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COUNTY EXTENSION AGENTS OR EDUCATORS AS AUTHORS OF YARD AND GARDEN FACT SHEETS

Horticulture & Turfgrass

Gary Gao
Professor and Extension Specialist
Ohio State University South Centers
Piketon

Abstract

Home, Yard and garden fact sheets are like the “front gate” to the Cooperative Extension Service in each state. In Ohio, all of the Home, Yard and Garden (HYG) fact sheets are available online at http://ohioline.osu.edu There are many outstanding fact sheets. There are also quite a few outdated HYG fact sheets. With declining state budget, fewer and fewer state specialists feel compelled to write or revise HYG fact sheets. How does your state deal with this issue? Should county agents or educators step up to the plate to author a few, if they are allowed to? Fortunately in Ohio, many Extension educators have written or revised fact sheets in their area of specialization. County extension educators should be fully capable of writing or revising fact sheets, if they choose to do so. I revised two fact sheets in 2010 and have authored or coauthored quite a few over the year. Revising or writing fact sheets can take a lot of time. However, it can be a very rewarding experience since researching the background information is one of the best ways to learn a subject. I will show you how I wrote and revised fact sheets over the years. Hopefully, you will learn from me. I am sure I can learn from you! Authors: Gao, G. Y.
  1. Gao, G. Y. Extension Educator, Master Gardener Coordinator And Associate Professor, Ohio State University Extension, Ohio, 43015