Posts Tagged: hands
4-H volunteer of 48 years is more motivated than ever
A typical day for Dee Keese starts with a 10-mile walk at 5 a.m. and her morning wraps up with a swim. Although Keese is in her late 70s, her daily routine would not surprise you if you knew what she has been doing for the last 48 years.
For nearly a half-century, Keese has been the 4-H community leader for the Palos Verdes Peninsula (PVP) club in Los Angeles County. A youth development program managed through local University of California Cooperative Extension offices, 4-H uses hands-on learning experiences to empower youth to build self-esteem and connect with their communities as emerging leaders.
“When you're pushing 80, working with young people helps to keep you young,” Keese said.
4-H has been a game changer in many ways
In the 1970s, Keese moved to the Palos Verdes area with her first-born son who had a learning disability. Others treated him differently in school, and it didn't help that he was the new kid in town. A neighbor encouraged Keese to enroll her son in 4-H.
“She told me, ‘You've got to put your son in 4-H so he can feel good about himself,'” explained Keese. “And let me tell you, it changed my life.”
In 1978, two weeks before her fifth child was born, Keese became the 4-H PVP club's community leader and has been in the role ever since.
While reflecting on her earlier days with 4-H, Keese remembered when most members were boys. Girls were not intentionally excluded at the time; clubs just didn't attract them. When girls eventually joined 4-H, it was a game changer.
“All of a sudden, the program shifted focus from solely agriculture and animals to include home economics like cooking and sewing,” Keese said. “Now, all my sons do the cooking in their homes. It's a good thing! Because we're moving away from traditional domestic duties, men and women are sharing roles, as they should be.”
The PVP 4-H club offers activities like archery, sailing, surfing and geocaching. “Everything we do is to help our youth be better as adults, out in the real world and in the workforce,” said Keese. “We're relying on the internet too much. Kids need to get outside and do things.”
Over the years, Keese has taken members – who range in age from 5 to 19 – on numerous hikes in places like Havasupai Indian Reservation and Mt. Whitney. She's taken them kayaking on the Colorado River and, these days, co-hosts old-fashioned card game nights on the weekends with other community members.
As a lifeguard and water safety instructor, Keese gives free training to interested 4-H members to become lifeguards. Training courses usually cost well over $200 per person. “If they're interested, I train them and they have another skill to use. And it benefits our club,” said Keese. “When we have pool parties or beach days, my kids are prepared to step in and help.”
‘She will help anyone and everyone at any time'
Ace Yeck, former president of the PVP 4-H club, met Keese 12 years ago and decided to become a 4-H member when he was in fourth grade, following a convincing conversation with her. “She just kept giving me opportunities,” said Yeck.
Currently a third-year undergraduate at Loyola Marymount University studying entrepreneurship, Yeck credits 4-H for preparing him for college. “I got all my community service and public speaking practice through 4-H. I remember doing beach clean-ups, feeding the homeless, helping out at the Christmas fair, and all kinds of events,” he shared.
During his years with 4-H, Yeck was elected to the state board as an ambassador before he went on to represent 4-H at the national level. “Dee encouraged me every time, so I kept going,” he said.
Keese admitted that her life is so full and fun because of 4-H. Her motivation stems from the growth and progress that her students experience. “My kids let me know when I've done something to impact their life. It keeps me motivated,” she said.
While thinking about the members she's had over the last 48 years, she couldn't help but stress how important it is that they feel safe. Keese recalls one student who is gay and had a challenging time getting his parents to understand because of religious and cultural barriers. “The family's priest called me and told me that this student felt like I was the only one who loved him,” she said.
“I can talk about Dee forever,” said Yeck. “One of her best qualities is that she will help anyone and everyone at any time. She wakes up at 5 a.m. and goes to bed at, like, 10 p.m. During that time, she's always helping people,” he added.
Because Keese comes from a different generation compared to the kids in her 4-H club, she attributes her successful impact to her ability to adapt. “If we want to keep kids in this, we've got to be flexible! And you've got to do things they like. We can't do things the way it's always been done before,” said Keese. “We have to be flexible.”
To Keese, 4-H is not just an opportunity to teach life skills or introduce kids to agriculture. It's a chance for them to build community.
“That's what I think my generation does well, having grown up in the '50s and '60s,” Keese said. “We're all about that communal living.”
CropManage Hands-on Workshop in Watsonville CA on January 18th
CropManage Hands-on Workshop
Bringing Irrigation and Nutrient Management Decision-Support to the Field
Date: Tuesday, January 18th, 2023
10:30 pm – 2 pm
Location: Watsonville Public Library
275 Main St., Suite 100, Watsonville, CA 95076
- Learn how to use CropManage to support irrigation and nutrient management decisions and record-keeping for your crops
- Learn about the latest updates to CropManage
- Learn how CropManage can assist with reporting requirements for Ag Order 4.0
CropManageis a free online decision-support tool for water and nutrient management of vegetables, berry, agronomic, and tree crops. Based on in-depth research and field studies conducted by the University of California Cooperative Extension, CropManage provides real-time recommendations for efficient and timely irrigation and fertilization applications while maintaining or improving overall yield.
At this free workshop, we will provide hands-on training so that you can learn to use the newest version of CropManage. Crops currently supported include many vegetables (carrots, cabbage, celery, broccoli, lettuce, tomato, spinach, etc.), berry crops (raspberry and strawberry), tree crops (almond, walnut, pistachio, prunes, and pear), and agronomic crops (alfalfa and corn). CropManage is also available in Spanish.
Who should participate? Growers, farm managers, other farm staff, crop advisors, consultants, and technical service providers are welcome. The workshop is for both new and current CropManage users. Spanish translation will be available. Lunch will be provided.
What to bring? This is a participatory workshop. Please bring a tablet or laptop computer so that you can follow along and participate in the exercises. Each participant will need a user account for CropManage. Please set up a free user account at https://cropmanage.ucanr.edu/ before the workshop. Please arrive early to set up your laptop or tablet computer on the wifi and get logged on to CropManage.
Registration is free: Please register at https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=39745
January 17th, 2023. Seats are limited to the first 25 registrants.
Questions: Contact Michael Cahn at mdcahn@ucanr.edu / 831-214-3690 or Sacha Lozano at slozano@rcdsantacruz.org / 831-224-0293
Agenda
10:30 – 10:50 am Registration and computer set-up
10:50 – 11:20 am Introduction
11:20 – 12:00 pm Getting started with CropManage
12:00 to 12:30 pm Lunch break
12:30 – 1:15 pm Using CropManage for decision support and record-keeping
1:15 – 1:45 pm Group exercise
1:45- 2 pm Discussion /Q&A/ wrap up
Continuing Education Units (CEU) for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) have been applied.
NOTE: The following COVID-19 guidelines will be applied to this training workshop.
- Wearing a face covering during the workshop is recommended
- Stay at home if you have COVID-19 symptoms, tested for positive, and/or close contacts with or exposure to others who have been tested for COVID-19.
- Face masks and sanitation items will be provided at the workshop.
CropManage Hands-on Workshop in Watsonville CA on January 18th
CropManage Hands-on Workshop Bringing Irrigation and Nutrient Management Decision-Support to...
CropManage Hands on Workshop May 10th, 2022
Date: Tuesday, May 10th, 2022 1pm – 5pmLocation: Watsonville Public Library 275...
CropManage Hands-on Workshop on May 10th, 2022
Date: Tuesday, May 10th, 2022
1pm – 5pm
Location: Watsonville Public Library
275 Main St., Suite 100, Watsonville, CA 95076
We will hold a hands-on training on CropManage. CropManage is a free online decision-support tool for water and nutrient management of vegetables, berry, agronomic, and tree crops. Based on in-depth research and field studies conducted by the University of California Cooperative Extension, CropManage provides real-time recommendations for efficient and timely irrigation and fertilization applications while maintaining or improving overall yield.
At this free workshop, we will provide hands-on training so that you can learn to use the newest version of CropManage. Crops currently supported include many vegetables (carrots, cabbage, celery, broccoli, lettuce, tomato, spinach, etc.), berry crops (raspberry and strawberry), tree crops (almond, walnut, and pistachio), and agronomic crops (alfalfa and corn). CropManage is also available in Spanish.
Who should participate? Growers, farm managers, other farm staff, crop advisors, consultants, and technical service providers are welcome. The workshop is for both new and current CropManage users. Spanish translation will be available.
What to bring? This is a participatory workshop. Please bring a tablet or laptop computer so that you can follow along and participate in the exercises. Each participant will need a user account for CropManage. Please set up a free user account at https://cropmanage.ucanr.edu/ before the workshop. Please arrive early to set up your laptop or tablet computer on the wifi and get logged on to CropManage.
Registration is free: Please register at https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=37233 by May 9th, 2022. Seats are limited to the first 25 registrants.
Continuing Education Units (CEU) for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) have been requested
Questions: Contact Michael Cahn at mdcahn@ucanr.edu / 831-214-3690 or Sacha Lozano at slozano@rcdsantacruz.org / 831-224-0293
Agenda
1:00 – 1:20 Registration and computer set-up
1:20 – 1:40 Introduction
1:40 – 2:50 Getting started with CropManage
2:50 – 3:05 BREAK
3:05 – 3:50 Using CropManage for decision support and record-keeping
3:50 – 4:15 Group exercise
4:15- 4:40 Advanced features
4:40 – 5:00 Discussion / Q&A/ wrap up
NOTE: The following COVID-19 guidelines will be applied to this training workshop.
- Wearing a face covering during the workshop is required.
- Stay at home if you have COVID-19 symptoms, tested for positive, and/or close contacts with or exposure to others who have been tested for COVID-19.
- Face masks and sanitation items will be provided at the workshop.