Wrapping it Up in Fleming County

                I cannot believe that the end of the has come summer and my that my time at the Fleming County Extension Office is coming to a close. I feel like I have accomplished so much this summer and at the same time I feel like there is so much more that I want to do, twelve weeks just is not enough time. Since my last blog I attended 4-H Camp, helped with the Fleming County Farmers’ Market, the Tasty Tuesday Program, The Veggies Make “Cents” Program, and the Community Passport Adventure Camp.

     I had a great time at 4-H camp, like I do every summer. The kids are so excited that it makes me excited for them all week long. This summer I taught a Home Spa class, this class taught campers how to make their very own Spa items. These items included lip balm, scrubs, soaps, and many more. During this week I also learned a lot professionally, there was a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into making camp happen and it was nice to help with and learn about that side of things. 

                The Fleming County Farmers Market is held twice a week at the Fleming County Extension Office. It was amazing getting to talk to local farmers and learn about what they do in preparation for their sell. I was also neat to see what different types of good are produced in Fleming County. The Farmers’ Market also overlaps with the Tasty Tuesday Program and The Veggies Make “Cents” Program. The Tasty Tuesday Program uses vegetables from the Fleming County Farmers’ Market and Plate It Up recipes to create samples for individuals to taste at the Farmers’ Market. The samples are made earlier in the day at the Veggies Make “Cents” Program where youth between the ages of 9 and 12 not only prepare the Plate It Up recipe but have a discussion on how to shop healthy in an affordable way. The kids are also the ones who serve the samples to the community at   

the Farmers’ Market. Additionally, Fleming County community members have sponsored the Veggies Make “Cents” Program which provides the youth with five dollar “veggie bucks” to use at the Farmers’ market. This program not only provided an opportunity for youth and adult communication but also educates the community on easy ways to eat healthy.

          I also helped plan and implement Community Passport Adventure Camp in Fleming County. The camp was a four day event for ages nine through twelve. The camp had a different focus each day within the theme “Explore Fleming County.” The days were Fleming County Government, Fleming County Safety, Fleming County Wellness, and Fleming County History. On government day campers were given a tour of the justice center, court house, and the mayor’s office. They also were able to meet county officials and ask questions. During safety day campers were able to tour the fire department and various police stations, they were also given the chance to ride in a police car and fire engine. Wellness day gave the kids and opportunity to learn games they could play outdoors at the park in Fleming County, how to fish, and how to cook healthy outdoors. The final day was Fleming County history, on this day the campers spent the day exploring the Fleming County Covered Bridge Museum and learned about the history of the county. Throughout the camp the kids carried a Fleming County Passport with them that they had signed and stamped by county officials. 

These are only a few of the activities and events have been given the privilege to help with for the last part of the summer. Other activities and events include Super Star Chef Camp, Senior citizens’ nutrition class, The Fleming County Fair, 4-H Cooking Camp, The Fleming County Food Pantry, Style Engineer Day Camp, and planning for the Back to School Gala. I will also be attending the Paraprofessional Day on my last day at the Fleming County Extension Office.

         I am very grateful that I was given the amazing opportunity to be an intern this summer. It was everything I expected and so much more. I found a passion for working with and for the community this summer and I am sad to say good bye for now to the youth and adults I now consider part of my extension family. You never really know what the day will hold for you when you walk into the Extension Office or who you will meet and I love that! I had a passion for family and consumer sciences at the beginning of the summer and now I am leaving with a passion for extension and the communities we serve.

4-H Camp

            I’ve been to 4-H camp several times and I used to consider myself a veteran. No I haven’t been since I was in diapers like some, but I still thought I knew everything there was to know about camp, and then I got a wake up call. Even though I was going with a different camping group and a totally new camp as well, I still didn’t expect to be surprised like I was. Your feelings about 4-H camp change as your role changes: you adore it as a camper, you still have fun when you’re a teen, as an adult you learn more about the responsibility you have and then somewhere along the line you forget about how exciting it was as a camper. When camp becomes part of your job, you start to get weighed down with technicalities and liability and you lose that joy at camp. But this year mine came back. I got to know the agents and counselors I was working with and they became like family before the week was up. The kids in my cabin and team were great and everyone in my classes had a good time. But what really opened my eyes was seeing what camp meant to these kids. To some kids it’s just a fun weekend, but others look forward to it all year. For some, camp is the only place kids feel at home and like they belong. It gives them a network of people who care about them and want them to succeed. Another important thing I saw was kids growing. 4-H strives to make kids better citizens and that absolutely happens at camp. When you see a kid climb the rock wall, who is terrified of heights, and the joy they have after going down the zip line, that’s growth. Or a kid coming out of their shell and making friends, that’s growth. To be a part of that experience for those kids, makes you feel incredibly blessed and reaffirm your belief in 4-H and Cooperative Extension. SO needless to say, this past week was the best week of 4-H camp I’ve ever experienced, not only because of the friendships I made but also because of the impact I saw it make in those kids’ lives. 

The End of the Road?

Wow! It’s is crazy to think, as I am typing this on July 28, 2016, that tomorrow I will be at the Horse Park for Round up and then Monday is my very last day with Christian County Extension! My supervisor, Kendriana, told me during Intern Orientation that the 12 weeks would fly by. I thought “No way! 12 weeks is an extremely long time”! Well, now that my time is really coming to an end I see what she meant.

This summer is been strange and new. Not strange, in the sense that I have been engaging in weird and unusual activities…strange as in different. This summer has been so different because I cannot remember the last summer that I had so much things going on and could honestly say I wasn’t bored. I have been entertained by Extension all summer long!

I came into this summer with the goal of changing my views on my hometown and county of Hopkinsville, Christian County as a whole. I have grown up here and I lived here until fall of 2013, when I moved to Georgetown. Throughout my whole life, all I have seen and witnessed in this area is the negatives here. I was always given the mindset that if you wanted to be somebody and make something of your life you had to leave Christian County and never look back (unless if you really had some good connections in town). Also, I had seen how hard it could be for individuals to leave this area. It has always seemed if you were given one opportunity to leave you had to take it, because it wasn’t likely to happen again.

This summer I have been introduced to so many individuals that have helped to transform some of that thinking. I have worked along side adults who have made and continue to make their mark on Christian County.  I could see the passion in their eyes and see that these individuals care about our community and the people in it. Not only have I worked with adults making a different, I have had the opportunity to work with kids in the community as well. I have seen kids talk about their future career goals, where they would like to go to college, and work on their leadership skills. I even had the opportunity to do my summer project, my college prep board game “The Game of College Life” with one of the groups at the local Boy’s and Girl’s club! It has been humbling to witnesses these things.

My second goal for the summer was to figure out if Extension could be a career option for me. If you would have asked me earlier in the summer if I wanted to be an agent, my response would have been “Absolutely not”! I came into this summer not knowing much about what Extension is. I knew the idea behind it, but had never seen any of it. Everything about Extension was so new to me at the beginning and it took a while for me to adjust. After doing some reflections, I realized that I actually love what Extension does. I believe where my original thoughts on not wanting to seek a career in Extension came from me not understanding its mission. The more and more I thought about it, I believe that maybe, just maybe 4-H isn’t the department for me.

Upon coming into this internship, I had super high hopes of doing lots of work with our three 4-H agents and our FCS agent here in Christian County. In my head, that would be the perfect summer! I have six years and counting worth of experience working with youth and Family Science is my major. I did not realize that Tiffany, FCS agent here, was going on maternity leave within days of my arrival. With that, I have only participated in 4-H programming and events all summer. Even though my last day is Monday, August 1, 2016, I have been given the opportunity to travel to Caldwell County to see Ashley White’s, FCS agent, Area Homemaker Council book study on August 4, 2016. I am hoping that this event will be the missing piece of the puzzle for my summer. I have always said when I graduate college I want to work in my field. Well, FCS is exactly that. I have high hopes that I will enjoy finally getting to see some FCS programming. I am also hoping after that I will decide that I definitely want to pursue Extension. While I didn’t “catch the bug” as they say with 4-H…I do love what 4-H does. I plan to visit the Scott County Extension office in Georgetown and get some paperwork and sign my little sister up, so she can be involved with Cloverbuds.

This may be the end of my summer internship with Extension, but I don’t think this will be the last Extension will see of me!

As things come to an End

The end of the summer is quickly approaching meaning my time in Jefferson County is coming to an end. It has been a very busy but fun summer and it’s bittersweet that it’s almost over. I have learned so much and experienced new things such has going to Cloverbud and 4-H camp for the first time also attending Project WET training. I have been put out of my comfort zone but for the better. This summer has made me work on my professional skills while learning about cooperative extension. I came into this internship not knowing anything about 4-H and not knowing what to expect this summer. I am so blessed to be given this opportunity. I’ve met a lot of great people who I will have for a while and learned professional behaviors that are very useful.

Last month I had the opportunity to facilitate a workshop for camp orientation which is one of the things that put me out my comfort zone. I had to prepare a lesson on understanding children and had to teach that to four different classes on my own. After the first class I felt comfortable speaking in front of everyone.

The week of July 12^th

I conducted my summer project which was a 3 day camp on physical fitness and health for 9 and 10 years at Cane Run Elementary school. These kids are part of a summer

program partnered with the YMCA. For my camp I taught the kids the importance of being physically fit and eating healthy and how it will be beneficial to your future because it decreases your risks of getting diabetes, cancer, and can help you live a longer life. I incorporated fun games and activities with a healthy snack at the end of each day. The kids seem to have enjoyed it and learned something new.  

Last week I had the opportunity to go to 4-H Camp for the first time. I really enjoyed myself and met some great people. I taught a tye dye class which the kids loved and got a chance to ride in a boat. It was a great experience and I see why the leaders like to come every year.

Closing the doors on this summer internship is going to be hard. I have experienced so much and learned so many life skills. I can really say that I can consider myself being an agent one day in the future once I’m done with school. I love kids and giving back to the community so I believe this was the perfect internship for me. I will take with me what I learned this summer. I’m going to miss the people that I work with. They welcomed me and made me feel like a part of their family.

The Intern Diaries: Scott County Edition II

As interns, our experiences are so vastly different from one another. Different program areas, varying counties in the state, and a wide range of communities ensure that no two intern’s summer looks the same. However, when it is all said and done, and we interns leave our office for the last time, whether it be in District 1 or District 7, we walk away with a deeper understanding and passion for cooperative extension.

My passion is found in the people we serve. Meeting so many of Scott County’s farmers, teachers, and community leaders has easily been the highlight of my summer. From helping the tobacco farmer find the problem with his crop, to speaking with the school district Superintendent about the possibility of a school farm proves that extension reaches every inch of the county. When brainstorming for my project, I wanted something where I could do just that, reach every inch of Scott County. So, I decided to market our small flock of chickens here at the office as “The Community’s Flock.” I could not settle on just one use for them, so why not do it all? 4-H members have been in the coops and learned about egg production. Our Homemakers have enjoyed the benefit of fresh eggs and used them in baking for FCS programming. Farmers, new and experienced, have taken chicks we hatched here or eggs to incubate themselves in hopes of starting or growing a flock of their own. Our eggs have been taken weekly to the Amen House so those less fortunate than us can enjoy them as well. My goal was for people from all walks of life to experience and learn from “The Community’s Flock.” As it comes to a close, I believe my goal was closely met.

This experience would be nothing without the amazing people in the office. My supervising agent, Michelle Simon, has become not only a mentor but a friend. I am so thankful she took the chance and accepted an intern from across the state. Our FCS, 4-H, and Horticulture agents have also been so kind and welcoming since day one. I never once have felt like “the intern.” I have been treated with such respect during the entire twelve weeks. Even when I accidentally let the chickens get loose and they had to come help me catch them, they still kept me around. I have learned so much this summer from each one of them, and those skills will help me be successful in whatever career I choose.

As I walk away from my office, in Scott County, I leave with a new attitude. Nestled in every one of Kentucky’s 120 counties lies a cooperative extension office ready and eager to serve its community. Whether we as interns return to extension for a career or pursue other paths, we will always appreciate our summer spent in one of those offices serving the people.

My Final Weeks in Shelby County

My final weeks in Shelby County.... This is such a bittersweet time. I am so grateful that I was awarded this opportunity to be a part of such a great program. I came into this internship with no expectations, no knowledge of 4-H, and no connection with it all. I can now have the pleasure of saying I have experience in 4-H and in FCS in Extension. It truly is the hidden gem. I have fallen in love.






These last couple of weeks I have been working on my manners program and completing that project. I think that if I were to ever do that program again I would have it in longer sessions. Getting all the information and practicing it all took more time than I thought. I would have a bigger lunch, with more courses to really test the kids. But, other than that I think the program went great. The kids said they had fun, and would be willing to do something like this again.

Overall, I still think getting licked by the cow was my favorite part of the summer, besides working with the staff and another intern, Danielle in the Shelby County office. Getting to interact with them has really brought me comfort while being here. I knew nobody here, wasn't familiar with the area or even Kentucky for that matter. I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I am excited to do it again.

This program is great for people that don't know what extension is and to learn, and for those that grew up in their own county offices. You can grow and learn coming from both sides of the spectrum. It is great to see that people love their jobs, and are willing to care about their community.

Home Away From Home

It is crazy for me to think about this being my final week here at the Pendleton County Cooperative Extension office. I am truly sad to think that all that I looked forward to all year is coming to an end, but this summer was everything I was hoping it would be and so much more. I was not active in 4-H or really any other programs at my home extension office so this whole summer has been a constant learning experience and I couldn't think of a better program to become familiar with. I love promoting this great program and talking with the community about all that extension has to offer.

My summer project took most all summer to complete because it wasn't just a day camp or a class. All summer I was doing "Plate It Up!" sampling with our watermelon Kentucky Proud recipes. When I first looked over CEDIK to decide what I thought the need was in Pendleton County the first thing that stuck out to me was that 36.2% of adults are obese. I believe 36.2% is a high number when you compare it to the 31% in Northern Kentucky and 32.9% in all of Kentucky. Previously the extension assistant or the FCS agent would typically do samples at the local grocery store and the farmers market once a month but I took it to another level and did it a lot of different places to reach a more diverse audience. During the summer I did sampling at our local farmers market, 4-H camp, the senior center, the fair, and the 21st century program. Since I had my informational board on watermelon and my tasty samples at all of these different locations I could reach a more diverse audience than just the famers market or the store. I wanted to give a wide variety of Pendleton County residents an opportunity to receive healthy recipes to share with their family and friends.

Having a project all of my own was a great learning experience. I enjoyed knowing that I was in charge of the success, or failure, of my project for that day. It really helped me to see what all it takes to plan and organize different events so that you can get your message out. Sometimes I didn't have a spot, I forgot my recipe cards, or I just needed help carrying everything and there was always someone there to help me out and if not then you learn how to improvise and it truly helped me to be more independent in my work.

Simply being in Pendleton County all summer was a blessing all in its own way, I am not from here but my dads side of the family is. My immediate family was not close with my extended family because we do not live here, but since I have been here everyone recognizes my name or knows my family. I was able to reconnect with some of my grandfathers cousins, one who happens to be a very involved homemaker, and meet some family I never knew I had. It was truly the best possible county I could have been placed in because everything was new to me but I still felt like I belonged. I was able to learn all about a county I didn't know much about and meet wonderful people, I have and will always consider this my home away from home. 

What once was "Showalter's" car lot, Falmouth KY

Final Weeks

As this experience comes to an end, for a second time for me, I can only recall all of the amazing memories I have made and think forward to the final memories to come. I have had many firsts while completing these internships, from venturing into caves and canoeing to carrying through a program from beginning to end and holding an opossum. This internship has given me the opportunity to take a leadership role within a professional working environment, collaborate with fellow professionals in the field i am interested in, and to gain experience as an extension agent that will follow me while I
pursue a career in extension.


My favorite part of this internship is the ability to experience those new activities while also gaining a better understanding of how to make connections and deliver programs to a community. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to build relationships with citizens in my community and learn about their needs and wants. Planning, implementing, and evaluating a program, while also being in charge, was something I had not previously had the opportunity to do, and am so thankful that I gained that experience this summer.

When this summer ends and I am no longer an intern for
the Letcher County Extension Office, I hope that all of the experiences that I gained can be utilized and developed in my career to follow. I hope that the people that I work with after this are as amazing as the employees in Letcher County. I hope that the people within the community that I work in reflect the amazing attributes of the citizens of Letcher County, which include hard working, respectful, open, and rich with culture.

Summer Round Up

My work space

While this summer has been significantly different than what I am used to, I am nothing but grateful. I took this internship because I needed an internship credit for my graduation requirements. I did not know much more about Extension than the name. I have grown as a professional and an individual and I've learned a lot about extension and myself. I've learned that I really didn't like what i did, and that's okay. Extension helped me check something off of my list as a potential career. Most of my summer was spent behind a desk compiling data, putting reports together and generating graphics. I learned new computer programs that will help me in the future but I realized that I would like a more hands on connection with communities and my projects. I would like to see more production than documentation. My project was a report on the way finding and tourist experience of the Kentucky trail towns. I learned that some communities prioritize signage first while other prioritize trail options. Also I learned that you have to be objective when investigating multiple places and not comparative, of course Livingston (population 230) will never match the built environment of Berea (population 10, 000) and you have to look beyond the surface and maybe a trail head is not ideal but it works really well in the small community space. This deeper way of thinking and analyzing space will be very helpful for me in the future. At the begging of the summer I had never used ArcGIS (map making software) and now I am proficient, I have only edited one video in my academic career before this summer and now I am confident that I can make a video for any subject. I have extension to thank for the opportunity and my professor to thank for the knowledge I've gained. Best of luck to all of you fellow interns in your futures!

Livingston Trail Head

Berea Trail Head