Thank You Extension Master Food Volunteers!
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Collapse ▲As we move into a new year, I’d like to reach out and thank our Extension Master Food Volunteers (EMFV) for all they do to assist N.C. Cooperative Extension here in Brunswick County. The Extension Master Food Volunteer program is similar to the well-known Extension Master Gardener program that work with our Horticulture programs. The EMFVs work alongside our Family and Consumer Science (FCS) Extension staff to support programming in food and nutrition.
These volunteers have completed a 30-hour training session and 30 hours of interning with Extension Family and Consumer Science staff members. After this training, these EMFVs continue to assist with classes and are able to teach Extension programs independently. They help expand the reach of N.C. Cooperative Extension.
We currently have six active EMFVs here in Brunswick County. They are Jane Kulesza
from Oak Island; Terry Amrhein from Sunset Beach; Margarete O’Leary from Supply; Lori Van Horn from Ocean Isle Beach; Maria Knapik from Sunset Beach and Paul Reinmann from Wilmington. I’d also like to recognize some former EMFVs who have assisted us in the past few years, these include Leslee Harlow from Leland; Flora Johnson from Shallotte and Laura Vaughan from Leland.
If you attended some of our Extension FCS programs last year you may have observed these volunteers in action.
Extension Master Food Volunteers (l-r) Margarete O’Leary and Maria Knapik assisting at Med Instead of Meds healthy eating series.
In 2024 our EMFVs were frequently seen assisting our FCS Extension Agent, Avery Ashley with Med Instead of Meds and food preservation classes. EMFVs conducted food demonstrations and taste tests during these classes.
They also assist Angie Lawrence, EFNEP Program Assistant when she teaches nutrition and wellness classes to elementary school students. This past summer they assisted with cooking classes for the Migrant Education Programs.
Another place you may have seen EMFVs is teaching our Hurricane Meal Kits program. They were at Hurricane Preparedness Fairs and taught this class at senior centers, housing communities and local libraries. They will come out to teach this class, give us a call if you’d like to set up a Hurricane Meal Kits program to your group or organization this spring.
You can also frequently find them is in the demonstration kitchen at the
Recipe testing for Cooking for One classes Extension Master Food Volunteer Jane Kulesza (l) and Margarete O’Leary (r) with UNCW Intern Matthew Walker at the Extension Demonstration Kitchen
Extension Office in Bolivia. Before we demonstrate or publish recipes our EMFVs will test them for ease in preparation, carefully written instructions and how they taste.
Last year the EMFVs contributed over 188 hours of service to our Extension Family
Consumer Science program here in Brunswick County. These volunteers are passionate about food, cooking, nutrition and local foods and it shows.
There are around 100 EMFVs across the state in 50% of the counties in NC. The value of their service hours is over $60,000 statewide each year.
Being an Extension Master Food Volunteer isn’t all work. They receive virtual monthly
continuing education classes presented by Extension staff from NC State and agents
across North Carolina. Last year our EMFVs went on field trips to some of our partner
organizations including the Food Back of Central and Eastern NC in Wilmington and the Feast Down East Food Hub in Burgaw.
I’m bragging about our volunteers. They’re great and we’re glad to have them. If you know any of these volunteers, please thank them and ask about their service to Cooperative Extension.
Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or by email at clsyracu@ncsu.edu