AMES, Iowa — Dennis Johnson, Extension Education director in Worth County, recently received the R. K. Bliss Extension Award from Iowa State University.
ISU president Gregory Geoffroy presented Johnson with the award at the University Awards Convocation.
The honor recognizes outstanding achievement of an ISU Extension staff member for developing an overall or continuing extension education program. Te award was established in 1971 by donations from the family and friends of R.K. Bliss, director of Extension for 1912 to 1946. A $500 award was granted.
Johnson is in his 27th year as Worth County Extension education director. Programming he introduced or led has reached more than 4,600 farmers and agribusiness people, 2,550 parents and more than 65 percent of the young people in the county.
Successful programs developed by Johnson include the annual Worth County Corn and Soybean Clinic, Worth County Parenting Fair, Strengthening Families and Worth County Fair Beautification Committee, along with lamb and beef field days, a tillage expo, estate planning workshops and county garden tours.
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In 2006 to 2007, Johnson was instrumental in generating more than $177,000 in grants and funding for Worth County activities and development.
Also honored was Denise Schwab, an ISU Extension field specialist for beef, based at the Iowa County Extension office in Marengo.
During her 25-year career with ISU Extension, Schwab has served on the state 4-H staff, where she was instrumental in creating crops and equine programs for 4-H’ers. As an agricultural specialist, she has coordinated statewide beef programs and conferences, Master Equine Manager programs, and programs for small sheep producers and meat locker owners.
New programs she has introduced include the Youth Cattlemen Group, Overall Women’s Conference, Women’s Ag NET, Cow Risk Strategies, Cows and Plows and several grant-funded projects in food safety.
