Our Impact
4-H Youth Development
The 4-H program in Twiggs County is a collaboration between Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Cooperative Extension and University of Georgia (成人影院) Cooperative Extension. Twiggs County 4-H operates under the leadership of FVSU 4-H and maintains consistent participation numbers every year. The FVSU 4-H program’s mission is to empower youth to reach their full potential while working and learning in partnership with caring adults. The program provides positive youth development and experiential learning opportunities for youth in various areas including leadership, healthy living, financial literacy, agriculture, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). At the end of the 2024 school calendar year, FVSU 4-H collaborated successfully with 成人影院 4-H to facilitate traditional in-school club meetings for students in fourth grade through middle school (and high school participants). The FVSU 4-H agent delivered in-school club meetings, and summer educational programs to 254 Twiggs County public, private, and homeschooled audiences. 4-H participants, elementary through high school, participated in leadership and public speaking activities by participating in District Project Achievement events on the district and state levels. They also participated in weekend leadership conferences, and residential 4-H summer camp.
Family and Consumer Sciences
Through a partnership with Fort Valley State University of Georgia, the Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) agent provided nutrition education, food drives, healthy living activities, healthy recipes and materials for adults and youth through various programs and activities. As a result, consumers are more likely to make better food choices for themselves and their families. The agent participated in numerous food drives and partnered with Family Connections, The City of Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville Mayor, Twiggs County Commissioners, Middle Georgia Food Bank, local churches, Twiggs County Public Schools and local volunteers. The FACS Program provided research -based healthy living information, recipes, personal medical journals, and medication dispenser bottles. By improving the overall health habits of county residents, fewer hospitalizations and medications will be required, reducing healthcare costs for individuals, taxpayers, small businesses and corporations.
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Agriculture remains vital to Twiggs County’s economy, generating a farm gate value of $28.2 million in 2024. Timber leads in acreage, followed by cotton, and pine straw. In June, Derrick Bowen was appointed as the Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Agent and quickly integrated into the agricultural community, providing direct field support, educational outreach, and storm recovery assistance.
Bowen played a key role in peanut and cotton production efforts, conducting peanut maturity checks to help farmers optimize harvest timing and yield. He also led a local Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) survey in peanuts as part of a statewide monitoring initiative. After Hurricane Helene, he collaborated with local growers and the Farm Service Agency to gather yield loss data, ensuring Twiggs County’s challenges were accurately represented in USDA disaster relief considerations.
Throughout the winter of 2024, Twiggs and Bleckley counties collaborated to host regional row crop production meetings featuring 成人影院 specialists who delivered timely recommendations on pest, disease, and crop management. Bowen also provided routine Extension services to Twiggs County homeowners, including soil and water testing, pest diagnostics, and lawn and garden consultations, maintaining strong public engagement beyond commercial agriculture.
Bowen continues to develop the ANR program in Twiggs County and maintains an active Extension presence by sharing resources and highlight local agricultural efforts.