The Cooperative Extension Service offers a host of educational programs and services.
If you do not see what you are looking for below, please contact our county Extension
Office for assistance.
Get Real, Here's the Deal
Balancing a checkbook is a critical life skill, one that young people can benefit
from learning before they fly the nest. To help meet this need, the Cooperative Extension
Service’s “Get Real, Here’s the Deal” personal finance simulation walks 8th-12th grade
students through interactive stations where they learned about gross and net income,
credit reports, banking, how to write a check, and how to write a deposit slip.
At the start of the simulation, students received activity cards, which assigned them
an occupation and salary, number of children and tax deductions. They also received
a checkbook and a starting balance, which they used to navigate 12 interactive stations,
such as choosing a food plan, picking out a car, and signing up for insurance.
One Pottsville Junior High student stated, “I respect my parents more for all the
financial choices/expenses.”, after participating in the program. Another said they
learned that life is not always fair and can be expensive.
For more information on this program, please contact the Pope County Extension Office.
Photo: Penn Helton receives a ticket, an unexpected expense, from Pottsville Resource
Officer Garza that he must budget in his monthly finances.
Pope County Master Gardeners
Pope County Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who serve the county through horticultural
beautification, conservation, and education. The program relies on dedicated volunteers who have an interest in
gardening and serving their communities.
The “Master Gardener” title applies to one who has successfully completed a 40-hour
training class and is actively pursuing (40) project hours and (20) learning hours
as part of their volunteer commitment the first year. To maintain the designation
of “Master Gardener” in subsequent years, an individual must acquire (20) project
hours and (20) learning hours per year.
For more information check out the Pope County Master Gardeners Facebook page!
Statewide Master Gardener Resources
Arkansas Farm To You
Russellville Elementary students learned about where food comes from and how their
bodies digest it.
Third and fourth grade students visited the Farm to You interactive exhibit Monday
and Tuesday before Thanksgiving. They learned about where their food comes from and
how it is processed and marketed. As part of this, they learn about the different
foods grown in Arkansas.
The exhibit also teaches the students how to make a healthy plate. In the walk through
of the human body, youth learn how food moves through the body and that physical activity
and personal hygiene are important for good health.
For more information on this program, please contact the Pope County Extension Office.
Photo: Youth learning about digestion that takes place inside the mouth.
Pope County Farm 2 Table Week
Pope County Extension offers a 4-day Farm 2 Table educational program in July to 4-H
youth ages 9-19 to learn where food comes from.
4-H’ers have toured local producers such as Green Acres, Tyson Hatchery, Ouachita
Livestock Market, Pope County Farmer’s Market, Cypress Valley Meat Company, and Cross
Farm. Each location provides hands on learning about how our food is grown, harvested,
and processed.
Our 4-H youth experience broiler chicks hatching to be sent on to Arkansas broiler
producers. The youth experience the sale of livestock, how our beef is processed,
and Animal Health Programs. They have been taught about soybean and corn production
by putting them in the combine seat and stepping out into the fields.
We are excited to add the hands-on learning experiences of processing your own broilers
and rabbits, along with firsthand experiences with honeybees.
We end the week with making a farm fresh meal for the Pope County Quorum Court Members
where the 4-H youth share presentations on their week’s experiences.
For more information on this program, please contact the Pope County Extension Office.
Photo: 4-H youth on a tour of Ouachita Livestock Market sorting pens lead by owner
Becky Wedel
Pope County Agriculture
Pope County farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and homeowners can take advantage of the
various workshops, training opportunities, and conferences offered by our office so
they can stay up to date on the ever-changing agriculture industry.
Examples of a few of the learning opportunities we provide:
- The River Valley Small Ruminant Conference
- Pesticide Applicator Training Classes
- Pope County Hay Show
- Row Crop Variety demonstrations
- Row Crop Verification trials
- Soil analysis
- Row Crop Production meetings
- Agriculture E-Newsletter
For more information check out the Pope County Agriculture Facebook page.
Photo: River Valley Small Ruminant Conference in Russellville
