As the new agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) in Carroll County, I wanted to find a way to introduce myself to community members and express my gratitude for what had been a warm welcome to the county.  Additionally, I hoped to advertise the fact that the once-vacant ANR position had been filled.  To address those goals, I arranged a giveaway of paperwhite narcissus bulbs.   Paperwhites are traditionally forced to bloom during the holiday season because—unlike many flowering bulbs—they do not require cold stratification, and they have come to symbolize the hope that accompanies wintertime celebrations.  For this reason, a paperwhite giveaway seemed like a fitting way to express my hope for a good start to my new role.

Each bag distributed included instructions for forcing bulbs, three paperwhite bulbs, and a bag of pea gravel to be used as a planting medium.  Bags were made available for pickup during office hours so I could meet those who were interested.  The event was advertised on the Facebook page for the Carroll County Extension Service and—so we could reach an audience of people who were not previously involved with extension—on the sign in front of our office.   I also pre-assembled eight “forcing bowls” and distributed them to local businesses with small signs advertising our office, hoping to attract the interest of a new audience.  Each of these signs also had a QR code linked to our Facebook page.  Distributing these bowls throughout the community was a great opportunity to introduce myself, to express my intention to make my role one of service to the county, and to advertise for the extension office.

In addition to purchasing materials, my role in the project was preparing the instructional flyer included with each bag, meeting with community members who picked up bulbs, and distributing the pre-assembled forcing bowls throughout the town of Carrollton.   30 bags were distributed at the office, 10% of which were given to people who were new to extension.  Additionally, some local businesses that received forcing bowls reported back to say that people had asked where they received the flowers, giving them an opportunity to describe extension.

Initial outcomes of the paperwhite giveaway include 30 individuals or families learning how to force bulbs.  As a result of that learning experience, those people may be more likely to engage with horticulture-related activities at the extension office in the future.  And, as mentioned before, 10% of those people were previously not involved with the extension service.  At this moment, it is more difficult to gauge the long-term outcomes of this event.   Public awareness of the extension service was undoubtedly raised, and if folks who are new to extension become involved in our activities, it may be valuable to ask how they found out about us (and whether it was through the paperwhite project)!