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MINUTES - 04021996 - D1
1 D. l BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on April 2, 1996 by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors DeSaulnier, TorWison and Smith NOES: None ABSENT: Supervisors Rogers and Bishop ABSTAIN: None ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUBJECT: Report from the Director of Cooperative Extension on Department Performance . On this date, the Board of Supervisors considered a report on department performance presented by Susan Laughlin, the Director of the Cooperative Extension. IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the report on department performance by the Director of the Cooperative Extension is ACCEPTED. I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supe ors on Is date shown, ATTESTED: .�� PHIL BATC ELOR,Clerk of the Board uperviso County A i strator J By ,Deouty CC: Cooperative Extension UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Contra Costa. Performance Report 1995 I/ � I TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Department Overview Responsibilities............................................ 1 Organizational Structure...... . ......................3 II. Resources Financial Resources......................................6 Personnel Resources....................................8 Affirmative Action..........................................9 SickLeave................................................... 10 Staff Development..................................... . 10 Automation.................................................. 14 III. Customer Profile Service Delivery System.............................. 14 Customer Profile..........................................16 Customer Relationships............................... 18 IV. Annual Performance Performance Indicators................................22 Accomplishments...... ................................27 V. Challenges and New Directions Challenges...................................................33 New Directions.............................................34 Conclusion........................................................35 Appendix UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE REPORT 1995 I. DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW A. Responsibilities The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) program is a unique-element of the University of California system. It is an agent of.scientific research and application with special emphasis on the local needs of California residents. Meeting local-needs is:assured through a partnership between the land-grantuniversity and county governments throughout this and every state rip the country: The federal government via USDA joins with,states and counties to provide a share of the Cooperative::Extension.budget.: Cooperative•Extension offices were established through the Smith-Lever Act in 1914. The University-paid academic staff.along:wi#h hundreds of volunteers extend research-based information developed within uniiversity,,departments,to-farmers .familiesi,,,youth, and seniors. These staff use nonformal educational tools",,:such as meetings, conferences, workshops, demonstrations, field days, video programs,:etc.! They also.conduct-research'.©n problems of local concern. University--staff-and;volunteers are-supportedr by county funds which supply the,buildings secretarial staff,-and operational dollars, without which the UCCE offices could not function. 1 v t Consistent with its mandate, UCCE defines 'its mission as follows: The mission of the University of California Cooperative Extension is to serve the people of California by providing research, science-based education, and public service to help solve problems in agriculture, natural resources, environmental quality, food and nutrition, youth, family, and community development. Throughout the state, UCCE strives to: contribute to the health and well-being of individuals and communities in California's diverse multi-ethnic society within the subject matter expertise of UCCE personnel; promote sound public and private decision-making affecting.California's agricultural, natural, and human resources; provide the knowledge and expertise needed to .furnish consumers with an adequate, safe supply of nutritious food and useful foo6and fiber products, produced in a way that is economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially:acceptable po ,( advance California's competitive advantage in food and fiber production,:processing, and::distribution ;through the,development;assessment, and' -;introduction of:technological and institutional innovations, provide California decision-makers with the skills and knowledge to manage and use,natural resources wisely so as to achieve a high quality environment: 2 5 f B. Organizational Structure Program Areas: reeulfure: The goal of this program is to support the productivity and efficiency of agricultural systems in this county; to discover and promote,better pest and disease management practices, especially those that reduce chemical inputs; to assist new farmers to acquire the skills and knowledge needed.,to become economically viable; to convey safety information to farm workers. Vau#h L)egei"Meni: The Youth Development program strives to help young people become responsible adults through learn- by-doing science, community service, and leadership projects. The 4-H Club program is a time-honored tradition in all counties in the U.S. New urban outreach programs bring the positive traditions of 4-H to ;urban youth. A core element of all of our youth development programs is Ibringing children'into consistent contact with caring adult volunteers. UarrtiluResuuree #Laieage ►tW.- This program brings the. practical skills and knowledge of financial management to the most vulnerable citizens of Contra Costa County. The program's Advisor-works with homeless families;,pregnant teens, senior citizens, and low-income families to build. skills in budgeting, credit management, consumer rights and responsibilities, and frauds and scams. Nufrefi a For overIwo decades our Nutrition program has helped low-income residents-improve their health by improving their eating habits. Our Nutrition Advisor works with county leaders and agencies to study nutrition problems and to develop sound nutrition policies for the health of Contra Costa residents. 3 Urban florfieutfure: The Urban Horticulture Advisor is dedicated to public education, focusing on the vast numbers of back-yard gardeners in Contra Costa County, as well as nursery staff, and public land managers. In an urban area gardeners use and sometimes abuse important resources,'such as water, chemicals, and yard waste. Our program helps both gardeners and urban public_ land managers select and care for the plants that beautify our environment. The Master Gardener program trains and deploys some 70-80 volunteers to answer questions about plants and plant diseases over our help-line, at booths in farmers' markets, in libraries, and of community fairs. Organizational Chart: See Appendix,A Partnerships with CBOs or Departments: tiF:. >.i�:�."�.:a�"�. �i'�z-<� ^;�.✓. CBOs&Agencies CBOs&Agencies CCC Resource Conservation District Gid Scouts CCC Soil Conservation Service CCC Farm Bureau CCC Consolidated Farm Services Agency Delta 2000 CCC Farm Bureau Family Stress Center/Homebase Headstart Community Alliance with Family.Farmers ;Project Second Chancel CA Certified Organic,Growers Pittsburg Preschool Coordinating Council CA Rare Fruit GrowerslGoiden Gate Chapter Family Connections Family Literacy Counselors Battered Women's Alternative CCC Childcare Council Richmond Redevelopment Agency Ambrose Community Center-, YMCA/Bay Point YMCA 4 - r University Departments: Schools: UC Davis, Departments of Dover Elementary School Veg. Crops, Gateway School Pomology, Shore Acres Elementary School Entomology, Central Junior High School Plant Pathology, Small Farms Center University Department: UC Davis, Department of . Applied Behavioral Sciences UC Berkeley,Service Learning Center .� `�.v,�t'\E??aa�i :4Si�`:a\\?\�;3:�ti�zr'- :--�-`�'�ti��:: •�:•>.t�•:�- �` \ -� .\♦ _ r: CBOs&Agencies CB Os&Agenciles. Association of Homeless Shelter&Housing Contra Costa Food Bank Care Providers Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchens Delta 2000 County Department of Health Services Consumer Action of San Francisco Prevention program Deputy District Attomey,Consumer Affairs Office of Service Integration St.Vincent De Paul Society Contra Costa Health Plan Consumer Credit Counseling Services Childhood Health and Disability Credit Reporting Agencies Prevention AARP WIC Senior Nutrition University Department&Colleges UC Davis, Department of university Departments 'Applied'Behavioral Sciences UC Davis Departments of Contra Costa:College' .:' Nutrition,.Food Science and Technology UC Berkeley,:Department of Nutritional Sciences 5 CBOs& Agencies Agricultural Commissioner Richmond Redevelopment Agency Iron Triangle Community Agency Diablo Rehabilitation Services WIC University Departments&Colleges UC Davis, Environmental Horticulture Contra Costa College Diablo Valley College II. RESOURCES A. Financial Resources U.C.C.E. 1. County Budget IR Ki KF y �` wltget, ll+�eatin tai Proal A Program Salaries & Office Fixed Totals Benefits Expenses Assets Admin 23,451 2931 559 26,941 Ag 21496 2931 559 24,986 Youth 34003 2931 559 379493 FIRM 18565 2931 559 21,496 Nutrition 3490 0 0 3490 Hort 21496 2931 559 24,986 TOTAL $139,403 . 6 2. U.C.C.E. Funds: Alt Sources FUND SOURCES U.C.-57% =^ _� Legend Contra Costa County - $139,403 University of California - $725,016 GftsJGmts-12% ■ Federal—$260,522 Gifts&Grants - $149,429 Fed.-20% E] Total: $1,274,370 FUND SOURCES Including Volunteer Services uc 4. LegQ d:.._. Contra Costa County. $139,403 CCC-7% } rsity.of Califomia.-.$725,016 Federal - $260.522 GfIJGi '7'% Gifts&Grants - x149,429 ® ..Volunteer.Services.-..$788,000 Vol:Sav ' TOTAL $2,007,370 7 B. Personnel Resources w A Prorarn :..• Advisor Clerical Program Field Total Total PROGRAM Rep. Assist Temp Perm Admin, 1W` .50 1.50 Agri 1.0 .46 30 temp 30 1:.46 Youth 1.4 .73 .50 temp 50 ''1 :73 r� FRM 50 39'' �.... s: , 89 Nutrition .50 46. 216 .30 temp(,',-.* 50 temp $0 i '.f• Hort 1.0 0.46 1.46 TOTALS 5.0 3.30 2.20 03 1:6` 9.20 Trends in staffing: The total number of staff in this office has changed only slightly over the past five years, however, the fundingzources for existing staff have shifted. Whereas staffwver' os#entirely funded by "permanent' University funCls,5 years�'a�� Ttoday four of our,current part-time staff i-ime r si,ate f, Unexternal :grants:-..Of course, this means that4h&-bhergies sr-0�#ocused -solely on the-goals'of the grant and them fiehrets tied to the';life of the grant. The consequence. is to make:ourfrograms"more sharply targeted, while at the same time emphasizing pilot% demonstration work that must be passed on to;others forog- term implementation. - 8 C. Affirmative Action �,- - .�♦ ,.z4» kill African Asian Hispanic White American Actual 2 female 2 female 2 female_. . 7 female 1 male Percent of UCCE 14% 14% 14% 57% Workforce Percent of Population 8.2% 4.5% 7.4% 79.3% in CCC Programmatic Affirmative Action Each year the Contra Costa County office of UCCE does an affirmative action review of the programmatic.outreach of its staff. It is the responsibility of all UCCE Advisors to- ® Determine and rationalize the potential clientele ®..'Establish and, document base line demographic data ® Design program s:that meet the"'needs of the clientele group:.: ® Exercise all reasonable effort to reach clientele groups ® Monitor and document progress towards.parity in program,participation The±County Director's summary of the 1994 95 Affirmative Action Self-Assessmenf is attached'in,Append'ix B. The County Director`s review of each program found that each was in compliance;.either by reaching parity within the primary clientele target or by exercising all reasonable effort to reach a representative audience. 9 h. D. Sick Leave H ::-.: a 1993 1994 1995 Office Manager 84 81.75 108.5 Secretary, .5 6' 27 Secretary 83.5 61.5 79.5 FTOTAL 168,0 1149.25 215.0 E. Staff Development Performance Evaluations Performance,evaluations are done annually. For county-paid secretarial staff, the County Director collects information from all staff members about the secretary's'performance, discusses the outcome witt 'the secretary, and then writes'an evaluation. Program support staff are,evaluated on an annual basis by the Academic Advisor for:whom eachworks. Evaluations are expected as part 6'f'the University's merit review process each year. Academic Advisers are evaluated ohan. an annualtbasis by the County Director. These reviews are'histructured and formal.;during the,years tn,which.the Advisor is up for merit or promotion advancement.(every two or three years, depending on rank). The. Univei-sity.;employs both an administrative and peer review process,to,evaluate Academic Advisors when they are eligible for advancement from one rank to another. 10 Staff Development Staff development is extremely important for all levels of the UCCE staff. This office supports all legitimate needs for classes and workshops for secretarial staff, including classes in computer skills, budget oversight, University fiscal and personnel policies, affirmative action, office management. Academic Advisors are expected as part of their jobs to maintain professional competence. The following is a list of staff development activities for each Advisor: ,�.;:5:..`yla ti-' `-,r.•>�;, - ,. ?a.':C.;+u< n3.»�.'< -'..<I..C};. „-�.<a.> '- i. Adv�sc� Disciplinary updates Walnut Research Conference Compost Use in Vineyards Small Farm Conference Post Harvest Apple Workshop Pomology Extension Continuing Conference IMPACT training(computerized weather program) The Agricultural Uses of Compost Apple Workgroup_ , Walnut Shortcourse vegetable Crops Continuing Conference Professional meetings Northern California Entomology Club California Agriculture Production Consultants Annual Conference Administrative training Windows Powerpoint .Excel 11 - a sr M �' h Disciplinary updates Service Learning Food Stamp Nutrition Education Leadership Professional meetings Western Regional Youth Development Conference Statewide Youth Development Conference Statewide 4H Conference Partners in People Affirmative Action ADA laws Administrative training Risk management, .r.r ouarczta Professional meetings Fourth National Consumer Rights Litigation Conference New Strategies for Reaching the Global Consumer Affirmative Action North Central Region Affirmative Action training Administrative training Computer skills 12 N`.v,, �. ab, \ y3 � \v \. m "„ti. :2 .0- \\\ ..\\\1t` \\. , \ �T`. •��.V '^`^Y` ib` Disciplinary updates: Contra Costa County Food Bank Retreat Research training in preparation for study of video education in DSS offices Home Economics update: new Dietary Guidelines Prenatal Nutrition Seminar Regional Home Economics Retreat Advanced Breast Feeding Training for Trainers Professional meetings Division of Ag and Natural Resources Statewide Conference North Central Regional Conference Affirmative Action Sexual Harassment Administrative training Red Cross training for grant applicants for disaster preparedness Food Stamp Nutrition Education program implementation training a... .ax. Disciplinary updates Ornamental Horticulture Continuing Conference Urban Pest Management General skills English grammar Writing labs Technical writing Affirmative Action North Central Region Affirmative Action training 13 F. Automation Rote of Automation At the present time all staff members but one have a computer at his/her desk. Computers are used by the secretarial staff to keep mailing lists, design brochures and flyers, do final drafts of reports and manuals, and track budgets. Academic staff use their computers for drafting,;anO usually completing, all written work, including letters, reports, research articles, handouts for classes, announcements, etc. All staff computers are linked through a LAN system. All staff can access e-mail from their desks. System Changes As yet our office does not have Internet access.;: This,is the.next. step we must take. It is essential that our Academic Advisors have this capability. Given our limited county budget it will be impossible to fund Internet access'through the'county system since the $2000 annual fee will be beyond our means, however, we will explore commercial Internet service providers. III. CUSTOMER PROFILE A. Service Delivery System UCCE in Contra Costa County utilizes a wide variety of service delivery methods. The following are used by one or members of our staff: 14 Workshops Experimental design research Training Demonstration plots 4-N clubs Program evaluation,formative and summative Youth Groups Surveys Phone consults Literature reviews Extender Training Newsletters FAX Mailings Letters Other Mailings Libraries Television Professional Publications Each Academic Advisor in UCCE operates his or her program within the constraints and freedoms of an academic system. On the constraining side are the job description and the academic criteria under which the Advisor is expected to conduct his or her work. The job description is initially approved by the UC Vice President of the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR). Its contents may be modified to fit local and changing circumstances,:however, the Advisor's basic focus is constrained by.the initial job description agreement and by the Advisor's academic training. The University imposes:a more general set of expectations. ..called academic criteria::Giventhat these criteria,are the basis of merit and promotions advancement, they.impose.definite constraints upon the freedom ofAcademic Advisors to plan-their work. Each Advisor must achieve success in five areas: 1) Extending Knowledge, 2) Research and Creative Activity, 3) Professional=Competence,,4) University and Public Service, and 5) Affirmative Action. As UCCE-Advisors are.academics there sis also a-great,deal of academic,freedom.for each individual-to,identify-,clientele_needs and,:to choose educational and research methods to,meet-those needs. Advisors are called upon to justify their needs: - assessment methods and their approaches to solving problems, 15 t.X ;4c b � 1 but there is considerable latitude within these boundaries of good judgment and professional competence. B. Customer Profile fitalfare: This program targets the following;clientele groups: all owners, operators, and managers of,commercial fruit, nut, vine, vegetable, and field crop operations; allied industry personnel (e.g. Pest Control Advisers). These clientele need our services to remain economically viable in their chosen profession of farming. Established farmers must keep up-to-date on the latest findings from University research in order to remain competitive:' Newcomer-farmers, of which there are many in our county; have much to learn to create a successful farming enterprise. The general public needs the services we provide to farmers because we help to protect the environment. UCCE focuses much of its agricultural research and extension on the reduction of chemical inputs to agricultural crops. This is particularly true in an urban county where agriculture interfaces, sometimes uncomfortably, with urban dwellings. A secondary client group served by the farm Advisor is farm workers. Our program delivers farm`worker safety programs of benefit:both.to,the individual worker and Ihe farmer who takes ."responsibility-for worker safety: okfh eW"Men This program'targets the following clientele: youth K through 12. - The youth of our county are in'urgent*�need of engaging; esteem-enhancing; character-building youth Programs., The UCCE'4=H program`has hada long`tradition of providing such programs: Modified and tailored versions of the''traditional 4-H club program are made available to urban youtKwho gain the same benefits. All of our youth development programs have a 16 core commitment to bring young people into contact with caring adults and older teens who serve as teachers, mentors, and role models.. Our youth development programs are based on a prevention model. Iami& Jeesource MaxaQemenh This program targets the following.clientele.groups: all adult residents, low-income families with children, low-income seniors, middle-income seniors. More than 80% of the Family Resource Management Advisor's efforts are devoted to those clientele who are most vulnerable to financial disasters., These customers need our services to learn to use and conserve their resources, monetary and human, in the most informed and efficient ways possible. Our programs are designed to prevent financial hardship and homelessness. Urban NoWealiare: This program targets the following clientele groups: all adult residents, nursery owners and operators, landscape professionals. The clientele of the. Urban Horticulture program need our services fora variety of reasons. Many back-yard gardeners use our help simply to beautify`their:own environments and gain personal satisfaction.in the process. At the same time, these customers are taught to use*waterand chemicals wisely, thus preserving the general well-being of our environment. The public also benefits from programs we offer to reduce green waste:: Public land managers and agency-grounds keepers who must use,-scare dollars'-wisely benefit from the advice we,offer on thelselection sand care of plants.for environmental landscaping P 9 17 t � I C. Customer Relationships Relationship between UCCE and customers In general there are no income criteria for UCCE service. The only exception to this is our Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) which is funded by USDA for the express purpose of teaching low-income families the principles of nutrition, food purchase, and food safety. The income target of this program is families who earn up to 25% above the poverty line: All other clientele are served with no obligatory limitations based on income or other status criteria. We, however, do focus our programs on certain categories of residents because of our special areas of expertise. For instance our Farm Advisor targets farmers, our Youth Advisor targets school-age youth. Some programs target low- income groups by choice because we believe it is most logical to serve those clients who are most vulnerable. For instance, our Family Resource Management Advisor targets low-income seniors.for her programs on frauds and scams. Many of our programs are for the general public. A prime,example of.a program that serves the general public is our Master Gardener program which operates a help-line and many other educational services for the backyard.gardener. UCCE has &clearly defined responsibility for affirmative outreach.to assure;that our programs reach a population that reflects-the demographics of,the county.: Weare:. obliged by policy and by detailed statements in;each:job,�,, description to define our primary clientele carefully, to collect base line data regarding the demographic profile of that clientele, and to keep records regarding participation so that parity and equity may be assessed. Each Advisor's record in programmatic affirmative action is evaluated when they are eligible for merit or promotion advancement. The UCCE office in Contra Costa County 18 has been in compliance with Affirmative Action regulations for a number of years in all of its programs. UCCE does not charge fees other than to cover the cost of presenting,the program. This is a policy of the University of California and the USDA who are partners, along with Contra Costa County in the funding of the Cooperative Extension office. UCCE programs are intended to be provided for little or no.cost so that the public service mission of the University is accomplished and so that programs are accessible, without barrier, to the broadest number of citizens. Many workshops cost participants nothing at all, others cost very little. For instance, the Master Gardener training program charges only $50 for 17 four-hour sessions. This fee is set low since we also expect volunteer service as pay-back for training. The Partners-in-People conference, a.UCCE statewide educational event for all youth-serving professionals charges $50 for a full day of,workshops, lunch, and speakers the calibre of Jerry Brown.When UCCE Advisors work in partnership with other agencies to develop policies, design programs, consult on research, or serve on community committees no fee,is charged. Access to service As has already been reported, UCCE services ares delivered in:a,variety,of ways.. Our:.mission-is to take the University to the people,so,;we-make ourselves accessible to clientele in ways that suittheir circumstances: the Farm Advisor does farm calls and takes phowdonsultations; the Youth Advisor works with 300 adult volunteers who hold 4-H;club-meetings:-intheir-homes-,Ihe Nutrition Advisor-.provides education,in the waiting-rooms of DSS offices and in soup kitchens; the Family Resource Management Advisor goes-to homeless shelters; the Urban Horticulture Advisor sets up?booths-at farmers' markets. These are just a few examples of our-methods of reaching clients on their own turf. 19 As an organization we are responsible for making alit meetings and services accessible to people with disabilities. We always indicate on our flyers that persons who need assistance should call us. We can make signers and readers available. We have adjusted our office set-up to accommodate deaf persons and persons with other physical restrictions. We have a TDD.machine. As part of our programmatic affirmative action responsibilities we maintain a mailing list of all ethnically oriented CBOs and media. For some programs we send letters and make phone calls to assure that we attract an ,audience that truly reflects the make-up of the target audience. We are reviewed on our outreach procedures each year, as individuals and as an office. We are also sensitive to the needs of persons who do not speak English or who have low literacy level. We have .pamphlets and-flyers in several languages, we often use translators in meetings, we do programs in ESL classes. Most of our Advisors have had.occasion to design written materials for low-literacy levels. Our educational methodology (see section III A.) are varied precisely to accomplish the broadest outreach possible. As indicated in section-111 A., we utilize newsletters, videos, faxes, libraries, newspaper articles, flyers, etccjfor-mass outreach. Workshops, training ,:'programs;:shortcourses and lectures are broadly =advertised to increase accessibility: Evaluation :Most Advisors do satisfaction,surveys,at the end of each =of their in-person educational events:'(Please see attached:example in Appendix C) In truth,"We do not consider satisfaction surveys a very sophisticated too] since we are.dedicated"to making real changes to improve the well-being of our clients. Thus, when a program is large and long-term or designed as a significant pilot effort 20 we generally incorporate evaluation procedures that measure effectiveness. For instance: The Farm Advisor uses the pesticide use reports submitted to the Agriculture Department to determine the number of acres that have adopted the lower toxicity pest control approaches she has been advocating. Results indicate that last year 20% of the apple acreage used this low toxicity method, thereby reducing the potential for residential, environmental, and food product contamination. The Youth Development program is conducting an in- depth study of the effectiveness of programs that use teens as teachers, finding that teens can make good teachers, but that they need a great deal of training and support. The Family Resource Management Advisor interviews the agency personnel with whom she works to collect accounts of behavior change among participants in her programs. The EFNEP program has been evaluated continuously, for many years with outcomes indicating that our staff helps to significantly raise the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products among 92.7% of our participants. The Advisor in charge of the Master Gardener Program helped the volunteers survey the clients of the garden help-line and the farmers' market booth to find out if our services were effective. The survey results are attached in Appendix D. 21 IV. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE A. Performance Indicators Because of the variety of services we offer we have always had difficulty in standardizing performance indicators. There are, however,,two basic indicators that are common to all of our programs: 1) amount of extra-mural funding (grants, gifts, income) brought in to support the program, and 2) number of clients served The following charts capture these data: -� `uns b PrQ rarn` ars Program Grants Gifts Income Total Agriculture $1.9,655 $3,545 $23,200 Youth $88,000 $88,000 FRM $17,000 $17,000 Nutrition $19,779 $19,779 Urban Hort ' $ 1,450 $ 1,450 Totals $1449434 $3,545 $1,450 $149,429 22 Method Ag Youth FIRM Nutritio Hort Totals n Workshops 175 140 315 Training 115 60 175 4-H Clubs 1069 1069 Youth Groups 504 504 Phone 250 989 1239 Consults Extenders 379 65 152 596 Through 45258 780 2900 4109 53047 Extenders Newsletters 1664 2000 1704 5368 Letters 52 52 Other Mailings 408 23000 340 23748 Libraries 52 52 Newspaper X3 X3 Television X2 X2 Prof. X 22570 22570 Publications, Totals 4099 47210 -2997 26307 3093'1'.` 910,285 'Articles appeared in: California Grower,-statewide circulation a Good Fruit Grower;North,Westem States circulation` Califomia Arizona Press,Western states circulation, =Videos are distributed through-'CCC TV which ac6esses-290,785 households *Newspaper articles appear in the,Contra.Costa Times;Oaldand Tribune,and local weekly newspapers 23 h Achievements/Barriers Two achievements are apparent: 1. In comparison to the previous accomplishment report we have brought in 50% more in extra- mural funds to support our programs. Our Advisors have become much more skilled and more, committed to seeking outside funding. 2. We are able to document service to 110,285 people, nearly 14% of the residents of Contra Costa County. This figure does not include many others we have reached through various forms of mass media: Since these figures were not collected in exactly the same way in previous years we cannot make comparisons. Barriers are classic. We are a small office with limited personnel and budget resources-. We believe that more behavioral change and, thereby, greater enhancement to health and well-being,, is brought about by contact with a change agent over time. We would prefer::to be operating in a face-to-face, long-term contact mode more often than we can. Cost of..Providing Services Since our programs are so varied, providing the cost-per '. client data for every educational or research project we conduct would be--unrealistic It is worth-emphasizing,that the cost-per-client:based,on,the:county's.contribution is far, less: that the-cost-per clientebased omthe-total'operating budget for this office.(please;see section ]VA. above.).,.Using the county budget only; the cost per servicot to`Ya11 residents of Contra Costa County is approximately 17¢ per resident. The following are some examples.of cost-per-client based on all fund sources that support the program: 24 ,w , ,tom..;•,,, , � eSurce OR anaement1lcr \ v.W� -------------- Al,.,» Costs: Secretarial $300 Teaching material preparation $500 Advisor time $1080 Total cost $1880 Participants: 40 Extenders trained Each extender trained 12 people,on average Total # of clients served: 480 `1\`,\C \ .. '1` 4 H C - vL` Costs: Secretarial $25,000 Advisor time $6,000 Supplies $ 1,000 Total cost $32,000 Participants: (Each of 4-H club member spends 12 months in 4-H club work,averaging 200 hours per year in hands-on science,community service and leadership programs with adult volunteer supervision.) Total # of:club members: 713 =A ; 25 M Mg. c..«z: \ �� ended food and 114 U �,. .���'�;�y�`q\\:�:ate V. �#`�S,♦\�t. t\\.� \a\\\`v\....:,aa\\.�\\.;:�\;''\.��.\��\. '�'`\�\�¢\�' ♦\a,�'�♦ ��t�\\\•,^\ .�. . Costs: Salary for Prog. Reps. $16,900 Total cost $169900 Participants: (Each graduate of the EFNEP Program receives at least 4 food and nutrition classes of approximately one hour duration.) Total # of EFNEP graduates: 251 =4 .. -...... .. ...:.. ::....::::..:::::. .. �:.-.::..:.: :'-: :-:::`..:Y;:-::'__-..i%:.iF::. i•-::-:iJ,.):.:::3'-::-:"'::1:':�'i.�_�`:`"}\`v'-•� SIO V1de0► Health Costs: Salary for Prog.Rep $%5 Total cost $965 Participants: (A typical DSS participant encounters the INFOVISION program while waiting for DSS services. Participants may view from 1-60 minutes of the tape,with varied amounts of attention) Total # of potential participants: 239000 13 Q. g g 0 a IJ AWN In Criteria for deciding to provide services One of the expectations of all academic programs is evaluation, both formative and summative, to answer questions related to a program's efficiency and effectiveness. 26 Evaluations which have been conducted in recent years in this office are: study of 24 hour food recall improvements after EFNEP training study to determine the efficacy of an instrument to measure food behaviors follow-up survey of utilization of information conveyed in Partners-in-People conference study of teen mentoring programs assessment of training needs of youth-serving professionals ethnographic study of a writing workshop for 9- 12 year old students Evaluations which are currently underway: study of teen mentoring programs study of the differential effectiveness of video, vs. audio; vs. written materials for parent education study of effect.-of EFNEP participation on family food budgets B. Accomplishments �4�i��etfare Pro Low Toxicity Codling Moth Control Using Mating Disruption,Techniques -There are over 1500:acres of apples in this county making it the primary tree crop valued at more than 7 -million dollars. Many of these apple orchards are near homes in the rapidly developing East County. The Farm Advisor has been working with producers for the last 4 years to perfect a technique called pheromone 27 confusion or mating disruption which will control the major apple pest (codling moth) with little or no toxic sprays. Last year 20% of the apple acreage used this low toxicity method thereby reducing the potential for residential, environmental, and food product contamination. X Tree Pest Updates We grow 6,000 acres of tree fruits in this county and produce enough apples, apricots, walnuts to meet the consumptive needs of all our CCC residents. We also produce a good deal of the cherries, peaches,. and nectarines consumed in this county. There are several pests attacking these crops which are routinely controlled by sprays. Over the last few years the Farm Advisor has monitored the lifecycle of these pests using modern pheromone traps and computer technology to more accurately predict if and when these pests might need to be controlled. She makes this information available to all tree farmers through her Tree Pest Updates fax mailing program. She also informs growers of newly available; less toxic technologies. Last year 35% of the acreage replaced their old control program with less toxic sprays and pheromone confusion techniques. This has made for a more environmentally sound food production system for CCC residents. X Cherry Buckskin Survey Cherries are one of the most.important tree, crops for small, CCC growers who market directly to local consumers through U-Pick operations and roadside -: stands.* They are an excellent crop for small growers who live on their farm;as they can currently be grown with little or no pesticides. Every year the Farm Advisor conducts a survey of the cherry orchards in the county with the help of the county Ag Department staff and Master Gardener volunteers Io identify and eradicate any trees with Cherry Buckskin disease. This disease is well established in cherry orchards in 28 This disease is well established in cherry orchards in adjacent San Joaquin County and requires continual spraying to control. This survey has successfully prevented this disease from becoming established in this county thus preserving cherries as a viable, low input crop for small producers and assuring high quality, low cost fruit for CCC residents. uM Vevelamexi p�o�ra V Literacy Program for_Parents of Elementary Students A literacy program for parents of Dover Elementary students was implemented. Our staff trained parents and the local library's literacy coordinator who will be able to continue providing the program after we complete the pilot and move on to other projects. V Fostering.Resiliency The Youth Advisor has focused considerable effort on the study of resiliency factors among youth. She has written various papers, made a number of presentations, and delivered a workshop on this topic to the Child Welfare League of America. V Service Learning The Youth Advisor has done a literature review and written a paper on service teaming. She,is currently conducting a research project on "teens as teachers" designed.to find out what the essential elements of successful teen,mentor programs are.. 29 � ."�1 Yf• r tx V Youth Style and Violence In order to better understand the significance of and the reaction to styles adopted by teens, the Youth Advisor is collaborating with a UC Davis faculty member on a research project. The findings will help school officials and parents put dress and personal style in perspective. V Work with Challenging Children Working with children who have ADD, ADHD, or learning disabilities has always been challenging for youth service providers.- This study will determine these children's needs in youth group settings in order to help leaders be more effective. lansity JUSOuree Naaaoemed Prom O Parent Education Video Tapes The Family Resource Management Advisor produced a series of 10 video and audio tapes on parenting. The video tapes are shown by CCC TV. She has also placed the tapes along with written materials in three public libraries and with the Child Care Council to use in their parent education programs. O Resource Management to`Prevent Homelessness The Family Resource Management Advisor trained 65 extenders(agency personnel and volunteers) from such agencies,as Rubicon, Phoenix, and Shelter, Inc. to help clients n'danger of becoming Jor remaining homeless: These 65 extenders trained'an"average of 12 clients each. 30 O Budgeting and Record Keeping for Clients of St.Vincent De Paul These workshops targeted some of the hardest to reach clientele: parolees, drug addicts, and mentally disabled. The Executive Director of St. Vincent De Paul reported that one of the participants had saved $1800 from his earnings after attending this workshop and was able to move from temporary housing to permanent housing. ltu�riiiun Pr ram Study of Video Education The Nutrition Advisor coordinated a study of the efficacy of video education in such settings as public waiting rooms. Data from 155 Contra Costa Food Stamp recipients demonstrated that short, less than 15 minute, videos can be effective teaching tools in waiting room settings. Among other things, viewers reported increasing the amount of vegetables they ate, as well as how to purchase them economically. The results of this study justify the INFOVISION program currently in place in all of the DSS waiting rooms in Contra Costa County. ✓ Quality Medical Care The Nutrition Advisor was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to the Medi-Cal Advisory Planning Commission and then to the Managed Care Commission. She has called attention to preventive health services, especially nutrition and health education. The emphasis on preventive health care will help to reduce the magnitude of long-term chronic disease, thereby saving the county money. 31 I , ✓ Food Stamp Nutrition Education Contra Costa County was among the first counties in the state to implement a Food'Stamp Nutrition Education program. In this county we'work with GA recipients who also receive Food Stamps. The curriculum focuses on helping participants make good, economical food choices on a very low income. urban #oriitutfure Master Gardener Program The Urban Horticulture Advisor graduated 34 persons from the 1995 Master Gardener training program. These graduates joined some 50 veteran volunteers in providing help-line consultation to backyard gardeners, staffing booths in farmers' markets, and providing education to the general public visiting our premier community gardens, Heather Farms and John Muir. Our Master Gardener volunteers reported over 4,000 contacts in 1995.- 32 995. 32 V. CHALLENGES AND NEW DIRECTIONS A. Challenges It is to be expected that, as an agency that addresses large environmental and societal issues, there are never enough resources. Our office has operated with just about the same number of personnel for many years. We do not expect to get more staff from the University which has been in a down-sizing mode for about the past 8 years. Although securing additional permanent academic positions from the University is not realistic, supplemental, often temporary, resources to support existing academics are possible. We have been very successful in getting grants for large and small projects and we will continue to pursue such funds. We have often been successful in getting temporary support from the University for project-based staff. We have also received significant support for computer equipment from the University. We will continue to compete for such funds. There may be opportunities to share support staff resources with neighboring UCCE county offices and we will welcome such arrangements. The county budget is a continuing matter of concern to our office. The ofrice expense budget that supports all operational costs is not adequate 46 meet our needs. It does not cover a year's worth of office"supplies, we cannot 'upgrade our antiquated telephone ' system,-we cannot afford to hookup to the Internet through the county system, w6'cannbt purchase new equipment. In order to make it thr6wh'the'yearwith:enough paper and 'e p ncils we must furlough our secretaries for'part of the summer merand fall months. It will be my continuing i'n" g philosophy as County Director to strive to assure that the valuable academic resources assigned to this county are supported in the best way possible. As the Contra Costa academic staff members mature in their roles they become more and more capable of taking on large educational projects, valuable research, and important leadership roles. They can only do this with reasonable levels of operational and staff resources. .33 B. New Directions Several future directions will dictate response from this office. 1 Information technology . An academic service must not only master new information technology;in order to be on the cutting edge of knowledge, but must keep up with its clientele needs in relation to use of this technology. We will need to be presenting our information on the Internet, putting our publications on CD ROMs, communicating with our clientele via email, etc. Our office has a LAN system and is hooked up to email, but we do not yet have Internet access. :We have a number of technical challenges and a large budgetary challenge to surmount in order to get to an up-to-date position.in today's technical world. 2. The "Green Revolution" Urban and rural residents alike are more and more concerned about preserving their environment. Our agriculture programs must lead the way in helping to reduce harmful chemicals in the air we breathe and the water we, drink.. The Contra Costa County Farm Advisor.,is already working; in the sustainable agriculture/bio-control arena. We will be even.more helpful as the agriculture departments on the Davis, Berkeley, and Riverside campuses become more dedicated to the same goals. 34 3. Land use and planning In a county such as Contra Costa, and throughout the Central Valley, agricultural land is slipping away to be developed for housing. This is a serious trend which must be carefully studied andresisted where appropriate. The University is devoting more attention to this problem and will be of greater service to county planners through Cooperative Extension offices in the future. 4. Social dysfunction among youth Violence, school failure, teen pregnancy and other social ills are disproportionately prevalent in most urban environments. Although Contra Costa, for the most part, does not have an unduly high incidence of any of these indicators of dysfunction, all communities have more than citizens want. We need a strong youth program to work side by side with other youth serving groups to prevent dysfunctional behavioral patterns before they start. Conclusion The University of California Cooperative Extension Program is dedicated to serving people. We strive to make life better for Contra Costa residents in all walks of life, in every corner of our ethnically diverse county. The Contra Costa County office of UCCE is supported by specialists and faculty on three of the University's campuses (Davis, Berkeley, and Riverside). We derive our research-based information from these California resources as well as from every land-grant institution in the nation. No other arm of the University of California reaches out to people in their own communities with such a wealth of objective, scientific information and problem solving. We are a valuable gift to the people of this county. 35 APPENDIX A I MU) u c 2w L � c a cn ro � o v V) 0 -0 Z Q ami E ro c 0) o O Z O z O LL Z ^Z t i 4 '>- m W Q CL Q cu C? W Q O o [� °O > N CR L a L wO r < ro W n- Z Lo z cu t > D O o `� = L) L Q) U) � a) s � -0 ro 0 0 L 0 -a Q 0 qui E m rn a L 0 > c '0 m Q E .V . L cn ro Q Dd APPENDIX B D. i Page I of 7 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE E\TENSION AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SELF-ASSESSMENT OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION OPERATIONS FY: 1994- 95 County: Contra Costa , Submitted by: Shelley Murdock Date: 9/ Z 6/ 95 Ac t i n g County Director Reviewed by: Date: Regional Director COUNTY PROGRAMMATIC COMPLIANCE SUMMARY To be completed by the County Director:List all CE programs in the county. Indicate the advisor's interpretation of compliance status in the appropriate column. County Directors should also indicate their evaluation of compliance status in the appropriate column below. COUNTY A.A. COMPLIANCE STATUS ADVISOR DIRECTOR OFFICE PROGRAM TITLE ADVISOR YES NO YES NO YES NO Farm Advisor Program X X Urban Horticulture Program X X Family Economics X X Nutrition X X Youth Development X X Page 2 of 7 Acting County: Contra Costa County Director: She 1 ley Murdock— COUNTY PROGRAMMATIC CONIPLIANCE SUMMARY (cont.) Use space below for comments on individual programs. FARM ADVISOR PROGRAM: Janet Caprile As Janet states in her write-up she has more than adequately reached parity with her designated clientele group. I believe that she is truly dedicated to reaching all growers in this county, and has made some special efforts to reach growers who are not part of the agriculture establishment, many of whom run very small farming operations. While small operations are by no means always run by minorities and females, these are not doubt somewhat more heavily represented. Beyond her primary clientele Janet has made one important contribution to outreach on an annual basis: she provides pesticide safety training for Spanish speaking farm workers in Spanish. She has plans to expand this next year to include even more farm workers who have recently come under new Federal regulations requiring pesticide training. I think reviewers should read Janet's "comments" section. She makes the same comment many of us, myself included, made last year. The Affirmative Action office should really try to address the issues Janet raises. Seeing no changes in this form or in CEMIS again this year is disheartening. URBAN HORTICULTURE PROGRAM: Greg Vogel Greg's self-assessment is an example of his commitment to Affirmative Action. If anything, Greg overdoes his outreach efforts, to the detriment of establishing a consistent educational or research program. On the other hand, he is to be commended for the creative effort he has put into establishing an urban horticulture service in the Richmond area. Through his efforts we are reaching large numbers of previously underserved clientele. In addition to the Richmond Farmers' Market program, Greg has also taken his Master Gardener training program to a location in West County in order to attract more trainees who would be willing to work in areas where minorities live. Of course, he also wanted to attract more minorities to the training program and he was partially successful in doing this. Another specific action he took was to encourage the low-income minority members of our Master Gardener group to apply for scholarships to attend the summer MG conference.. FAMILY ECONOMICS AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Jagjeet Johal Minorities are over-represented in Jeet's program clientele. In the "low-income seniors" category she attracted mostly African American women. However, in reviewing her outreach methods, I believe she has made all reasonable efforts to advertise her program through the community networks of which she is a part and through her own mailings and TV contacts. Jeet is personally committed to reaching the most vulnerable residents of the county. Her primary targets are seniors, homeless families and pregnant teens. Her program content is geared to these audiences. She is highly successful in achieving Affirmative Action goals dues to her efforts to attract targeted groups and due to the attractiveness of the content. NUTRITION: Mary Lavender Fujii Mary's program has increasingly addressed nutrition policy issues. She works with the health care and social services providers to ensure that nutrition is an integral part of all public services to this county's low-income residents, and to ensure that decision-makers are informed about hunger and encouraged to act to prevent it. Thus, Mary's program is designed to serve the needs of low-income residents as a category within which is a large proportion of minorities. When Mary works directly with clientele it is generally with providers who serve this audience. Her CEMIS report reflects her provider contacts. She is comfortably in parity in this primary clientele category. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: Shelley Murdock Shelley's self assessment report indicates that, as usual, our club program is not yet in parity, though making steady progress. The youth development work conducted by her pulls the overall statistics into parity since she focuses on underserved groups. Two specific affirmative action efforts were continued this past year. First, she worked hard to sustain an E&R committee comprised of community representatives and 4-H leaders and members. Its charge was to help guide the program's outreach efforts. The group chose to do some PSAs to help appeal to wider audiences than currently are attracted to 4-H. One PSA was completed. The group has, however, now disbanded. Secondly a detailed letter was sent at the end of this fiscal year's enrollment period to report to each club serving all white members. Suggestions for integration were given. The 4-H Executive committee, due to some very healthy changes in its composition, has undertaken some Affirmative Action efforts of its own. It has endorsed the camp committee's AA training held in October for camp leaders; it appointed a sub-committee which wrote the county's AA complaint procedure so that all will understand and accept it, and it has officially encouraged all Clubs to have a leader/member pair officially designated as outreach officers. These steps are the first of their kind. We have never before had any positive actions taken on behalf of Affirmative Action goals by our 4-H leadership. Page 4of7 Acting County: Contra Costa County Director: Shelley M u r d o c7k I. A A TRAINING & AWARENESS (cont.) 4) Is affirmative action a part of all University-paid personnel evaluations? YES _ NO If NO, please explain: 5) Are affirmative action files accessible to all office personnel? YES X NO If NO, please explain: 6) Could you show an auditor where the files are located? YES X NO 7) Is the,nondiscrimination poster ("And justice for All") displayed in your public meeting areas? YES X NO 8) Is there a single mailing list for all county programs? YES NO X If YES, is it coded for gender and ethnicity? YES NO 0 Page 5 of 7 Acting County: Contra Costa County Director: Shelley Murdock"' II. COOPERATING GROUPS 1) Do all organizations you serve or which receive educational support from CE programs in your county comply with non-discrimination in membership requirements? YES X NO 2) Do you have supporting documentation (i.e. memo to file, copy of a letter sent to an organization, etc.) on file? YES X NO 3) If you answered NO to either of these questions, please explain: III. CE OFFICE ACCESSIBILITY 1) Place a check beside the accommodations for disabled persons available at the CE office. If you have offices in more than one building, please attach additional pages for each building. Location of building: Wheelchair Other Disabilities X parking space TDD wheelchair ramp other: restroom accessibility other: 2) If the office is not accessible to the disabled, discuss your plans and efforts for remedy: (Attach additional pages as necessary.) We have been asking the County to provide wheelchair accessible restrooms for more than two years . I have finally gotten a minimum response from our building manager who has agreed to foot the bill , if it is within the reach of her budget , to modify stalls in restrooms in our building complex . She wrote the attached memo in July , 1994 and has not yet received an estimate from o-ur overworked General . Services Department . dw:BAN E:A:1ce a fo.rTm Page 6 of 7 Acting County: Contra Costa County Director: Shelley Murdock-' IV. DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT HANDLING 1) Did your office or staff receive any affirmative action complaints during the July I to June 30 period? YES NO X If YES, please briefly identify the complaints. 2) Are you and the University and county-paid staff familiar with the University affirmative action complaint procedures and able to process a complaint? YES X NO If NO, discuss your plans and efforts for remedy. 3) Has your University-paid staff been made aware of the procedures and processes of the EEO/PER system? YES X NO If NO, discuss your plans and efforts for remedy. Page 7of7 � f County: County Director: , V. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ACCOMPLISHMENTS Describe what you have done and how your efforts have made a difference, whether for the county office or the "bigger picture". (Attach additional pages as necessary.) As 4-H Youth Development Advisor my AA activities primarily centered around my work in youth development. These accomplishments are well covered in the two sections I was required to complete. As Acting County Director, my AA accomplishments (outside of 4-H and youth development) were few. I did show staff a video on implementing ADA in the workplace. Staff responded favorable. I also provided AA support to staff by: securing meeting facilities which are wheelchair accessible, rewriting the non-discrimination statement which much be signed by groups with whom we work, and reviewing outreach materials to be sure inclusive language was used throughout. VI. COMMENTS If you have any comments or questions regarding this county's affirmative action efforts or any other affirmative action issue which you would like to direct to the Affirmative Action Office, please do so below. Also, please indicate any specific affirmative action training needed in your county. (Attach additional pages as necessary.) I concur with Janet about this report. It is truly a painful experience (especially if you must complete three!! sections) and doesn't capture the spirit of our work in offering programs to underserved audiences. There has to be a better way!! dw:HANEA:\c m fo.rms APPENDIX C �r r 1 EVALUATION Thank you for participating in today's workshop. Please help us to improve our educational programs by completing this form: Most Not Unable to Useful Useful Comment 1. The presenter was well-prepared. t 2 3 4 5 2. I feel prepared to use the information I gained today. 3. The workshop fulfilled my educational goals for the day. 4. The best features of the workshop were: 5. This workshop could have been improved by: 6. Overall, I feet the workshop was: (circle answer) a. GREAT b. OKAY c. NOT SO GREAT 7. I will most likely use the information I gained today with: (circle answer(s) a. CHILDREN b. FAMILIES (various ages) c. TEENS d. ELDERLY e. ADULTS f. ALL AGES 8. I am most likely to use the information I gained today with the following number of people in one year: (circle answer(s) a. NONE b. 1-10 c. 11-25 d. 26-50 e. 51-100 f. 100 & UP 9. I consider myself. (circle answer) a. HISPANIC b. BLACK c. ASIAN d. NATIVE AMERICAN e. WHITE APPENDIX D ANALYSIS OF MASTER GARDENER HELP-LINE SURVEY M.G.s staff a home garden help-line Monday through Friday, 9 am to 12 noon. r Clients call for information and solutions to home garden problems. We surveyed clients to evaluate how effective our phone home garden help-line was serving the public. We called every fourth client who had called the help-line in October and November. We contacted 21 clients and read the enclosed questionnaire to them over the phone and recorded their responses. We asked if they used the information the M.G.s offered them. Of 21 calls 15 or 71% said yes they used the information; while 3 or 14% did not use the information. Additionally, 5% hoped to use the information in the future, and 1 never received a call back from a M.G. Further we found that 9 or 60% of those that indicated they used the information said yes it helped them solve the problem, while 20% said no it did not help, and the remaining respondents did not answer the question. When clients were asked if the information presented was helpful; 70% indicated it was very helpful or helpful. Ten percent marked that it was not helpful. Five percent didn't know, and 15% did not respond to the question. Clients rated the service they received as very good to good 85% of the time, while 10% said it was neither good nor bad. Five percent did not respond to the question. M.G.s often send out U.C. literature to help clients with a problem. We asked the client if they had been promised or if they requested literature, and 40% responded yes. All those promised or requesting literature received the literature, and the clients responded that the literature helped them. We asked the client whether they would call our office again if they have another home garden problem, and 95% responded yes. One person did not respond to the question. We asked where clients usually went for home garden information: 55% marked nurseries; 30%marked U.C. M.G. help-line; 10% said libraries, gardening magazines, or books, and 5% of the clients marked a friend. , Y . SUMMARY OF THE FARMERSyLkRKE7C---_.- .. _ ' QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS We surveyed clients on November 3 and 10 at Richmond's Farmers Market using the enclosed questionnaire. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the M.G. Extension education project presented at the Richmond Farmers Market each Friday afternoon from 2 to 5 pm during the summer. One M.G. objective at the market was to publicize the horticulture Helpline. Of the people surveyed 71% indicated they were told about the free home garden phone Helpline staffed Mon-Fri, 9am to Noon when they stopped at the booth. The M.G.s gave out free literature to encourage gardening and promote sound horticultural practices. Of the 38 clients responding to this question 92% answered YES they received free literature. Further 87% marked that the literature HELPED A LOT or HELPED SOME to change the way they garden. The M.G.s answered home gardening questions at the Farmers Market. Of the 33 respondents 82% asked a Master Gardener for horticultural information. Further, among those who asked for information, 96% rated the horticultural information they received as VERY GOOD to GOOD. One person did not rate the horticulture information. The clients also listed problems they asked about. There were 19 clientele generated questions, and 85% were pest related. The clients also had 13 suggestions on improving our service. Eight of the responses expressed appreciation for the program or encouraged the us to continue the program. jCOOPERATIVE EXTENSION ' UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA �. Contra Costa County FARIVIERS' (MARKET QUESTIONNAIRE DATE 1995 Filling out this questionnaire will help us evaluate the educational program Master Gardeners carry out at the Richmond Farmers' Market, and help us serve you better. Master Gardeners are volunteers that receive training from the University and in turn extend home horticulture information to the public. PLEASE ONLY FILL OUT THIS OLESTIONNAIRE ONCE. 1. Have you talked with a Master Gardener at this booth before? _yes no. 2. Were you told that Master Gardeners staff a free home garden phone help-line Monday thru Friday, 9am to Noon that you can call at 646-6540? _yes _no 3. Have you received free seeds or plants from the Master Gardeners at the Cooperative Extension Booth'? __yes _no. If yes, please answer questions a. thru b. a. Did you plant the seeds or plants? ___yes _no b. Did you harvest food or flowers from the plants?—yes no 4. Have you received any free literature? _yes no. If yes, please answer a. a. Did the information in the literature help you change the way you garden? _helped a lot, _helped some, _did not help, _ confused me, _don't know. 6. Have you asked the Master Gardeners for horticultural information? _ yes no. If yes, please answer questions a. and b. a. Please rate the horticulture information you received from the Master Gardener: _very Qood, _good, _ neither good nor bad, — bad, _ very bad b. What was the problem you asked about? 7. Comments or suggestions that may help us serve you better or home garden problems you would like us to address: (you can use the back of this questionnaire if you need more space) PLEASE RETLTRN TO THE MASTER GARDENER BOOTH AT THE RICHMOND FARMERS MARKET. (CONTACT GREG VOGEL AT 646-6540 IF YOU HAVE AlY QUESTIONS). 1700 Oak Park Blvd., Room A-2, Pleasant Hill, CA. 94523; (510) 646-6540; FAX (510)'646-6703.