4-H and other programs up and running in Morris County 

By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Morris County Extension Agent Robert Grant (center) is working to build his county’s 4-H club. 4-H is just one component of Extension. -- Staff photo by Kramer

Dec. 1, 2005 - In Morris County, Extension Agent Robert Grant is devoting his time to rebuilding programs in his county.

When Grant first inquired about the position, a strong 4-H program was the top priority.

�When I applied for the job here, the commissioners stated that they wanted a strong 4-H program, and so did I,� said Grant. �Since then, that�s what I have been working on.�

Texas Cooperative Extension offers various program areas - ranging from agriculture to 4-H - in each county.

Grant, who began working in the county in April 2005, said there have been several challenges to overcome.

�Morris County is small, and there is not a lot of money, so money is a problem,� admitted Grant. �Finding funds to do programs is a problem, but with time, that will cure itself.�

In addition,  he said getting to know the people and getting the word out about Extension programs has been tough. “I am finding that it takes a long time to build relationships with the people and get to know them.”

He added that Morris County was without a Texas Cooperative Extension agent for several months, which was plenty of time for Extension programs and efforts to be forgotten. Even before his employment, he said the 4-H program in the county was suffering.

�The 4-H program in Morris County has gone down in numbers over the last few years because of the lack of guidance and the lack of information,� he explained. That information has been hard to disseminate and because of that, Grant continued, people have developed a false sense of what 4-H is all about.

�Everyone thinks that 4-H is just about animals, and that�s simply not true.�

Grant started holding meetings a few months ago and has since molded a foundation for a strong 4-H group. Morris County, which is only 256 square miles of area (smaller than most Texas counties), now has 80 4-H members, and Grant has also recruited 15 adult leaders.

Recently, the group held registration for county livestock show projects. Grant said he was happy with the participation numbers.

�Things went well at our livestock show registration,� he said. �We had 19 4-H kids sign up with animal projects.

�All total for the show, we had over 80 entries.�

The children will show their projects at the County Livestock Show, which is planned for March 25, just before Grant’s one year anniversary as the county’s Extension agent.

While 4-H has taken off in the county, Grant admitted that he had underestimated the task of building a strong 4-H program.

�Getting 4-H up and running was a lot harder than I thought it would be,� he said. �It takes a lot to get the information out there, and even when you do, it�s hard to plan on how many (kids) will show up.�

So far, though, plenty of old and new members have been showing up. And following them has been a string of support. 

�There has been several people help me get things going here with the 4-H program,� Grant said. �All of these people have helped out a great deal.�

Among those who have helped are Extension specialists, agents from other counties, and parents.

Their support, according to Grant, is one of the many important keys to the success of the Morris County 4-H.

�To me the things that will make our 4-H program more successful will be hard work, time, and help from the leaders here in the county.�

His main concern is the children, who he hopes will benefit greatly from the program he has built.

�It�s a great learning experience and facts show that (4-H) kids seem to do better in school and college,� he said. �I hope the program will continue to grow and more and more youth and adult leaders will participate.�

Grant hopes to create other successful programs in addition to the county’s 4-H club. He is currently in the process of training Master Gardeners, is preparing to work with Cass County Extension agent Gene Bobo on research plots, and has held various educational programs, most recently a beef and forage field day.

The agent, who is devoting hours to meeting and helping those in Morris County, encourages anyone who would like to participate in Extension programs to contact him at his Daingerfield office, 903-645-2222.