MSU Extension Jackson County

Message from the District Director- Mary Bohling

The long-lived, steadfast oak trees found throughout Michigan can live between 100 to 600 years. To thrive, the oak does more than endure change; the oak embraces it by making the necessary adjustments to maintain the lives it supports as well as prepare for new growth. Change is inevitable. Embracing it can lead to growth, resilience,  and transformation. MSU Extension is no exception.

Throughout our 153-year history, we’ve seen lots of changes to our programs, and because of your support, we continue to bring you quality information, whether we must alter the format, content, or the method in which we bring it to you. In 2025, the National SNAP-Ed Program ended. That meant that we had to say goodbye to nearly 100 colleagues and friends here in Michigan. MSUE and families across Michigan felt the loss of the SNAP-Ed Program deeply. But like the mighty oak, MSUE is adapting to the change and continuing to share research-based information through a variety of other programs.

Our resilient staff are working hard to identify emerging issues and ways that we can provide value in the communities we serve. We are seeing individuals and families being strengthened by our health programs for chronic diseases, fall prevention, parenting, and food safety. Adults in various stages of their lives are participating in homeownership and financial webinars such as “Thriving on a Fixed Income” and “Mortgage Foreclosure Basics.”  Farmers and gardeners are benefiting from our programs on disease prevention, invasive species, and nutrient and waste management. Youth are participating in programs such as 4-H, financial literacy, and special interests that make them “Beyond Ready” for their future.

Groups such as non-profits, corporations, and governmental agencies also benefit from Extension’s various educational opportunities. Entire departments in non-profits have taken mental health first aid training. Municipalities are leveraging science-based data on housing, tourism, and data centers from community and economic development tools to assist them in making decisions about how to shape their communities.

Whatever training or information you need to thrive in a changing world, whether you want virtual or in-person programming, it’s very likely that, Extension Does That!

Key Data Points:

5 community coalitions within the county that MSU Extension employees are members of

3,061 participants attending programs hosted in the county

171 client consultations from the county

2,624 contacts through social media, web activity, e-newsletters, and handouts in the county

21 partnerships in the county

312 nutrition and physical activity participants hosted in county

11,944 people participating in Food Safety programs including ServSafe statewide

528 county residents who participated in health and nutrition programs

72,517 participants in community, food, and environment programs from across Michigan

281,068 acres protected, enhanced, restored, or managed sustainably with MSU Extension assistance in Southeast Michigan

1.636 participants in county agriculture programs

$246.5 billion annual impact of food and agriculture on Michigan’s economy statewide

476 virtual programs offered related to Financial Education, Food Systems, Water and Environmental Quality, Government and Businesses

82 Ask Extension questions answered

417 programs (across the state) attended by participants from this county

37 farmers and agriculture professionals in this county receives nine editions of the Southeast Michigan Crop Update Newsletter

424 4-H youth enrollments in the county

182 total 4-H volunteers in the county

2,133 youth participants attending programs hosted in the county

Chart on page 7 Title: 2025 4-H Needs Assessment Survey

Text: A total of 659 individuals participated in the statewide survey, including 295 parents/guardians, 231 volunteers, and 37 youth, representing 61 counties. 96 youth participated in dot voting at events.

Title over chart: Top- Priority Life Skills by Percentage
Bar Chart shows Life skills youth want to learn more about:
64% Basic first aid
66% Cooking and meal planning
67% Fixing things around the house
77% Understanding Money & budget

Key Quotes from participants:

Pressure Canner Testing- “Thanks for taking the time to test my pressure cooker—I really appreciate it! It’s a relief to know everything’s working properly as I get ready for canning season. I also checked out the Food Safety hotline and found it super helpful—lots of good info and practical tips on preserving food safely.
Thanks again for your help!” -Jackson Resident

The Journey of Food- Here’s what the kids said:
“I always thought chocolate just came from a store, but now I know it starts as a plant.”
“My favorite part of the workshop was making the crazy milkshakes.”
“I liked trying all the different cacao percentages. It was cool to taste how chocolate changes from really sweet to really bitter and gross”

Hay for Horses, Pancakes for People, and Hands-On Learning at the 2025 Breakfast on the Farm Event- “My family and I had a wonderful time at the Breakfast on the Farm event! My kids still talk about how much fun they had learning all about horses. Their favorite part was the horse obstacle course and the delicious pancakes!” -Jackson County family

MSU Extension and USDA Partner to Launch New Beginning Farmer Resource- “Thank you for putting together this excellent guide. It’s so helpful to have essential, science-based information all in one place, especially with so much misinformation out there. The sections on animal behavior, welfare, disease management, and farm business are especially valuable—this is truly a big step in the right direction.” -Course Participant

4-H Exploration Days- “It was fun to bond with my friends while learning new skills and exploring”
- Jackson County 4-H’er

Success Right in Jackson County! “Staff at the MSU Product Center have been extremely beneficial to our BBQ sauce company -especially in the early stage of our product development. They provided guidance for next steps, recommended multiple processing authority personnel, suggested grants (of which we did were a recipient of one!) and assisted with our HACCP plan. We are very thankful for MSUE’s support as we navigated the challenges of bottling and mass producing our BBQ sauce.”
-Megan Hall, owner of Old Dog Sauce and Spice