Celebrate Cooperative Extension’s 100 Years Of Service [Opinion]

Rosemary Gordon

Rosemary Gordon

I have witnessed two major milestones over the last couple of months. The first involves my three daughters. I consider it a trifecta as each one has celebrated a graduation at a different level: high school, college, and graduate school. Two of the graduations were on the same weekend. Suffice it to say, I listened to many speeches in a short span of time.

While walking around college campuses prior to two of my daughters’ graduations, I recalled my college years. When I went to school, things were different. For starters, computers were not portable, we used film in cameras, and most phones were attached to a wall in the kitchen. Oh, and we couldn’t take classes online as there was no Internet.

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This leads me to the second milestone to note: the 100th anniversary of Cooperative Extension (May 8, 1914 to be exact). Just as technology has changed significantly since I went to college, the Cooperative Extension system also has undergone changes over the years, and many of those changes revolve around technology.

I spoke recently with Rick VanVranken, the author of American Vegetable Grower magazine’s “Marketing Matters” column and department head, Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County at Rutgers University, about these developments and he highlighted the rapid advancement of technologies, such as precision ag tools and irrigation management systems, as the most notable. Some of the biggest challenges, he said, have been adjusting to doing more with less as budgets have been cut over the years.

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Check out this historical overview of Extension on the Texas A&M website (http://bit.ly/1op76Mg). It is interesting to note that in spite of the technological advancements over the years, Extension’s overarching role as a network seeking solutions to problems faced by ag producers, small business owners, and consumers has not wavered. For example, when Extension was formed just before the start of World War I, the organization helped mobilize war food production efforts, and during the Great Depression, the network helped manage home economics programs to help families stretch resources.

Jumping ahead several decades, during the 1970s and 1980s, Extension worked on sustainability efforts and integrated pest management tactics. During the 1990s some of the focus was on improving water supply and quality as well as enhancing air quality. As needs have continued to evolve in recent years, Extension has adapted to meet those needs.

The benefits we have received from those involved in Cooperative Extension are immeasurable. You know how much you rely on your local Extension agent for help with identifying a disease, weeding technology, and so much more. Let’s make sure those holding the purse strings know how valuable Cooperative Extension is and ensure it will be around for the next hundred years

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