MSU Extension Ottawa County

Over the past year, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension partnered with Ottawa County to continue strengthening youth, families, businesses and communities. Your MSU Extension staff members, grounded in local relationships, serve by bringing the university’s research and resources to provide outreach and education in the areas Ottawa County residents need it most.

This year, we’ve also welcomed Ottawa County residents into our online community: we’ve offered online educational courses, answered questions on topics ranging from gardening to food safety, raised program awareness through social media and provided a library of research-based resources they’ve browsed on our website. We’re passionate about serving Ottawa County and are looking forward to a new year.

Here's the difference we've made together in 2018:

• $55,765,848 total economic impact in Ottawa County
• 4,138 Ottawa County youth in 4-H, early childhood or after school enrichment programs
• 127 adults enrolled in social and emotional health courses
• 754 adults and youth in nutrition education courses
• MSU Extension website received 28,320 visits from Ottawa County, 79% first-time visitors
• MSU disbursed $11,176,053 in financial aid to county students
• $2,176,463 spending with local businesses
• 8,000 gardening questions answered statewide

Want to find out more about MSU and MSU Extension's impact in your county? Visit MI Spartan Impact and search Ottawa County.

MSU Extension is an organization comprised of individuals with broad knowledge of subject matters related to a particular discipline, such as field crops, nutrition, or youth development. Having four MSU Extension Institutes gives the ability to bring together cross-disciplinary expertise to address issues that are multifaceted and complex. For example, MSU Extension Educators and Program Instructors have worked together on physical and financial health issues, agricultural and stress issues, economic, community development and conservation issues, and issues that span generations.

Your local office is housed with experts in particular fields. Individuals may serve in the Agricultural and Agribusiness Institute, the Children and Youth Institute, the Health and Nutrition Institute or our Community, Food and Environment Institute. However, even if you do not have a local expert for the issue that you need addressed, MSU Extension has the unique functionality of drawing from a statewide pool of experts to make sure that you have the information that you need. In addition, the MSU Extension website www.msue.msu.edu is maintained and updated on a regular basis. We are always looking for ways to collaborate with each other to apply knowledge to the critical issues you face.

Through successful partnership and collaboration with Ottawa County, MSU Extension is able to continue its local presence and to provide vital educational resources and programming in such areas as community and economic development, agriculture, land use, health and nutrition, and youth development.

Thank you for your continued support of MSU Extension and for partnering with us to make a difference.

Sincerely,

Erin Moore

District 7 Director