Extension Month

As many of you know, March is Extension Month and every year there is recognition of the hard work agents and specialists are doing in all 95 counties. The Lewis County Extension office was super busy this year celebrating Extension month with several activities going on! The month started off with a Sew Mindful Mom & Me Sewing class for mothers and daughters. To help kick off National Quilting Day during the month, agent Shelly Ray conducted a class to help participants learn the basics of quilting and the great benefits from the art of sewing. This class was designed to enhance relationship building while bringing back what has become a lost art that is a detrimental life skill for both youth and adults. Each member created a potholder and took home their very own travel sewing kit and door prize, courtesy of the Juanita Fasola Foundation grant funding awarded to the Lewis County Extension office. March is also National Nutrition Month, which is a large portion of our FCS programming. Program Assistant, Gena Powers educated a group of children at Hope Hohenwald, Inc. on the importance of healthy eating. Over 20 students enjoyed a taste testing of fresh fruits and vegetables while learning how to incorporate "a rainbow of colors" in their daily intake. As family being a component of Family & Consumer Sciences, the Lewis County Extension office held their first program geared towards mental health with the Hope Hohenwald Staff earlier in the month. In 2023, the concern for mental health was raised after research studies were conducted by various community organizations and leadership. As a result, the UT Extension agent identified the importance of mental health programming to be implemented to help address the need in the county. Agent Shelly Ray conducted a series of classes called RELAX: Anger Management, to a group of after school teachers. These classes allowed individuals to understand the various causes for distressful emotions, allowing them to identify reasoning for negative behaviors. Participants in this class were engaged in activities that taught them how to adjust their reactions with a more positive approach, in turn creating a pleasant learning environment.

The Ag department hosted its very first Ag Appreciation dinner for producers in the county. Both land owners and Farmer's Market committee members attended the event and shared information regarding their operations and economic impact. A wide range of knowledge was gained from all perspectives as individuals were educated on agricultural business and the growth in the county over the years. Agent, Drew Vannatta shared insight for the future as more citizens are becoming more industrious with natural resources in the community.

Agent Whitney Dixon has been busy in 4-H club meetings with the addition of the Health Rocks program. Health Rocks is a series of classes educating students on substance abuse prevention. The Lewis County Extension office was granted a large sum of money a few years ago to implement this program with the assistance of community partnerships. This year, we had several members of law enforcement, community leaders, former addicts & their family members present to the students. Topics discussed were the importance of positive relationships, making the right choices, harmful effects, and peer pressure. The Health Rocks celebration was hosted on March 28, 2024 with all students in 7th and 8th grade, law enforcement individuals, elected officials, teachers, and UT staff. The students enjoyed an eventful day of fun and relationship building with adults. The Health Rocks program is implemented every year to students in grades 7th and 8th, with an end celebration to allow students the opportunity to interact with, and recognize leaders, their protection and importance to the community, that they may not see otherwise.

Finally, UT Staff enjoyed a staff development day at Vannatta Farms, owned and operated by our very own, Drew Vannatta. Drew is our Ag agent that brings a wealth of knowledge having lived on a farm and raising a wide variety of animals throughout both childhood and adult years. Staff members took a tour of the beautiful acreage at Vannatta Farms and learned the history of all operations and how Drew got started with Extension.

Extension Month is always a time to highlight the hard work agents and specialists are doing in the counties. For more information on programs, please contact your local Extension office @ 931-796-3091.

The University of Tennessee offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion or veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. UT extension offers equal opportunities in programs and employment.