IFAS office in NFM a huge asset to the area
When you go to the North Fort Myers Community Park and happen to come across the building that also serves as the concession stand and locker rooms for the Red Knights Pop Warner program, you may want to go around back.
That is where the 4-H office is. But since it is not always occupied, there is another organization that shares it, which also serves the community and the entire county at large.
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension is a partnership among state, federal, and county governments to provide scientific knowledge and expertise to the public.
Thousands of faculty members, scientists, educators, administrative staff and volunteers all work together to develop knowledge in agriculture, natural resources and life sciences and make it accessible to the public.
With so many people moving to Southwest Florida and more toward the east, UF-IFAS has become as important as ever
This is especially important in rural areas inland like North Fort Myers, one of the last areas in Lee County still with much rural land.
Thus, the reason for the office in North Fort Myers which UF-IFAS has occupied for years. The fact that its building at Terry Park in Fort Myers is being renovated makes the office at the park more important.
Many of the volunteers are master gardeners who go around the community to teach at rec centers, summer camps and other places, said David Outerbridge, county extension director with UF-IFAS Extension in Lee County.
“We serve every county and every county is different, depending on their needs. We have several different science-based program areas,” Outerbridge said. “It’s diverse but we have the expertise to fall back on so if anyone has a question we can’t answer directly, we can find out through research.”
Among the programs is one in family and consumer sciences, which is food safety, management, canning, preservation of food, health and safety around the house.
Many of these programs are offered at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center, as well as the garden clubs throughout Lee County. UF-IFAS tries to get out to all areas of the county to meet everyone’s needs.
“We do landscaping and master gardener programs, some of which will be hybrid in-person and virtual. Our last master gardener course was early this year and they’re about to graduate,” Outerbridge said. “We had those classes at Byrne Davis garden, but we also had them in North Fort Myers and Terry Park.”
UF-IFAS is also involved with the Citrus Expo which is held every year at the Lee Civic Center. Outerbridge said he is mainly involved with urban agriculture, such as Florida friendly landscaping and edible gardening.
UF-IFAS also offers consultation on plant pest and disease, agriculture, pesticides, planning, business management and facilitation, deliberative discussions and strategic planning, among many other services, Outerbridge said.
In Lee County, they also work with local stakeholder groups such as Healthy Lee Coalition, Lee County School Board, Healthy Living Collaboration and many nonprofits, municipal and county government departments as well as other educational institutions.
The office also writes articles, blogs, publishes research, presents research nationally and internationally and participates on boards and committees at the local, state, regional levels with UF, Outerbridge said.
The North Fort Myers Community Park is at 2000 North Recreation Park Way.
Visit sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/ for more information and to view the UF-IFAS Extension online learning opportunities.