Marshall County Purdue Extension Health and Human Sciences Educator Karen Richey and Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Educator Brieanna Slonaker updated the Marshall County Council on Marshall County Purdue Extension activity and were available to answer any questions the Council might have during their February meeting.
Richey shared that she provides Life Skills Training to participants in the Jail Chemical Addictions Program (JCAP) at the Marshall County Jail. She provides programming in various areas including budgets.
Richey also provides the ServSafe Training through the Extension Office.
Slonaker updated the Council that she is still going through training. In December she completed the Soil Health Signature Program, a brand new program coming to Indiana in partnership with Purdue Extension and the Conservation Cropping Initiative. They focus on protecting soil health and regenerative soil health. Heavy tillage can impact soil in a negative way and cause drainage issues and depletion in nutrients, including reduced carbon storage. Since soil is a limited natural resource, the goal is to educate farmers on maintaining soil health in their fields. Slonaker was one of ten educators chosen to participate. This research is currently being conducted at the University level, however, there may be a collaboration with a local farmer in Marshall County to test some of the findings on their own property later this year.
The Extension Office is offering a Succession Planning Program to individuals who may want more information about passing down the family farm.
The Extension Office is also going to be offering training on Preparing for Rural Emergencies. The training will include how to respond to different situations including administering first aid to someone while waiting for EMTs to arrive, fire protection and what to do waiting for the Fire Department to show up, spills response and HAZMAT. The Marshall County Indiana Farm Bureau has sponsored the first 15 people for this training so it will be provided at no cost to those individuals. The cost is $50 to individuals who are not among the first 15 to sign up. That program will be offered on March 5th, 7th, 12th and 14th in the Extension Office. There is an online option for $65, though no sponsorship is available to those who participate virtually.
