As the impact of the pandemic is still being felt across the Commonwealth, the challenges of continuing to provide relevant data to the citizens of our community increased as the lockdown started.  Continuing to conduct farm visits and serve clientele was listed as essential business.  The opportunity to use individual client meetings to serve others in the form of social media posts became evident. 

Using a GoPro camera and hand held mount educational programs offered by the Grant County Cooperative Extension Service changed from 30 minute lectures with specialists to 10 minute video posts to social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.  The ability to still reach out to clientele and let them know we are available during the pandemic was paramount to ensure citizens that their needs would still be serviced and thus the Escape from the Office series began.

Subject matter for the video was directed by the calls coming into the office for questions and the availability of teaching tools.  Topics have covered identifying winter annual weeds in hayfields, taking soil samples, how to apply mulch at the base of a tree and how to select landscape plants.   Other segments are being planned.

Over the course of the series video segments have been viewed over 2500 times by members of the community both inside Grant County and around the globe.  General feedback has been collected as the amount of contacts indicating that they had viewed a video and had more questions has increased the service to the community.  One individual that serves in a leadership role from our Extension District remarked at how the series gave her a better understanding as to the scope of service provided by the Agriculture and Natural Resource agent.