Extension council meets changing needs

The COVID-19 pandemic created havoc in everyone’s lives, but Butler County University Extension staff turned the challenge into an opportunity to be enterprising, inventive and imaginative in ways to provide for the community.

Extension council officers Jerrica Fox, Lanny Corcimiglia and Jane Arnold, all of Poplar Bluff, are complimentary of the staff. A vote was recently held by the council to name officers for the current year.

Fox, who was re-elected president this year, is pleased with staff members’ response to the pandemic.

“The staff worked very hard in promoting extension as best as they could,” Fox said. “Offering as many classes as they could on Zoom so people didn’t necessarily have to be in person for certain events, but they weren’t missing out.”

“People without internet or computers, we weren’t able to reach them, but I know (extension staff) did everything they could to try to service the county as best as possible,” Fox said.

Council vice president Corcimiglia commended the staff for being “creative in serving our community. Some activities went virtual, while other activities involved picking up activities with limited contact.”

Corcimiglia said, “hopefully, this year will continue to motivate people to become more involved with extension. They offer a variety of programs and can meet many needs, especially with 4-H, Master Gardening, wellness, etc.”

Corcimiglia is Poplar Bluff Parks and Recreation Department director.

“About two years ago, I was approached by an extension council employee and asked to put my name in to be an extension council board member,” Corcimiglia said. “After starting with the Poplar Bluff Park Department, it appeared to be a better fit, especially the partnership and community-minded activities involved.”

“Last year, extension partnered with the park department on the 4-H weekly craft projects,” Corcimiglia said. “We also shared ideas with community gardens and met with our wellness council through the Butler County Health Department/Butler County Community Resource Council.”

Corcimiglia meets with the wellness council, which is under the direction of the health department and CRC. He said the parks and recreation department partners with other volunteer organizations like Kiwanis and Rotary Club.

Arnold, who is treasurer, grew up around extension. Her mother, Bertha Walz, served as extension council treasurer for 20 years.

Arnold volunteers with extension because, “I think it’s worthwhile. I like to see the public has input into it. I can help plan what goes on.”

She praised staff for overcoming obstacles placed in their way.

“I thought it was very thoughtful that Kim Allison made simple projects for the children,” she said.

Arnold is appreciative of John Fuller and Juan Garcia for working to set up Zoom workshops.

“I liked they had the hybrid extension council meeting,” Arnold said. “Up to 10 people could go to the extension office and be socially distanced and wear their masks. They had the screen set up with the ones that did Zoom at home.”

While Arnold and Corcimiglia were more familiar with extension, Fox admits “honestly, before serving on the council, I didn’t realize what exactly the extension council or even the staff really did for Butler County. That was an important thing to me to find out exactly what it did, because I knew for the county to be helping fund it, that had to be important.”

Finding out exactly what extension does, “and how I can help find others to bring more awareness to the council and what it does,” was important to her, Fox said.

“I am very busy, but when there are services in our community I know can help others, it’s important to me to try to give those my attention, and help if I can,” she said.

Fox added, “We’re unsure about Ag Expo for 2022, because it’s always in January. This year it was canceled. We hope next year we will be able to bring that back. When we do bring it back, we hope to make it more ag related and back to the roots of what Ag Expo actually was intended to be.”

The Ag Expo committee and the council “have met with the employees at extension,” Fox said. “We’ve gotten away from the majority of our booths being ag related and actually targeting the agricultural community, which is the whole point of the Ag Expo. How can we bring more services, more vendors tailored toward the agricultural field and environment? Possibly adding more and different classes and make an entire day of those certifications for our local farmers and growers, making it more beneficial for our businesses and our ag community.”

Fox is the donor recruitment account representative for the Missouri Arkansas Blood Services Division of the American Red Cross and the former director of Downtown Poplar Bluff Inc.