1. History of Extension Service in the U.S. and AR Steeve Pomerleau Graduate Research Assistant Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, UAPB May 2002

2. zMerriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary y“a program that geographically extends the educational resources of an institution by special arrangements to persons otherwise unable to take advantage of such resources” What is Extension?

3. zSharing scientific & research based information with individuals, and communities beyond the confines of campus classrooms and labs.

4. U.S. Cooperative Extension Service zWorld's largest organized cooperative extension program zGoals: yImprove agricultural production yEnhance the quality of life of Americans zConducted and financed cooperatively by: yU.S. Department of Agriculture yLand-grant colleges yState and local governments

5. Funding Sources zFederal funding ylinks Extension with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to national trends and issues. zState funding yensures that the needs of state citizens are being met. zLocal funding yto deal with the problems and issues in every county. zGrants from various foundations and the private sector.

6. History of Cooperative Extension z1850’s - already some extension-type work yAgricultural societies in many Eastern states were providing public lectures on agricultural topics

7. History of Cooperative Extension z1862 – Homestead Act ySigned by President Lincoln yEncouraged settlement of public domain lands (which was practically given for free) zNew problems arose yHow new land owners could learn about farming? yHow to educate the poor people working on farms now?

8. History of Cooperative Extension z1862 – Morrill Act (Land Grant College Bill) yEach state was given 30,000 acres of public land. yThese lands were sold and the profits used to create at least one agricultural college in each state yPlaced instruction in agriculture and home economics in American higher education z1872 - Establishment of the Arkansas Industrial University (the land grant college)

9. History of Cooperative Extension z1887 – Hatch Act yEstablished experimental stations at land grant colleges z1888 - The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station is opened

10. History of Cooperative Extension zIn the beginning, not everyone benefited from the land-grant system. zAfrican Americans were not permitted to attend the original land-grant institutions z1890 - Second Morrill Act ybroadened land -grant program and set up funding for black land-grant schools

11. History of Cooperative Extension z1899 - Increased # of Farmer Institutes yat least 47 states and territories were holding farmer institutes, using staff members of agricultural colleges and successful farmers as speakers.

12. Dr. Seaman A. Knapp zFounder of: ycooperative demonstration farm program ycounty agent system Became the basis of the Extension Service.

13. Dr. Seaman A. Knapp zHe was professor of agriculture and later president at the Iowa State College of Agriculture in Ames, Iowa z1896 - He go to Louisiana as manager of a company which planned to colonize a million acres of land it owned in that state.

14. Dr. Seaman A. Knapp zBut nobody would buy the land zThe natives of the area, who made their living by grazing inferior cattle, believed that the land was not fertile enough for farming zDr. Knapp, said: "In desperation, we then resorted to demonstrations."

15. Dr. Seaman A. Knapp zHe subsidized a few good farmers from the Middle West, placing one in each township; zafter 2-3 years they proved that the soil was productive. zIt became a rich and prosperous agricultural section. zHe said: "I then learned the philosophy and power of agricultural demonstrations."

16. Dr. Seaman A. Knapp zHe starts working for USDA zBulletins, and short courses, were not effective in getting the results of research readily accept by farmers zDr. Knapp suggested demonstration farms designed to show how to increase yields of the standard crops zHe was not satisfied of the results

17. Dr. Seaman A. Knapp zHe conceived the idea of demonstration farms, established by the community itself, and conducted without government subsidy. z1903 - A farmer near Terrell (Texas), agreed to farm about 70 acres of his land according to Dr. Knapp's instructions and keep records of costs, yields, and receipts. zThe businessmen of Terrell raised $900 to guarantee the demonstrator against loss

18. Dr. Seaman A. Knapp zThe farmer reported that he made $700 more by farming according to Dr. Knapp's instructions zThe farm attracted much local attention zThis incident was the beginning of the Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work

19. “What a man hears, he may doubt; what he sees, he may also doubt; but what he does he cannot doubt” - Seaman Knapp, USDA, 1887 - advocated Cooperative Extension farm demonstrations Dr. Seaman A. Knapp

20. History of Cooperative Extension zFollowing the success of the first demonstration on the Texas farm, USDA gave money to Dr. Knapp to establish more demonstrations. z1904 - About 7,000 demonstrators and cooperators were enrolled. zThe yields of cotton on the demonstration farms were 2X the yields of the other farms

21. History of Cooperative Extension zDemonstrations became the medium by which experiment station programs were delivered z1905 - The first Cooperative Extension work conducted by the University of Arkansas z1906 - the first County Demonstration Agent, W. C. Stallings was hired in Texas. zBy 1907, four district agents and seven county agents had been appointed in AR.

22. History of Cooperative Extension z1914 – Smith-Lever Act passed, ymarrying USDA and land-grant colleges to conduct agricultural extension work yThe act also requires that federal funds be matched by local funds ythe tripartite role of federal, state, and local government is established yestablishing the Cooperative Extension Service

23. 1914 - Smith-Lever Act zit specified that the work...."shall consist of instruction and practical demonstration in agriculture and home economics to persons not attending or resident in said colleges in the several communities, and imparting to such persons information on said subjects through field demonstrations, publications and other wise...."

24. 1914 - Smith-Lever Act zRegarded as one of the most responsible and ingenious pieces of legislation the United States Congress has ever adopted

25. Questions?