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.
Plant Management Systems: Urban Horticulture (Colfax County)
Plan Goals
Increase knowledge base of clients in the areas of horticulture, gardening, water conservation, and soil preparation.
- Owner
- Boe Lopez
- Related Plans
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Plant Management Systems: Urban Horticulture
Impact Reports
Composting in the School
The agent along with the specialist organized a composting workshop for the Maxwell School fourth and fifth graders. The agent was responsible for assisting the Maxwell School fifth grade teacher in locating some composting tumblers, scheduling the specialist, and for recording the results of the workshop. There were 19 students that participated in the two workshops that were half days each. As a result 6 students are currently practicing back yard composting at their respective houses.
The agent along with the specialist organized a composting workshop for the Maxwell School fourth and fifth graders. The agent was responsible for assisting the Maxwell School fifth grade teacher in locating some composting tumblers, scheduling the specialist, and for recording the results of the workshop. There were 19 students that participated in the two workshops that were half days each. As a result 6 students are currently practicing back yard composting at their respective houses.
Tree and Lawn Care Workshop
The agent presented a tree health and lawn care workshop to the Kiwanis. There were 11 members in attendance who were very interested in the topic. As a result four of the members had the agent go to their houses and make specific recommendations for each of their situations. The agent did a follow up visit two months after to view the results and the clients were satisfied and were successful with growing their lawns and pruning their trees.
The agent presented a tree health and lawn care workshop to the Kiwanis. There were 11 members in attendance who were very interested in the topic. As a result four of the members had the agent go to their houses and make specific recommendations for each of their situations. The agent did a follow up visit two months after to view the results and the clients were satisfied and were successful with growing their lawns and pruning their trees.
Colfax County Master Gardeners
The agent has been successful in starting a Master Gardener program in Colfax County. The program is not a traditional program due to the location of the county, the short growing season, and budget constraints. The agent has worked with the agent from Valencia County and the IT at New Mexico State University to hold the classes via centra. The first class was in 2010 and there were 20 successful participants that attended the classes and met the volunteer requirements. In 2011 there are 15 successful participants that have completed the program. In 2010 the volunteers gave 446 hours of community service to Colfax County. In 2011 they have volunteered 520 hours of community service to Springer, Raton, Cimarron, Miami, and Farley. The class is already looking to be full for 2012.
The Colfax County Master Gardeners along with the agent had a booth at the Colfax County Health Fair. 12 volunteers worked the booth giving out handouts, wild seed samples that are appropriate for Colfax County, and a beginning gardener kit. The members reported an increase in interest in the program and increase in gardening that was reported by the 1100 people that attended the Health Fair.
The agent has been successful in starting a Master Gardener program in Colfax County. The program is not a traditional program due to the location of the county, the short growing season, and budget constraints. The agent has worked with the agent from Valencia County and the IT at New Mexico State University to hold the classes via centra. The first class was in 2010 and there were 20 successful participants that attended the classes and met the volunteer requirements. In 2011 there are 15 successful participants that have completed the program. In 2010 the volunteers gave 446 hours of community service to Colfax County. In 2011 they have volunteered 520 hours of community service to Springer, Raton, Cimarron, Miami, and Farley. The class is already looking to be full for 2012.
The Colfax County Master Gardeners along with the agent had a booth at the Colfax County Health Fair. 12 volunteers worked the booth giving out handouts, wild seed samples that are appropriate for Colfax County, and a beginning gardener kit. The members reported an increase in interest in the program and increase in gardening that was reported by the 1100 people that attended the Health Fair.
Urban Horticultural Inquiries to the Cooperative Extension Office
The agent recorded 512 agricultural inquires for the past year which is more than 2010 however, the drought was the main reason for the increase. The agent feels strongly that one of the Cooperative Extension Service’s greatest impacts is the one-on-one service we provide to those who walk in, call in, or E-mail the office with questions on varieties that grow best here, insects, plant diseases, weeds, urban wildlife management, plants’ water needs, and damage done to plants by ignoring the factors that make up our particular growing environment. Certainly more people are reached in public presentations but, these programs cannot come close to the value of the personal attention and abundant information provided by NMSU and the Land Grant University system that is now available at the touch of a computer keyboard to the agricultural agent serving those clients that contact the Cooperative Extension Service office. Even to those clients who are not new to the county, if a weed, or insect, or plant disease is not known by name it is almost impossible for the client to find any information on the Internet or elsewhere, but because of the training provided for the agricultural agent and resources made available, especially the ready access to the NMSU Extension Specialists, problems can be identified and quickly researched to provide timely University-research-based information for the urban grower as well as the larger production grower. At no other place can a person walk in without an appointment with an insect, plant disease, or weed, have it identified and receive a virtual library of information for its management in their garden/landscape environment within minutes.
The agent recorded 512 agricultural inquires for the past year which is more than 2010 however, the drought was the main reason for the increase. The agent feels strongly that one of the Cooperative Extension Service’s greatest impacts is the one-on-one service we provide to those who walk in, call in, or E-mail the office with questions on varieties that grow best here, insects, plant diseases, weeds, urban wildlife management, plants’ water needs, and damage done to plants by ignoring the factors that make up our particular growing environment. Certainly more people are reached in public presentations but, these programs cannot come close to the value of the personal attention and abundant information provided by NMSU and the Land Grant University system that is now available at the touch of a computer keyboard to the agricultural agent serving those clients that contact the Cooperative Extension Service office. Even to those clients who are not new to the county, if a weed, or insect, or plant disease is not known by name it is almost impossible for the client to find any information on the Internet or elsewhere, but because of the training provided for the agricultural agent and resources made available, especially the ready access to the NMSU Extension Specialists, problems can be identified and quickly researched to provide timely University-research-based information for the urban grower as well as the larger production grower. At no other place can a person walk in without an appointment with an insect, plant disease, or weed, have it identified and receive a virtual library of information for its management in their garden/landscape environment within minutes.
Master Gardener Program
With the growing interest in cultivating home gardens the agent has responded to a growing interest for a master gardener program. The agent has met with nine individuals once a month to start organizing the program. The agent has also organized two separate meetings with a specialist and the nine original members of the group to start setting dates for classes and locations. The agent worked along with the Valencia County agent and the specialists from around the state to schedule the 11 week program and schedule. The agent had to work with the New Mexico State University Information Technology Specialist to upload all the presenters’ presentations to Centra. The agent also worked with the Colfax County Commissioners to be allowed access to the Commissioner’s Chambers for 11 weeks to hold the classes. The agent started and piloted the first master gardener program to be offered in Colfax County and the first to use centra to offer a master gardener program in this manner. The agent has 25 out of the original 30 successfully complete the first year of the pilot program in Colfax County. The agent has been taking registrations for the 2011 program and is almost full at 10 members.
With the growing interest in cultivating home gardens the agent has responded to a growing interest for a master gardener program. The agent has met with nine individuals once a month to start organizing the program. The agent has also organized two separate meetings with a specialist and the nine original members of the group to start setting dates for classes and locations. The agent worked along with the Valencia County agent and the specialists from around the state to schedule the 11 week program and schedule. The agent had to work with the New Mexico State University Information Technology Specialist to upload all the presenters’ presentations to Centra. The agent also worked with the Colfax County Commissioners to be allowed access to the Commissioner’s Chambers for 11 weeks to hold the classes. The agent started and piloted the first master gardener program to be offered in Colfax County and the first to use centra to offer a master gardener program in this manner. The agent has 25 out of the original 30 successfully complete the first year of the pilot program in Colfax County. The agent has been taking registrations for the 2011 program and is almost full at 10 members.