Extension Service keeps extending services during COVID-19

COVID-19 hasn’t stopped the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service (CES) from continuing to provide services and outreach in every corner of New Mexico, including Las Cruces and Doña Ana County.

“We have continued to maintain phone calls, emails and occasional house calls from clientele who are experiencing issues in their landscape and home gardens,” said CES Program Director Teresa T. Dean.

Here is some of what CES staff have been working on since the onset of the pandemic:

• Gardening “Jeff Anderson, CES’ long-time agronomy and horticulture agent and director of the county’s master gardener program, “assists clientele diagnose the problem and give them advice on how to remedy the situation.”

“Jeff filmed four videos at Rich Global Hemp for posting to the CES Facebook page,” Dean said. “These videos were created to help farmers consider micronutrients in their soils, and a set of three videos to help farmers secure New Mexico- produced seed for 2020 planting. In addition, he also produced several ‘how to’ garden Facebook live videos utilizing his own yard to serve as a teaching tool to educate the public.” 

• Livestock Dean, who serves as CES livestock agent in addition to being county director, has been providing information and educational material to the public regarding the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus and vesicular stomatitis virus in horses that were found in Doña Ana County, she said.

Dean said she has also been asked a lot of questions regarding a possible beef shortage, so she has been providing information on what people need to know when buying beef from ranchers. 

• Family and Consumer Science DAC Family & Consumer Sciences agent Bea Favela hosted Kitchen Creations, a four-week diabetic cooking class. The series, which is typically provided in person, has been transformed into a virtual class which teaches participants to plan meals to help them manage their diabetes. To accompany the classes, videos have been created to teach participants how to make the recipes that go along with each lesson.

“With families cooking more at home, we have been providing daily recipes to give followers of our Facebook page an idea of what to make for dinner,” Dean said.

• 4-H 4-H agents Dean and Eva Madrid “are attempting to keep youth engaged in 4-H without overwhelming them with all of the extra screen time that in now required of them,” Dean said. They agents have created virtual contests for the kids such as a virtual talent show, virtual presentation contest and weekly photo contests.

4-H meetings have continued through Zoom, giving 4-H members the opportunity to network with fellow members and leaders, Dean said. 4-H members have also been busy sewing facemasks to be donated to local medical responders and veterinarians, she said. More than 700 facemasks have been made and donated thus far.

• Website New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences has established a website, www.aces.nmsu.edu/covid19/, where NMSU CES is providing relevant and reliable information regarding issues associated with the pandemic that impact individuals, families and communities, Dean said. The website provides links to resources about health and wellness, family life, personal finances, nutrition and food, food safety and handwashing and farming and farmers’ markets.

For more, visit www.facebook.com/donaanaextension, www.facebook.com/DonaAnaCounty4H and http://donaanaextension.nmsu.edu.

Contact Dean at terestru@nmsu.edu.