Shown are the recipients of the Kosciusko County Extension All Star Awards. From left, are Brandon Kresca, principal at Tippecanoe Valley High School; Sandy Wise and Tyler Bouse.

By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

LEESBURG — Sandy Wise, Tyler Bouse, Tippecanoe Valley High School and five 4-H livestock members were recognized during the Purdue Extension – Kosciusko County annual meeting Monday, March 27.

Wise, Bouse and Tippy Valley were recognized as Extension All Stars. The livestock members — Morgan Himes, Beau Goshert, Haley Nelson, Anna Seewald and Cameron Zimmerman — were recognized for donating pigs to 10 local food pantries.

Wise was honored for her contributions to the Windowsill Gardening program. For the past 15 years she has gone to Mentone Elementary to teach four-week plant science lessons to third graders. But that is not all. She has touched on every aspect of extension outreach.

Additional areas included 4-H committees, 4-H council, extension board, supporting 4-H’ers at the livestock auction and an 18-year role as co-4-H Leader for the Mentone United 4-H Club. “Obviously Sandy put her ‘Head, Heart and Hands’ to work for the betterment of our 4-H program,” said Beth Lamb, board member.

Wise has been a member of the M & M Extension Homemakers Club for 28 year, holding numerous leadership positions, and has served on the county Extension Homemakers board for eight years, as county president and open class flower superintendent and served two years as Indiana Extension Homemakers Association district officer.

She received the lifetime achievement award for extension homemakers in 2020 and Wise and her husband, Jim, were recognized as “Friends of Extension.” She has participated in the Taste of Ag and Ag Day and has been an active member of the Master Gardener program for 19 years. She recently won the Master Gardener Gold Level Badge for over 1,000 volunteer hours.

Bouse was recognized for his leadership in the 4-H program. He is serving his second term on the 4-H council and is the current president. “As president, he not only leads them through their decision process and their activities, but also goes the extra mile to work closely with all of our other county 4-H committees,” said Lamb. “He also serves on Andrew’s Advisory Board.

“If any person involved in 4-H needs to talk to the president of the 4-H council, he may be in the truck, in the barn, in the field, in the house, or at a game … but he will make time to communicate and help.”

Bouse’s involvement continues in other areas as well.

He served four years on the executive board of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, eight years on the board of directors for Kosciusko Farm Bureau and is currently serving on the Indiana Packers Grower Advisory Board. He is president of the Kosciusko County Pork Producers and an active member of Warsaw Community Church. Now add in his work with Purdue Extension.

He was in leadership as an extension board member for two three-year terms. “You could easily say that 4-H was in Tyler’s blood (and also in Missy’s). They were both 10-year 4-H’ers and he was our 1983 4-H King. His family’s 4-H legacy is continuing in Nash, a seventh year 4-H’er; Gentry, a fourth-year 4-H’er; and Remington, who will be a 4-H’er for the first time this year,” stated Lamb.

Recognition was given to Tippy Valley for its continued work with extension. “Valley High School is paramount in growing our programs,” said Andrew Ferrell, county extension director and 4-H youth development educator. He noted the Reality Store program, extension educators being asked to participate in mock interviews and the STEM programming at Mentone Elementary. “We are looking forward to further partnership,” Ferrell said.

The livestock 4-H’ers participated in the “Heart of 4-H” by donating meat products to food pantries. In 2022, Martin’s Custom Butchering processed meat from the county livestock auction. The five 4-H’ers combined to donate 550 pounds of sausage to 10 local food pantries.

Other 4-H’ers donated their meat products directly to food pantries or gave individual donations from their auction checks and an even larger number of 4-H’ers collected money through Battle of the Barns. All together, a total $7,141 was distributed to 15 area food pantries.

Last year the health and human services branch held 37 educational sessions, had 875 participants and 38 learning hours.

On the 4-H side there were 571 4-H’ers, 140 mini 4-H’ers, 251 volunteers, 70 educational sessions and 2,940 youth served.

The agriculture and natural resources held 102 educational sessions, had 184 learning hours and had 3,155 participants.