Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.

Impact Report

For plan Plant Management Systems: Urban Horticulture/Farmers Markets (Grant County)
Date October 14, 2010, 4:18 pm
For Objective Medium-term Show medium-term objectives
Impact Report The agriculture agent recorded 901 horticulture contacts for the past year with 546 being in the Farmers Market and Gardening field and 355 in the yard and tree field. Agent feels strongly that one of the CES's greatest services is the one-on-one contacts we provide to farmer’s market producers, orchard managers, urban horticulturists, call ins, e-mail, office visits, CES meetings and workshops. Questions range from recommending species and varieties, insect identification and control, plant identification, and diseases. Clientele ask for organic control methods about 90% of the time. Other questions range from soil test questions, urban wildlife problems. CES specialists serve as an integral partner with these contacts, in identification and recommendations. The agriculture agent utilizes a scanner for sending pictures of insects and plants to specific specialists and specialists do an excellent job in with identification in a timely fashion. Another benefit of this method is increasing the knowledge of the agriculture agent. The agriculture agent conducted five workshops, presented three presentations, and made 91 home visits to assist home owners with yard, tree and garden questions. The County Extension Office is unique in offering the general public a place they can walk in or call without an appointment and receive research based information in a timely fashion. Over 350 publications, fliers and bulletins were distributed to Grant County residents regarding horticulture issues. In the past year there has been an significant increase in the number of farmers market producers, community gardens, and home gardeners due to the fact that our local economy is in such bad shape, Grant County has the second highest unemployment rate in New Mexico. There is now 5 farmers markets in the Grant County, up one from last year and 7 community gardens up one from last year.