Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
John and Lorraine Anglin, Clunette, were presented the Friend of Extension Award during the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service board's annual meeting Monday.
Both are active on the 4-H Swine Committee and serve as Ag Day volunteers. Lorraine is a member of the Clunette Country Gals Extension Club and leader of the Atwood Neverquitters 4-H Club. John is active with the Kosciusko County Soil and Water District.
Five vacancies for terms ending last night were filled with new members Mary Beth Camden, Pat VandeWater and Mylin Cumberland; Elaine Bokhart and Jim Wise, members, were re-elected.
The mission of Purdue Cooperative Extension Service is the education of citizens through application land-grant university research and knowledge for the benefit of agriculture, youth, families and communities.
Joan Younce, County Extension director, presented a report for 2001 saying she has focused on safe food handling in local restaurants and schools.
Younce also presented a microwave cooking series to 100 senior citizens last year, presenting new ideas for healthy meals.
Brenda Eber was introduced as the family nutrition program assistant. Eber presents in-home programs for families receiving food stamps, WIC clients and others referred to her by various organizations.
Younce said the Extension homemakers' clubs will produce another cookbook this year, hopefully available by county fair time.
Agriculture educator Kelly Easterday gave gifts to people who recognized certain upcoming dates: the Area Plan Commission meeting Wednesday; the MidWest Women in Ag Conference March 21 in Plymouth; and Ag Day, April 9 and 10.
Easterday also commented on the growth of the dairy industry and producers who attended the Dairy Excel program developed by Ohio State University in 1998. She said from 1994 to 1999 herds with more than 100 cows grew by 50 percent.
Dairy Excel participants, 33 producers from 23 dairy operations in eight counties - Elkhart, Marshall, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Franklin, Bartholomew, Jackson and Johnson - continue to meet on a quarterly basis.
4-H Youth Development Educator Tracy George said this year promises to be an exciting one for the 4-H members as the program marks its 100th year.
She said all sorts of promotions are being planned to celebrate the century mark.
A one-day workshop on animal care drew 348 youths and 45 adults, she said.
Kosciusko County Fair Board president Paul Kuhn thanked everyone for their patience when fair dates were changed to June 30 through July 6 from later in July.
The board had to sign on a new midway company, MidWest Entertainment, this year and the early July date was the only one available.
Kuhn said he knew it was hard to get animals and vegetables around two weeks earlier, but the 2003 fair dates will revert back to the third week in July.
He gave an outline of evening entertainments for the week and said he's looking forward to the fair.
Dick Reel, LaPorte County educator, presented the program.
On the Net: www.ces.purdue.edu/Kosciusko.
