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TRANSITIONAL HOME HORTICULTURE EDUCATION DURING A PANDEMIC

Extension Education

Dani Carroll
Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Opelika

Abstract

Alabama Smart Yards, an Alabama Extension Home Grounds Team program, started the year with 28 planned face-to-face programs in 2020.  On March 16, 2020, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions closed all Extension offices and postponed meetings until further notice.  The Home Grounds Team shifted to online programming on March 18, 2020 launching daily programming via Zoom online conferencing titled – Get Outside with Alabama Smart Yards. Subject matter concentrated on plant problem diagnosis, plant selection, straw bale gardening, wise fertilizer practices, best pruning practices, water conservation, rain barrels, wildlife damage, attracting pollinators, and several other activities involving the outdoors.  Weekly schedules were made and distributed to all Alabama Extension employees for publicity.  The Alabama Extension communication department created a blog advertising the new series.  Each Home Grounds Regional Extension Agent emailed their respective Alabama Extension Master Gardener Volunteer groups for additional advertising.  Alabama Smart Yards teaches and promotes best management practices for residential landscapes and community properties. We hosted 35 consecutive daily program before transitioning to weekly and impromptu programs.  Speakers included regional agents from Home Grounds Team, Commercial Horticulture Team, Forestry and Wildlife, Food Safety, Pesticide Safety, County Coordinators, Master Gardener Volunteers, Auburn University and Alabama Extension specialists.  The total registered attendees for all programs was 17,480. Twenty-two percent of the virtual attendees were new to Extension programming in 2020.  Email surveys were sent to all registered program participants. Seventy percent of these individuals reported that they implemented something from one or more of our programs.  Clients also reported an average savings of $78/program. Based on registered participants of the Get Outside with Alabama Smart Yards series, the ROI for this Home Grounds program is 40:1.  Participants also self-reported the value of our program along with their cost savings. Their average total value was $137.71. Based on their reported average and program attendance per person (13 hours), this equates to a total program value of $168,281 for this group of 94 participants. The 2020 Alabama Smart Yards Webinar Series continues in 2021 on a weekly basis. 

Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC

This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.

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Authors: D Carroll, D. Koon, L. Edwards, B. O'Rear, K. Smith, M. kelley, R. Britton, J. LeCroy, T. Crow, N. Wynn, Rudy Yates
  1. Carroll, D. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama, 36801
  2. Koon, D. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension,
  3. Edwards, L. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System,
  4. O'Rear, B. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System,
  5. Smith, K. Administrator III, Outreach Programs, Alabama Extension Home Grounds Co-Leader, Alabama Extension,
  6. kelley, M. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System,
  7. Britton, R. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System,
  8. LeCroy, J. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System,
  9. Crow, T. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System,
  10. Wynn, N. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System,
  11. Yates, R. Regional Extension Agent - Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests, Alabama Cooperative Extension System,