Our Impact
Making A Difference in Our County
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working hard for its constituents. The following are examples of Extension’s impact in the county over the past year.
4-H Youth Development
The Banks County 4-H program provides fun and educational activities including experiential learning and in-school program delivery. The Banks County 4-H program allows 4-H members to acquire knowledge and develop life skills that will allow them to become self-directing, productive, and contributing members of society. In 2022, 610 youth were enrolled in the Banks County 4-H program. Banks County 4-H staff members met with all fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade classrooms once a month during the school year. Our in-school 4-H program in 2022 focused on healthy living and agricultural literacy.
Active Banks County 4-H members are also involved in Project Achievement for which students choose a project area of interest, research the topic, and write and give a presentation. Through Project Achievement, youth develop leadership, public speaking, creativity, and other skills. One Banks County senior 4-H’er served as Vice President of the State Board and earned Master 4-H’er status in the Wildlife and Marine Sciences Project area. Youth in grades fourth through twelfth are invited to participate in extracurricular 4-H specialty clubs that include Cotton Boll and Consumer Judging Team, SAFE Archery Team, Livestock Show Team, County Council, and Service Clovers.
Agricultural and Natural Resources
Agriculture is one of the largest economic contributors in Banks County, contributing approximately 186 million dollars according to the most recent FarmGate Report (2021). By far the largest contributor is the poultry industry accounting for 165 million of that total, making Banks county a top 10 poultry county in the state. This value is primarily driven by the commercial broiler and both hatching and table egg industry in the county. Beef cattle is second in value to the county, contributing over 5 million dollars in FarmGate value. Other major contributors include hay production and honeybees.
Lab services and diagnostics are one of the core resources provided by Cooperative Extension. In 2022, 145 soil samples, 19 water samples, 7 forage and hay samples, and 5 animal waste samples were submitted from Banks County. These test results and consultations are essential for producers to identify areas that need improvement to create a more efficient and profitable system.
Family and Consumer Sciences
UGA Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) outreach, resources, and programs help improve the quality of life for individuals and families in Georgia. We provide research-based information through training and dissemination of publications, and link families, businesses and communities to university faculty and resources. Common questions cover food safety, food preservation, dealing with mold and mildew, healthy meal planning, nutrition, family budgeting, Low Income Nutrition Education resources and more.
In 2022, the Family and Consumer Sciences program returned to Banks County for the first time in several years. A county needs assessment was conducted, revealing the need for programming related to nutrition, physical fitness, and diet-related disease. Future programming is being planned to address this need. In 2022, the FACS program was also able to offer several safe home food preservation classes, for both youth and adult audiences. FACS staff also completed training to become a tax preparation site through the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Beginning in early 2023, Banks County Extension FACS staff will be able to prepare client income tax returns, completely free of charge.