable skills and accepting differences.
While many FCS skills can be learned through self-directed projects or school enrichment, it’s beneficial for youth to have the added experience and guidance of a trusted adult and the opportunity to form relationships with caring mentors. For many adults, long-term volunteering is not always possible but shorter-term volunteer roles create doable opportunities for more people to tuck volunteering into busy schedules. Special interest clubs and groups that meet for a few weeks or months broaden the possibilities. The volunteer efforts of multiple adults may be required to take the 4-H experience from club meetings alone to also include exhibits, field trips and more.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Kentuckians face a lot of stress factors including environmental issues, economic concerns, health worries, and community strife. Gardening is a tool to abate life’s stress, enhance the environment, develop individuals, and build communities.

People who have a hobby, eat healthy and exercise on average live longer and happier lives than those who have no outlet for the stresses of everyday life. A well planned, well kept landscape adds value to one’s home and provides enjoyment. A garden allows a family to be somewhat self sufficient. A garden can improve a person’s overall health by providing fresh fruits and vegetables, providing an outlet for stress and a means to exercise.

People who maintain their landscape should see a benefit from their work in increased value to their property. People will recognize and identify interior needs for their home and utilize skills to make home improvements and/or changes.

Youth will:
? Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members.
? Gain and maintain employment through life skill development.
? Contribute to a safe, pleasant and productive home and family.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Home owners and gardeners need to learn the basic principles of home interior, landscaping and gardening so that a relaxing hobby does not become a catalyst for even more stress. A well thought out interior, landscape and garden can add a great deal of enjoyment to an individual’s life. Gardeners also need to learn how to store the vegetables which they produce and develop healthy recipes to enhance an improved healthy lifestyle. Improve both the built and natural environment to increase active and healthy lifestyles. Articulate and apply smart financial behaviors related to goal setting, budgeting, analysis of credit and contracts, risk management, saving and investing, and use of financial services.


Youth will:
? Utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations
? Project a positive image and self-confidence
? Practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making
? Practice healthy eating choices
? Make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results
? Adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future

Initial Outcomes:

People who want to maintain their own landscape need to learn a variety of things. The types of grass which do well in their lawn, soil sampling, plants which perform well in sun or shade, acid or alkaline loving characteristics of landscape plantings, and basic landscape principals are all important. Learning to propagate plants through grafting or cuttings is also important.

For the home gardener, soil testing, garden planning, variety selection, disease and insect control strategies, weed control, marketing, food handling and storage and marketing are all vital to the success of a home garden.

People who want to improve their interior of their home, whether it is cosmetic or functional, will need to learn a variety of skills and gain knowledge on what questions to ask regarding a new home interior project. Learning where to purchase items, what items are needed, and what quality of item to look for are very important to completing a home interior project successfully.

Youth will:
? Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs
? Understand the decision-making process
? Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action
? Learn to read and follow instructions

Evaluation:

Long-Term Outcome:
Home owners are able to add value to their property and adopt a project that offers stress relief to the individual.
Evaluation may be made through increased property values and long-term adoption of stress relieving activities.

Intermediate Outcome:
Adoption of various landscaping tools demonstrated and taught through extension participation including gardening, lawn care, tree care and home landscaping.
Evaluations may be made through followup surveys, visits and the continued use of the extension service by program participants.

Initial Outcome:
Program participation and followup questions are used as a guide to the immediate impact of the program. Followup questions to the office indicates adoption of the practice by individuals. Followup surveys, evaluations and visits from the agent will also be used to determine the initial success and/or impact of the program.

? Number of youth who reported that they followed instructions step-by-step to do or make things themselves. ? Number of youth who reported that they followed safe practices. ? Number of youth who reported that they showed another person how to do what they learned to do for themselves. ? Number of youth who reported that they set a goal and accomplished it. ? Number of youth who demonstrate increased or routine use of life skills learned through 4-H in daily life.

Learning Opportunities:

* Neighborhood Seminars – pruning, lawn maintenance, flowers – summer
* Landscape Powerpoint presentations – on home landscape maintenance and disease control - civic organizations.
* Grafting Workshop – fruit tree grafting – February
* Area Home and Garden Seminar - spring
* How to be more green – fall and spring
* 4H Sewing projects - year
* 4H Cloverville - summer
* Hearth and Home - summer
* Tree pruning powerpoint presentation – fall
* Home gardening basics – Asbury, local Groups, Churches – spring
* Mission Garden Project – in conjunction with Asbury University
* Development of community gardens - Asbury, churches, schools
* Proper pesticide use around the home - seminar - Fall
* Disaster Preparedness programming
* Second Sunday
* Home is where the heart is
* Where Does Your Money Go?
* Money Habitudes
* High School Financial Planning
* 4-H Garden Club

Success Stories