Mr. Kimball The County Agent By Gary Moore, NCSU

Cooperative Extension Service: In the beginning 4 At the end of the 19th century, the largely agrarian society wanted additional knowledge in agriculture. They wanted the information to be: –near their home –relevant –communicated on their level –practical

In the beginning... 4 Several main groups started providing this type of information through a variety of methods: –Colleges –Agricultural Societies –State Boards of Agriculture –USDA –Philanthropic Organizations –Commercial Companies

In the beginning… 4 The nature of the information delivery system was as yet undetermined –The would-be clients and their representatives were also engaged in the discussion that supported Agricultural Education in the schools.

In the beginning... 4 The efforts to educate the farmer and farm wife were disjointed, sporadic and lacking in uniformity. 4 A national effort to improve the situation resulted in passage of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 which established a national system of cooperative extension.

Original Mission 4 “..to aid in diffusing among the people of the United States useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture and home economics, and to encourage the application of the same…”

What is meant by Cooperative? 4 Funding was supposed to be shared: –Federal –State –Local

What is meant by Cooperative? Funding for Extension - National Average

The Arkansas Mission 4 The mission of the Cooperative Extension Service is to provide educational opportunities to all Arkansans to improve their economic well being and the quality of their lives.

Methods Used in Extension 4 Individual Contact –Farm or Home Visit –Office Visit –Telephone Calls –Personal Correspondence

Methods Used in Extension 4 Group Contact –Meetings –Tours and Field Days –Method Demonstrations –Workshops –Teleconferencing –Short Courses

Methods Used in Extension 4 Mass Contact –News Stories –Radio –Television –Publications –Exhibits –Internet

Advisory Leadership System 4 A system of lay advisory committees are utilized at the local, district and state level to give guidance to the extension service. 4 At the local level there may be –an overall advisory committee –program advisory committees (Ag., etc.) –specialized committees (beef, horse, etc.) –ad hoc committees

Extension Programming 4 Extension programming is locally driven 4 However, there are state and national priorities to also consider

Arkansas CES Stragegic Plan 4 3 goal areas 4 12 objectives 4 (From Arkansas CES web site, 10/99)

Goal 1 4 Make information more accessible for improved service to clientele. Objectives: –1. Data network connect all Div. of Ag. Offices –2. Incr. Ed. Pubs. available via CES web site. –3. Provide direct access to internal documents & business info. by CES staff. –4. Use dist. ed. to leverage time/expertise of Ext. professionals –5. Mapping to give added perspective to info.

Goal 2 4 Improve knowledge & skills of CES staff in the use of info. technology. Objectives: –1. Design a training program that can adapt to the changing needs of the organization. –2. Augment training by providing technical information to staff. –3. Improve response to trouble calls.

Goal 3 4 Improve the efficient use of information by CES. –1. Migrate existing agricultural programs to a Windows 95 platform. –2. Establish web interfaces to primary data bases. –3. Interject audio and video into CES web site. –4. Explore other tools for improving information management.

Extension Leadership 4 There are about 175 individuals within CSREES (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) within the USDA who provide federal leadership to the extension service.

Federal Extension Leadership

County Level 4 Each County has a district director 4 Historically, each county had a (an): –Agricultural Agent –Home Economics Agent (Family and Consumer Sciences) –4-H Agent 4 Today, many states have specialized agents (horticulture, livestock, etc.) who may serve a multi-county area.

Specialists 4 Many of the UA College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science Departments have extension specialists. –These are faculty members who support the county agent in a variety of ways

County Agents (nationally)

Specialists (nationally)

Administrators (nationally)

A Comparison

4-H 4 In the early days many farmers were resistant to change, but were willing to let their children try new ideas 4 School-based corn clubs were seen as way to get student interest and teach something practical

4-H 4 4-H is a non-formal educational, youth development program offered to individuals age 5 to Youth are involved in hands-on, experimental learning that allows learning by doing. All 4-H programs focus on active involvement and quality experiences which stimulate lifelong learning of values and skills.

Professional Organizations 4 There are different professional organizations for each type of agent –National Association of County Agricultural Agents –National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences –National Association of Extension 4-H Agents.

National Association of County Agricultural Agents 4 Established in About 5,000 members 4 The County Agent is the quarterly magazine 4 Annual meetings are held in late summer Mission: to further the professional improvement of its members, to further communication and cooperation among all Extension educators, to provide for enhancement of the image of Extension, and to further the development of personal growth opportunities for Extension professionals. Mission: to further the professional improvement of its members, to further communication and cooperation among all Extension educators, to provide for enhancement of the image of Extension, and to further the development of personal growth opportunities for Extension professionals.

National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences 4 Has existed over 50 years 4 The Reporter is the magazine The National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences educates its professionals to empower individuals and families to make informed decisions.

National Association of Extension 4-H Agents 4 3,200 members 4 News and Views is the professional publication NAE4-HA promotes, strengthens, enhances and advocates the 4-H youth development profession.

Agent Preparation 4 B.S. degree is needed, Masters preferred (required in many states) 4 The degree field of study varies greatly because needs of the positions vary greatly

Professional Journal 4 The Journal of Extension –electronic –variety of articles are published –not widely read by practitioners in the field

Trends and Issues 4 Accountability - is extension a wise investment 4 Image - many people believe extension is outmoded 4 Multi-county service area - as agents become more specialized, they serve more than one county 4 Downsizing - during budget crisis of late 1980s, many states made deep cuts