Washington State University

Serving Mason County for more than 100 years

Washington State University Extension Mason County helps people put research-based knowledge to work, improving their

lives, communities, and the environment.

To realize this mission, faculty and staff plan, conduct and evaluate research and experience-based educational programs

to improve the lives of Mason County residents.

WSU Extension Mason County also employs the assistance of hundreds of volunteers and community partners and provides

access to the resources available at Washington State University and the National Land Grant University Extension System.

Dan Teuteberg, County Director &

4-H Youth Development Specialist

dan.teuteberg@wsu.edu

360-427-9670 Ext. 686

WSU Extension Mason County

303 N 4th Street, Shelton, WA 98584

360-427-9670 Ext. 680

http://extenison.wsu.edu/mason

Facebook pages:

Mason County 4-H

Mason County Noxious Weeds

Mason County Master Gardeners

Community Intelligence Lab of Mason County

Mason County and Washington State University have a

long-standing partnership in providing educational

programs and research-based information to residents

throughout the county. This partnership ensures that

resources are committed from Federal allocations and

University funds to keep important educational programs

available in Mason County.

Partnerships

United Way of Mason County

Early Learning Coalition

Shelton Timberland Library

Mason Conservation District

Mason County Health Department

The Salmon Center

Hood Canal Coordinating Council

School Districts—Shelton, Pioneer and Hood Canal

Community Services Offices

Saints Pantry Food Bank

Behavioral Health Resources

Mason General Hospital

Washington Conservation Corps

Other Mason County partnerships include:

BY THE NUMBERS

2018/2019

1,602 youth engaged

in 4-H Youth

Development

activities

68 trained adult

volunteers

14 trained youth

volunteers

144 youth engaged in

educational camping

programs

146 families reached

through community

outreach programs

Washington State University

4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential,

working and learning in partnership

with caring adults.

4-H Coordinator

Ext. 681

fuller@wsu.edu

A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES

Mason County 4-H kicked off camping season in June with a weeklong

educational overnight horse camp at Panhandle Lake 4-H Camp. 4-H members

enrolled in the Horsemanship project enjoyed a week of overnight camping,

education and recreation with their horses. Camp is packed full of fun camping

traditions and memories that will last a lifetime. Members participated in

equitation, showmanship, performance, and western games classes taught by

professional instructors. Trail rides, craft projects, swimming, and other fun

outdoor activities filled

the remainder of the

days. Thirty five youth

members and ten

adult volunteers spent

the week learning

teamwork, leadership,

responsibility, science,

and horsemanship

skills. The 2019 4-H

Horse Camp was held

June 22-27.

Mason County 4-H Summer

Camp provided adventure

blended with a traditional

camping experience for more

than 65 campers July 21 – 25 at

Panhandle Lake 4-H Camp.

During this five-day overnight

camp, Panhandle was home to

more than 65 youth campers.

Camp is a valuable learning

experience that helps build

independence and

self-confidence in our campers. Camp staff provide a challenging yet nurturing

setting, where children “learn by doing” in a hands-on learning environment

based on the philosophy of 4-H. The unplugged environment of camp allows

children to try new things, open new doors, meet new challenges and make new

friends. Camp was staffed by more than 20 trained adults and teen counselors

who provided leadership, educational activities, nutritious meals and mentorship

to the youth campers. Many campers have indicated a strong desire to become a

counselor-in-training and then a teen counselor as they approach the

appropriate age for these roles.

SUMMER FUN AND LEARNING

Summer learning is vital, and the Mason County 4-H Youth Development

Program is proud to provide a number of low or no cost summer educational

opportunities for young people in our community. “Engineering the Future”

themes. Twenty youth ages 8 – 12 engaged in daily hands-on educational

activities, nutrition lessons, creative projects, and physical activities. A

sponsorship from OCCU

was received to help offset

the cost of the facility

rental. An affordable

registration fee of $10

included a 4-H Day Camp

tee shirt for each of the

twenty campers.

QUOTES

“I love 4-H camp

because it lets kids be

kids. They are away

from electronics, can

get dirty, and don’t

have to worry about

anything but being a

kid.” Daniel, 4-H

camper parent

“There is something

about camp that

brings my son out of

his shell. He is

typically pretty

withdrawn, but the

counselors really know

how to bring out the

best in him. He looks

forward to camp every

year.” Tony, 4-H

camper parent

“I PLEDGE my HEAD to clearer thinking, my HEART to greater

loyalty, my HANDS to larger service and my HEALTH to better

living for my club, my community, my country and my world.”

CLOVER KIDS CLUB

The Clover Kids club continues to meet on the first Wednesday of each month.

The program helps kids spark their inner passions, interests, and talents,

helping them to discover their best self! Each month we explore a new topic and

provide hands-on opportunities for kids to explore interests that they might not

otherwise be exposed to. Since Spring 2019, participants have learned about the

mighty insects of the forest, created watercolor masterpieces, discovered the

meaning of community and service to others, painted rustic wooden flags, and

got close up to some pretty

cute goats. Future sessions

include veterinary medicine,

cake decorating, and the art of

pie baking. The sessions are

free, open to the first twenty

registered kids ages 5-12 and

are held at Memorial Hall the

first Wednesday of each month.

FEELS LIKE COUNTRY

Thanks to a unique partnership with the Grays

Harbor 4-H program Mason County 4-H members

were able to proudly exhibit their 4-H projects

August 7 – 11 at the Grays Harbor County Fair in

Elma. Mason County youth entries included

photography, fine arts, baking, educational

displays, and public speaking. In addition to the

exceptional still life exhibits, many members

attended with their project animals and participated

in Fitting and Showing and other educational

classes. Animal projects from Mason County

included horses, goats, poultry, and rabbits. Many

Mason County 4-H members qualified to exhibit their projects at the

Washington State 4-H Fair which runs August 30 – September 22 in Puyallup.

Dedicated adult 4-H volunteers from Mason County play a significant role in

this successful partnership by contributing their time and talents.

Approximately 45 youth and adults participated in this event.

“I PLEDGE my HEAD to clearer thinking, my HEART to greater

loyalty, my HANDS to larger service and my HEALTH to better

living for my club, my community, my country and my world.”

BY THE NUMBERS

2019

Total Reached 1,090

66 program activities

60 youth series

taught, 1st through

11th grades

Total youth

reached: 1,033

6 adult programs

taught

Total adults

reached: 57

Total Reach CSO &

Food Bank: 1,553

17 single events:

Total contacts—605

Washington State University

SNAP-Ed Nutrition Programs focus on providing

dietary quality, physical activity and food

resource management for adults and youth. Coordinator

Community Outreach:

SNAP-Ed hosted nutrition demonstrations and offered food resource assistance

twice a week from May through August at the Community Service Office. Clients

received information pertaining to healthy meal planning and thrifty shopping,

delicious tested recipes and cookbooks, food safety, and matching EBT programs

(Complete Eats & Fresh Bucks @ Farmers Markets). They also tasted samples of

featured recipes. To date, 291 individuals have been engaged in learning how to

eat better and live healthier on a limited income.

Monthly nutrition demonstrations and food resource management outreach has

been held in Saints’ Pantry Food Bank lobby. Visitors are greeted with taste

samples of healthy recipes made from items they receive at the food bank,

emphasizing nutrient dense staples and fresh vegetables supplied by the WSU

Extension – Mason County Master Gardener food bank garden at Catalyst

Park. For the months of June and July, 268 clients participated in the SNAP-Ed

outreach, and enjoyed seasonal tastes of Watermelon Oatmeal Breakfast

Smoothies and Quinoa Summer Vegetable Salad. Milk Art Project –4-H Day

Camp Nutrition Lesson

Quotes

“I was really worried I

wouldn't be able to keep up

- I don't really cook and have

no clue when it comes to

putting together a healthy

meal. Where does one

start?”...(at the end of class)

"Wow! This was great! You

gals make this so easy. I

really learned a lot! Eating

healthier and cooking is

easier than I thought. I think

I can actually cook myself a

good meal now." - Bob

Gardner, participant in HEAT

class 1, 2 & 3

"Look! We made smoothies

for our class party! They

have lots of fruit and some

vegetables (spinach and I

forget the other's name) and

they're super healthy!

They're perfectly delicious!" -

Maelani B., 1st grade student

"Man! This is good

stuff! This is really good

stuff!...I can make it with

what I'm getting here

today?...I can cook this on

my campfire? Can I have

another one [tasting

sample]? I'm cooking this

tonight...It's so good!

[shaking his head and

grinning] Who'd ever think I'd

eat lentils and spinach?" -

Roger, frequent homeless

visitor to the food bank.

Educator Educator

Ext. 694 Ext. 693

pllyons@wsu.edu gabrieal.volpe@ wsu.edu

Shelton Farmers Market

SNAP-Ed presented a fun activity, Planting Gardens In Gloves, at the July Kids

Day at the Shelton Farmers Market on July 13, 2019. Kids young and old

planted vegetable gardens in gloves to take home and sprout in a sunny

window, featuring Northwest favorites – green beans and sugar snap

peas. Recipes and tips utilizing garden and market produce were distributed to

visitors and the matching Fresh Bucks/EBT program was promoted

4-H Summer Day Camp

SNAP-Ed participated on two days during 4-H Summer Day Camp. During the

Dairy Lesson on July 25th, campers learned about the different types of dairy

products and how they provide a rich supply of calcium for growing strong

bones. The kids paired up to make smoothies, learned how to use blenders

and follow a recipe. They were all smiles sipping on their delicious healthy

smoothies, followed by giggles as they performed a milk jug exercise relay in

the gym – weight-bearing activities are important to maintaining healthy

bones. The afternoon concluded with some wacky science (camp theme),

creating art with the emulsification properties of milk, soap, and food coloring.

The second session on August 1st was The Bean Lesson.

This session featured learning about the bountiful

nutritious virtues of beans – delicious protein

powerhouses full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, that are

economical, too! Campers learned to identify a dozen

variety of beans, explored how they’re commonly used in

cooking, and played bean-themed games (Don’t Spill the

Beans Relay Race, Wiggle Beans Hula Hoop Dance, and

Bean Bag Toss-Up). The budding bean experts then learned how to use a

kitchen knife safely and practiced cutting their own

vegetables, which they later enjoyed with two tasty

bean dips (garbanzo bean hummus and pinto bean

dip). This, of course, was crowned by their delight at

eating layered frozen bean and fruit pops (soybean

milk, apricots, and berries). Healthy plates full of

rainbow plant power goodness was enthusiastically

enjoyed by all, with the added bonus of no added

sugar.

BY THE NUMBERS

48 active Master

Gardener Volunteers

10 MG volunteers

completed training in

2018

9 trainees

completed training

May 2019

5,731 volunteer

hours provided to

Mason Co. in 2018:

Average of 119.4

hours per Master

Gardener. Fifth

highest average in the

State of Washington

(statewide average=

90.8 hours)

Mentor 1 school

garden located at

Belfair Elementary:

237 k-5 students

24 community garden

beds available to

Mason County

community residents

Washington State University

Master Gardeners provide relevant, research

based, ecologically sound resources to meet the

home horticulture needs of Mason County.

Coordinator

Ext. 688

Jeannine.polaski@wsu.edu

Catalyst Park

The Catalyst Park Food Bank Demonstration and Community Garden is giving back

to the community in many ways!

The food bank garden harvests, so far this season,

have provided over 1,000 pounds of produce to

Saints’ Pantry Food Bank with more to come. This

year, at the request of food bank clients, the garden

has produced more fresh herbs along with vegetables.

The Master Gardeners have expanded the Learning Garden at Catalyst. It now has

demonstration beds for septic planting, vertical gardening, “lasagna” gardening,

and mole/vole proof gardening.

The rented community beds are lush and full of produce and the monthly

educational programs are in full swing. Each month the community gardeners

participate in a Saturday workshop learning about a timely topic that is relevant to

their gardens including identifying the pests in their own beds and seed saving for

next year.

Catalyst Demonstration Garden is looking GREAT and we hope to see more visitors

this year. The garden is open to the public on Tuesdays from 9:00 until noon.

Plant and Pest Clinic

During this growing season, Master Gardeners have been busy answering the

community’s plant and pest questions! Master

Gardeners are available every Monday from

noon until 3:00 at the Extension Office and via

email, to investigate and respond to questions

regarding Mason County gardening issues.

Master Gardener volunteers are also on hand

every Saturday at the Shelton Farmer’s Market.

At the market, along with being available to

answer questions, they provide

demonstrations on horticulture topics.

Master Gardener Volunteer Training

We are currently recruiting new trainees to become Mason County Master

Gardeners! University trained volunteers are empowered to provide the

community with relevant, unbiased, research-based horticulture and

environmental stewardship education. Master Gardeners are the go-to resource

for Mason County residents who seek research based solutions for their

ever-changing horticulture questions. The training consists of both an online

WSU developed horticulture program along with face to face sessions on

various program and horticulture topics. Trainees must complete 60 volunteer

hours to become certified Master Gardeners. The cost of the program is $275

with a $100 refund when the initial volunteer hours are completed. We plan to

start a new program in January. Stop by or contact the office for an application,

due by November 4.

Volunteer Recognition

Late in August, the Mason County Master Gardener Program recognized its

volunteers at a potluck dinner held at the historic Grant School. The program is

largely run by its volunteers who share a commitment to the county to provide

education on horticulture and environmental stewardship along with raising the

funds needed to sustain the program. Volunteers were recognized for their

years of service along with outreach & educational activities and dedication to

the program.

Master Gardener Office Clinic

Every Monday 12 -3 p.m. Ext . 687

E -mail : masonmastergardener@wsu.edu

Office Plant Clinic

Catalyst Park 2019

Plant Clinic at Farmer’s Market

BY THE NUMBERS

2019

36 property owners

assisted with noxious

weed control

690 contacts at 5

local events

2 articles for the

Shelton-Mason

County Journal

5 Mason county rock

sources inspected for

compliance with

federal “Weed Free”

specifications

66 USDA Forest

Service acres treated

47 properties

inspected for

presence/absence of

giant hogweed

Washington State University

Responsible for identifying noxious weeds that are

impacting our county resources, including agriculture,

forestry, fisheries, recreation and native habitats.

Coordinator

Ext. 592

PatriciaG@co.mason.wa.us

GIANT HOGWEED CONTROL

Giant hogweed control work, funded with a Washington State Department of

Agriculture grant, continued through the month of June. Control work was carried

out at an additional nineteen sites. Final reporting for this project was completed

in early July. The report can be found at https://extension.wsu.edu/mason/

natural-resources/noxious-weed-program/mcnwcb-reports/

Noxious Weed Assistant

Heidi Steinbach in front of

Giant Hogweed plant

NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL

Noxious Weed Control staff continued their work

of protecting Mason County from the impact of

toxic, or difficult to control noxious weeds. To

date, control assistance has been provided to 36

property owners with infestations of giant

hogweed, poison hemlock, knapweed or

knotweed. Additionally, staff have pulled and

bagged tansy ragwort and spotted knapweed at

multiple locations, primarily within city or county owned rights of way.

The program currently manages 208 ‘Waivers of

Liability’ with Mason County property owners. On site

consultations have proven to be a valuable tool in

developing landowner awareness and engagement.

Three owners of newly acquired Mason County

property were surprised to learn that they had also

acquired the difficult to control noxious weed,

knotweed. Staff have provided assistance to two of

the owners and advised the third on options for

control.

NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL ON NATIONAL FOREST LAND

Work continues under the USDA Forest Service Participating Agreement, with 66

acres treated to date.

“BOOTS ON THE GROUND” GRANT FUNDING

An Interagency Agreement between the Washington State Department of

Agriculture and the Mason County Noxious Weed Control Board for the control

of invasive knotweed species within the riparian corridors of Mason County in

the amount of $15,000.00 was approved by the Mason County Board of County

Commissioners (BOCC) on August 06, 2019.

Modification #3 of the Participating Agreement with the Olympic National

Forest is before the BOCC for approval. This modification would add

$21,263.88 to the Participating Agreement for control of invasive species

within, or adjacent to, the Olympic National Forest.

Quotes

“I appreciate you

answering my

questions and giving

me a course of action

to take if I have any

future concerns.” JW

We are available to help landowners and land

managers with information, services, and resources to deal

with invasive, non-native plant species.

Booth at Allyn Days

Knotweed on newly acquired property of Great

Peninsula Conservancy

Funding for Early

Learning educational

programs is provided by

United Way of Mason

County, Thrive

Washington, and Visions

for Early Learning

Washington State University

HTTP://EXTENSION.MASON.WSU.EDU 303 N 4th St., Shelton WA 98584 (360) 427-9670 Ext. 680

Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.

EARLY LEARNING

The Early Learning Coalition of Mason County has spent the past few months

reflecting on the past activities and events that were hosted and sponsored by

the coalition. Plans are set to strengthen the activities and broaden our reach

throughout Mason County to support early learners and their families.

Last month the Coalition transitioned leadership on their board. A special

thanks to all those that served and continue to serve!

Current Board of Directors:

Chair(s): Elizabeth Custis and Cheryl Woods

Vice Chair: Kim Smith

Treasurer: Dan Teuteberg

Secretary: Randi Walsh

Coalition Coordinator: Nicole Kerksieck

Early Learning Fair

Olivia picks out stickers for

a job well done

BY THE NUMBERS

2019

Food Safety &

Food Preservation

14 Gauges checked.

8 were not accurate

and required

adjustment or

replacement.

Septic System

Workshops

3 classes conducted

195 participants

Washington State University

HTTP://EXTENSION.MASON.WSU.EDU 303 N 4th St., Shelton WA 98584 (360) 427-9670 Ext. 680

Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.

Office Manager

Ext. 680

LisaD@co.mason.wa.us

Three septic system workshops were conducted in Mason County with the

following results:

June - North Mason Timberland Library - 39 participants

July - Shelton PUD #3 - 106 participants

August - Hoodsport Timberland Library – 50 participants

At the workshop participants learned what type of septic system they have,

how it works, and what maintenance it requires. The instructor go over how to

perform an inspection of a conventional gravity system, and the tools needed

to do so. A Environmental Health specialist was on hand to answer questions

about county requirements and septic system records. The workshops were

advertised through local media, fliers and on

the back of post cards mailed by Mason

County Environmental Health. The

workshops had an overwhelming response

with people inquiring about next years

workshops. The instructor Wendy Mathews

will also be at Oysterfest to answer septic

system questions.

The goal in 2020 is to conduct three

workshops in Mason County and possibly

a few by special request.

Check pressure gauges on Monday’s from 10‐12, to ensure safe operations. This

continues to be a good community resource to ensure proper education on food

safety and preservation.

Continue to provide residents current up to date research based answers to their

food safety and home canning questions to reduce risk of food borne illness.

August office display

in building #1