College of Agriculture & Natural Resources



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|St. Joseph County | |

|St. Joseph County MSU Extension |P: 269-467-5511 |E-mail: msue.stjoseph@county.msu.edu |

|612 East Main Street |F: 269-467-5641 |Web: msue.msu.edu/stjoseph |

|Centreville, MI 49032 | | |

| |Summer 2007 |

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|[pic] |Michigan State University Extension helps people improve their lives through an educational process | |

| |that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities. Offices in counties across the |[pic] |

| |state link the research of the land-grant university, MSU, to challenges facing communities. | |

| |Citizens serving on county Extension councils regularly help select focus areas for programming.  | |

| |MSU Extension is funded jointly by county boards of commissioners, the state through Michigan State | |

| |University and federally through the US Department of Agriculture. | |

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|MSU is an affirmative-action, equal opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, |

|color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status. Issued in furtherance of |

|MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Thomas G. Coon, Extension Director, Michigan State |

|University, E. Lansing, MI 48824 |

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Perhaps the best outcome of the camp is the connectedness it fosters among 4-H members. When high school age 4-H members become role models to younger members, they ensure the continued vitality of the program.

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Contact: Monica Robinson, 269-467-5521

MSU Extension helps coordinate county land use

In October 2005, the St. Joseph County Planning Commission and the County Board of Commissioners began a countywide initiative to coordinate land use, environmental resource protection, economic development and farmland preservation efforts into a cohesive strategy.

The strategy called for updating the county master plan using a ‘bottom-up’ approach focused on engaging local units of government in the process.

Under the guidance of MSU Extension land policy educator Brad Neumann, the planning commission distributed a request for proposals and hired a consultant to write the plan.

Neumann and the planning commissioners organized a workshop that was attended by more than 50 people from nearly every county governmental unit. Participants were queried on specific land use issues using a real-time voting system to obtain immediate results for discussion purposes.

The data obtained from the exercise not only helped define the critical issues to be addressed in the master plan update, but also helped foster local governmental ownership in the countywide effort.

During the last eight months, Neumann and the planning commissioners engaged more than 175 residents and local officials in developing the master plan, including the planning for the future alignment of US-131, the designation of farmland preservation areas, and the development of the county’s first future land use map.

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The master planning process also resulted in the identification of seven implementation priorities that will be used to put the update in motion.

“The most significant result of the master plan update is not the plan itself; it’s the initiatives that have been identified for implementing the plan and bringing about change,” said Eric Shafer, St. Joseph County commissioner and planning commission member.

Contact: Brad Neumann, 269-467-5522

4-H camp creates connections

On July 10, 2007, 39 youngsters headed to Camp Fort Hill on Tamarack Lake for a three-day, two night 4-H sponsored camp. Children between ages seven and twelve take part in standard summer camp offerings, but at 4-H camp they also have a unique educational and character-building experience.

The annual 4-H camp is most often thought of as beneficial to younger 4-Hers, who enjoy activities like swimming, canoeing and sitting around the camp fire. But it also provides invaluable experience for the high school age members who serve as counselors.

4-H counselors not only learn how to manage a group of children, but they also learn how best to communicate confidence when young campers are nervous or homesick. Being a camp counselor is an exercise in leadership and communication--and an opportunity unique to 4-H.

4-H camp’s daily schedule offers an ideal blend of structured activity and free time, allowing campers the benefits of organized, educational activities and the independence of free time options.

Structured activities at the camp include swimming, fishing, a climbing wall and a visit to the nature center. During free time, campers can chose to do an art project or coordinate a game with other campers. This allows young campers to become more self-sufficient and sociable.

Each year, 4-H camp organizer Terry Gracey finds ways to add to the camp’s educational offerings. This year, Tim Peterson, St. Joseph County Conservation District program director, led a nature walk and wildlife discussion at Camp Fort Hill‘s Nature Center.

Campers learned about the natural history of St. Joseph County as they hiked around the Camp Fort Hill’s mature woods. The tour ended at the Nature Center, with a discussion about the Native Americans who once inhabited the area.

4-H camp provides a learning and social experience for members from across St. Joseph County.

4-H campers enjoy the water on a warm, summer day.

Come and visit the 4-H’ers at the

St. Joseph County Grange Fair

September 16-22, 2007

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