CASSOPOLIS — While East Lansing may be miles away, Cass County youth, farmers and others still have access to the wealth of agricultural knowledge possessed by members of Michigan State University, thanks to the local MSU extension office.

Julie Pioch, coordinator of MSUE’s District 13 office, shared some of the ways the university office assists Cass County residents during her presentation to the Cass County Board of Commissioners Thursday in Cassopolis. Pioch delivered her annual report to the commissioners, informing them of the various successes MSUE’s services and programs have had in the local community this past year.

The MSUE District 13 office serves residents of southwest Michigan, living in Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties. The Cass County MSUE office is located on the second floor of Cass County government offices in Cassopolis, just a short distance away from the commissioners’ chambers.

The largest program the extension office is involved with is 4-H.

This past year, nearly 800 Cass County children and teenagers participated in 4-H, joined by 219 adult volunteers and 30 teen leaders, Pioch said.

“That’s quite a few youth in the program,” she said.

Of those members, around 700 showed animals or projects during the 2017 Cass County Fair. Another 50 participated in the annual 4-H Exploration Days, a three-day event on the campus of Michigan State University that is designed to help teenagers build the skills they need to transition to college and adult life.

In addition, four Cass County 4-H’ers traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Citizenship Washington Focus, a leadership and citizenship program for high school students. Two local teenagers were also awarded $500 college scholarships through the MSUE 4-H program.

The extension office also offers educational events and opportunities for adults as well, through the program’s various training seminars and online webinars.

This past year, two programs in particular saw massive interest from residents throughout Michigan, one focused on preventing suicide and depression amongst farmers, and another about medical marijuana created by Wendy Walker with the Cass County office, Pioch said.

District 4 Commissioner Roseann Marchetti asked Pioch if the extension office had any interest in bringing a program called “Cooking for Crowds,” a class hosted by MSUE that shows people working for nonprofits such as churches basic food safety information, to Cass County in the future.

“We would love to come to Cass County, maybe at the senior center in Dowagiac,” Pioch said.