Nutrition Education Goes to School

Bringing Knowledge to Life! / Partner Report /
NewaygoCounty
817 South Stewart Avenue
Fremont, Michigan49412-7663
Phone: 231-924-0500 / E-mail:
Fax:231-924-6480
Web:msue.msu.edu/newaygo
December 2008

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, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran 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, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing,MI48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

Nutrition education goes to school

In an effort to decrease the number of obese children in Newaygo County, MSU Extension has formed a unique relationship with public and private schools across the county to promote healthy lifestyle choices in the classroom.

Linda Merrill Instructing third graders at BigJacksonPublic School.

In the Eating Right is Basic (ERIB) program, all Newaygo County third graders are taught from a curriculum that covers the food pyramid, nutrition labels, food safety, physical activity and making healthy food choices.

MSU Extension educators present the lessons in a fun, age-appropriate manner. At the completion of the program, students have shown an increased awareness of healthy lifestyle choices and how to make them part of their lives. Last year 662 students participated in ERIB.

ERIB is partially funded through a grant from the Fremont Area Community Foundation.

Rebecca Rosher
Family and Consumer Sciences Educator

MSU Extension helps apple growers adapt to regulatory changes

Apple growers in Newaygo County and across the United States are facing the loss of organophosphates, a commonly used set of pest control products, due to EPA regulations.

Organophosphates have been usedsince the 1950s to control codling moth, one of the most serious apple pests.MSU Extension is providing critical information to assist growers in exploring cost-effective options for alternativepesticides.

The new generation of pesticides that are available to control codling moth often cost three to four times as much per acre as organophosphates cost, and they require very diligent monitoring of degree day accumulations and pest development to be most effective.

However, theyare more targeted to the pest and less harmful to non target organisms and people applying them. They are actually better at controlling codling moth and growers see a decrease in culled fruits, which increases net profit by as much as $100 per acre in some cases.

Data collected from an automated weather station just south of Fremontare used to track degree day accumulations for growers. This information is presented at several grower meetings on Newaygo County farms throughout the year.

Amy Irish-Brown
Tree Fruit/Integrated Pest Management Educator

Newaygo County celebrates 100 years of Michigan 4-H

Throughout 2008 many special events have been held to celebrate the 100thbirthday of Michigan 4-H. In Newaygo County,4-H youths pledged “100 Give Backs” to their communities.

These “give-backs” included planting trees on Earth Day, making afghan blankets for families that lost their homes to fire, donating venison to Newaygo County Community Services (NCCS), distributing Valentines to nursing home residents and holding canned food drives for local pantries at Love, Inc. and NCCS. The goal of 100 Give Backs was met in December 2008.

4-H volunteers (left to right) Rhonda Dawe, Curt Crandell and Rob Dawepresent gifts to 4-H baby Kayla Vanderlinde and her parents Elizabeth and James.

The Newaygo County 4-H Council also held a contest to honor the first baby born at Gerber Memorial Health Services during National 4-H Week. The winner,Kayla VanderLinde, was born to Elizabeth and James VanderLinde of White Cloud soon after midnight on Oct. 6.

Kayla received a participation certificate for five years of free 4-H membership in Newaygo County 4-H Youth Programs and a basket filled with 4-H-themed gifts. Gerber Products Company provided a backpack full of Gerber baby products.

“4-H Forever” is the Michigan 4-H theme. 4-H Forever captures a timeless 4-H state of mind that is tied to continually learning, growing, and applying knowledge to “Make the Best Better.”

4-H Forever is all about young people who care about their clubs, their community and their world. It also describes the caring adult volunteers who make a long-term difference in the lives of youth by sharing their time through 4-H youth development.

Sandy Risedorph, 4-H Educator

Local officials attend groundwater withdrawal training

Protecting and preserving our abundant natural resources is a primary goal for many officials across Michigan and Newaygo County.

These resources provide the sense of place and rural character that residents and visitors enjoy all year long. They also serve as a vital economic resource from farming, recreation and tourism. At the heart of our county’s natural resources is its abundance of water.

In October, officials from 13 municipalities attended the Newaygo County Groundwater Withdrawal Summit in White Cloud.

The summit provided local decisionmakers with a solid understanding of groundwater processes and the effects of groundwater withdrawal on local communities.

David Lusch, senior research specialistin the MSU Geography Department, discussed water drawdown and its effects on nearby wells; river flow and fisheries;recharge; long-term environmental concerns; and related policy issues. He also provided examples of how large groundwater withdrawal activities would affect townships in Newaygo County.

This summit provided local officials with the information needed to make informed decisions on water policy in their communities. The summit was co-sponsored by the Newaygo County Planning Commission and MSU Extension.

Ryan Coffey, Land Use Educator