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| LEARN ABOUT US |
| BENEWAH County Extension Programs |
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| Person: |
Valdasue Steele |
| Program Thrust: |
Community Development, Agriculture, Youth |
| Major Programs: |
Agricultural Entrepreneurship including small acreage agriculture and farmers’ markets; Master Gardener program; horse science; computer and internet courses; and 4-H/youth/adult leadership development |
| Successes and Current Activities: |
Ms. Steele is the program director for the Coeur d’Alene Reservation Extension Indian Reservation program (EIRP). In that capacity she works closely with the EIRP Educator and the Director of the Tribe’s Natural Resources Dept. Ms. Steele was instrumental in starting a farmers’ market association in St. Maries, including formation of the by-laws and market regulations, securing a location for the market, and acting as technical advisor to the 13 members in their first year. She conducted an evaluation of shoppers at the market to help vendors improve for the following season. She also works one-on-one with entrepreneurs who want to apply for SARE producer grants or want to develop business plans. She coordinates with other Extension faculty and producer organizations in the region on needs assessments, educational programming and evaluation. Ms. Steele has developed innovative youth educational programs that provide positive life-skills development opportunities to underserved audiences. An example is her curriculum “Hoofbeats & Heartbeats” that uses horses as a tool to help youth develop self confidence. Her course has gained much interest at the state and regional levels. She worked with a local high school and video specialists at University of Idaho to offer videography classes to high school aged youth who were interested in this technical training. She also has taught Internet courses to the rural residents of Benewah county. Ms. Steele is recognized by peers and stakeholders for her knowledge about soils, pasture management, and equine management. |
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