UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION
ALLEGANY COUNTY
Welcome to Extension!
Our University of Maryland Extension office located at One Commerce Drive, Cumberland, Maryland, is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. We provide research-based practical education to improve the lives of families and to enhance agriculture, business, and industry. Our areas of expertise include but are not limited to agricultural production and nutrient management, water quality, natural resources, food safety, nutrition and healthy lifestyles, youth development, volunteer development, urban development, and community engagement.
For more information, contact us at 301-724-3320 or visit our UME Allegany website.
A Hare Raising Good Time!
Our Allegany 4-H Hare Raisers Club partnered with Cumberland Parks and Rec to host their annual Easter Egg Hunt at Constitution Park on Friday, April 15, 2022. In addition to the Egg Hunt, 4-H members offered crafts, distributed prizes, and an informal petting zoo with their hares.
Additional thanks to 4-H Just Hoofin' It members the Strawderman family and to Allegany County Ag Expo President Bill McKenzie for volunteering at the Egg Hunt and more thanks to the Strawderman Family for volunteering at the "Chalk It Up to Civility" event at the Downtown Cumberland Mall on Saturday, April 16. It was a great weekend for community service!
Robotics is Bigger Than Ever!
Allegany 4-H Robotics Clubs are combining their competitions this year to create one large event at Allegany County Fair and Ag Expo!
COVID protocols have prevented in-person competition since 2019, so our LEGO and Engineering teams are raring to go! Look for details in upcoming newsletters or contact 4-H educator Jessica Mellon at 301-724-3320 or jmellon2@umd.edu.
Photo taken at the 2019 Allegany County Robotics competition.
Celebrating Earth Day Our Way: Healthy You, Healthy Planet
Our SNAP-Ed team was on hand to help Allegany College of Maryland celebrate "Earth Day: Healthy You, Healthy Planet", an afternoon health fair on Friday, April 22, 2022, encouraging students to eat right, live healthy, and be environmentally aware.
SNAP-Ed provided free Swiss Chard wraps to students attending the fair and distributed related recipes. For more information about SNAP-Ed community engagement opportunities, contact Project Leader Mandy Hawkins at 301-724-3320 or ahawkins7@umd.edu.
Helping You Help Your Customers
The Personal Finance Seminar for Professionals team will host their 34th annual PFS seminar on Thursday, May 12, 2022, via the Zoom platform.
The Personal Finance Seminar for Professionals is intended for a multi-disciplinary field of professionals including financial counselors, educators, human service workers, and any individual providing financial literacy counseling to their clients.
For more information, contact Dr. Jesse Ketterman at 301-724-3320 (jketterm@umd.edu). To register, visit our website HERE.
Get Out There and Garden!
Our always popular Master Gardener Native Plant Sale will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2022, from 9:00AM to Noon at our UME Allegany County office at One Commerce Drive, Cumberland, MD. Our all-native plant selection includes annuals, perennials, herbs, house plants, and more. Master Gardener volunteer educators will conduct a Plant Clinic. Bring your questions or plant clippings to diagnose insect or disease damage, or inquire about new or existing landscaping.
All attendees will receive free packets of seeds while supplies last.
Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy
The EXCITE (Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement) grant collaborative with UME and Delaware Cooperative Extension is moving into its second year. One focus of the project is the disproportional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural workers, specifically immigrants. In their first year, the team worked with interns from the UMD School of Public Health to interview stakeholders who work directly with immigrant farmworkers in MD and DE and collect data for a community needs assessment. Through these interviews and assessments, the team identified the top reasons for vaccine hesitancy, what motivated farmworkers to get vaccinated and how to create successful education interventions.
Some of the common reasons for vaccine hesitancy are the side effects, taking time away from their jobs, religious beliefs, and misinformation from social media, family, and friends concerning the purpose and safety of the vaccine. Immigrant farmworkers were most motivated to be vaccinated to protect themselves and their community and return to a normal life to celebrate special milestones like birthdays and weddings.
One way the EXCITE team is combatting vaccine hesitancy is through training for healthcare workers. The next virtual training will be held on Monday, May 9, 2022, at 12:00 noon. For more information about the EXCITE program, contact Lisa McCoy at 301-791-1304 or at lmccoy@umd.edu.
Keeping Connected
WE ARE OPEN and available by phone, email and video conferencing. If you have questions, contact one of our experts to provide solutions.
Dr. Jennifer Bentlejewski
Area Extension Director
Western Maryland Cluster
4-H Youth and Development
Lacie Ashby
Senior Agent
Jessica Mellon
Senior Agent Associate
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sherry Frick
Senior Agent Associate
Ag Agent & Master Gardener Coordinator
Ashby Ruddle
Coordinator
Nutrient Management Program
MD - SNAP Ed
Mandy Hawkins
Project Leader
Shirley Guinn
Healthy Food Access Faculty Assistant
Shayla Hitchens
Program Assistant
Family and Consumer Sciences
Lisa McCoy, RD
Senior Agent
Dr. Jesse Ketterman
Agent
Administrative Assistants
Jody Parrish
Administrative Asst ll
Joni Reed
Administrative Asst l
University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance or other legally protected class.