Master Gardener program also part of package to be cut
There’s no question that agriculture in the South Valley is fading from the limelight.
What used to be open fields are now home to an outlet mall, large housing developments and big-box stores like Costco and Wal-Mart.
The latest possible casualty of severe county budget cuts puts a human face on the disappearing agriculture. Children living both in town and in rural areas are wondering today whether their animal care and youth leadership program will survive county cuts for the 2003-04 budget that must total nearly $240 million.
The outlook right now is grim for the 4-H Youth Development Program, which emphasizes citizenship, leadership and life skills. While five other agriculture-related programs are being sliced, 4-H and it’s hundreds of young local members also may be victims of cuts – and, county officials say, unnecessarily so. They, along with local 4-H leaders, are fighting for the program that costs a relatively meager $20,000 each year, but say their hands are tied.
Kim McPherson is the community leader for her daughter’s San Martin 4-H Club. If the club succumbs to the latest painful round of cuts, 10-year-old Heather will lose out, she says.
“There isn’t anything out there like 4-H,” McPherson said. “You get the opportunity to have the animals … you learn how to care for them. It would be very, very sad if 4-H dissolved.”
“We have been presented that it’s a financial situation, but there’s too many uncertainties,” she said. “We’re not really sure which way we’re going right now.”
That’s because County Agriculture Commissioner Greg Van Wassenhove and District 1 County Supervisor Don Gage are fighting for 4-H.
Van Wassenhove is making some severe cuts in his department, totaling $422,000, but doesn’t want 4-H to be one of them. But the program is one of six that fall under the umbrella of the UC Cooperative Extention, which apparently must either stay or go as a whole.
“We’re being asked to prioritize, to look at non-mandated discretionary programs, and in my budget … that’s the only discretionary, non-mandated program I have,” Van Wassenhove said. “So in order for me to meet my budget reduction target, I need to consider the UC Cooperative Extension program.”
Included in the program are Master Gardeners, food and nutrition education for the elderly, county farm advisors and national resources management. The county’s cost for all six programs: $438,000.
Van Wassenhove figured he could salvage enough of the $20,000 4-H program, the cheapest of the group, with the $16,000 difference. Not so, says the UC Cooperative Extension.
“The UC Cooperative Extension program is a package of individual programs, and 4-H is part of UC Cooperative Extension,” said Pam Kan-Rice, spokeswoman for the Extension. “So we don’t break off parts of that.”
Kan-Rice did not rule out the possibility of separating 4-H from the others, but said it’s never been done before and defeats the larger purpose, which is to have the programs work together.
“We hope we can save the entire program somehow,” she said. “Because if we close down an office, it would be unlikely that we’d be able to re-open it in the future.”
Van Wassenhove said his hands are tied, and 4-H may be cut if the UC does not change its policy.
“It’s the baby with the bathwater,” Van Wassenhove said. “This is not just a county budget problem, we need to have some flexibility from the state university.”
Albert Escobar, community leader for the 55-member Adams 4-H club, wants to see cities and open space groups support the program.
“All these groups seem quiet when it actually comes time to stand up and speak out,” he said. “I hope that somewhere along the line, someone comes out and says. ‘We have to put some money into this’.”
His three sons learn valuable life lessons through 4-H by raising animals, speaking in front of large groups and volunteering in the community.
“Even if they choose not to go into the ag field, they’ve learned a lot about public speaking, team-building, leadership and other skills,” he said.
McPherson agreed. Heather, a member of her club’s executive board, learns responsibility and organization. 4-H clubs are run by their members, ages 5 to 19, while parent volunteers help out.
“She’s done animal projects, so she’s learned how to take care of her animals, she’s been involved in the community,” McPherson said.
Van Wassenhove and Gage have been in contact with UC officials to find a solution that will save 4-H. Several suggestions have arisen, but none seem to satisfy any party.
“There’s got to be a way to maintain this program,” said Vicky Bosworth, the president of the Santa Clara County 4-H Club Council. “We’re not saying don’t cut the money – we know that has to happen – we’re saying don’t cut out the program entirely.”
One option, although undesirable, would be to trim all six Cooperative programs down to the nub.
“That’s what we’re talking to (the UC) about – making everything smaller,” Gage said. “They’re trying to pressure us to do it all and not just one … they’re being very stubborn about it.”
Van Wassenhove said keeping all six UC programs, even at a minimal level, is “not an option” because he would be forced to cut into mandated programs.
Another option, suggested by 4-H, would be to find federal funding to maintain the program without the UC, or the 4-H name. The $20,000 to fund 4-H pays for a part-time secretary and office space .
Escobar said the program “wouldn’t be the same thing” if it somehow struck out on its own.
“That would be the last thing that we do, if we couldn’t make anything else work, is we would find the funding and do it on our own,” Gage said. “Most of the 4-H people that I talked to said they were willing to pitch in some dollars … we’re trying to not have that happen.
“We’ll do the best we can as we get additional revenue, but right now it just doesn’t look good.”
Gage, Van Wassenhove and 4-H leaders are meeting in a couple weeks to re-evaluate their options and share information. Many with 4-H, like McPherson, feel like they don’t know as much about the situation as they should.
In the meantime, Van Wassenhove and Bosworth want to rally 4-H supporters.
“We’re asking the 4-H leaders to speak to their local state legislators in an effort to encourage the UC officials to re-think their policy of all or nothing, either the whole program or none of it,” Van Wassenhove said.
