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History of Extension Service in the U.S. and AR
Steeve PomerleauGraduate Research Assistant
Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, UAPB
May 2002
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary “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?
What is Extension?Sharing scientific & research based
information with individuals, and communities beyond the confines of campus classrooms and labs.
U.S. Cooperative Extension Service
World's largest organized cooperative extension program
Goals: Improve agricultural production Enhance the quality of life of Americans
Conducted and financed cooperatively by: U.S. Department of Agriculture Land-grant colleges State and local governments
Funding SourcesFederal funding
links Extension with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to national trends and issues.
State funding ensures that the needs of state citizens are being
met. Local funding
to deal with the problems and issues in every county. Grants from various foundations and the private
sector.
History of Cooperative Extension
1850’s - already some extension-type work Agricultural societies in many Eastern states
were providing public lectures on agricultural topics
History of Cooperative Extension 1862 – Homestead Act
Signed by President Lincoln Encouraged settlement of public domain lands
(which was practically given for free)New problems arose
How new land owners could learn about farming?
How to educate the poor people working on farms now?
History of Cooperative Extension 1862 – Morrill Act (Land Grant College Bill)
Each state was given 30,000 acres of public land. These lands were sold and the profits used to create
at least one agricultural college in each state Placed instruction in agriculture and home
economics in American higher education1872 - Establishment of the Arkansas Industrial
University (the land grant college)
History of Cooperative Extension 1887 – Hatch Act
Established experimental stations at land grant colleges
1888 - The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station is opened
History of Cooperative Extension In the beginning, not everyone benefited
from the land-grant system.African Americans were not permitted to
attend the original land-grant institutions1890 - Second Morrill Act
broadened land -grant program and set up funding for black land-grant schools
History of Cooperative Extension 1899 - Increased # of Farmer Institutes
at least 47 states and territories were holding farmer institutes, using staff members of agricultural colleges and successful farmers as speakers.
Dr. Seaman A. KnappFounder of:
cooperative demonstration farm program
county agent system
Became the basis of the Extension Service.
Dr. Seaman A. Knapp
He was professor of agriculture and later president at the Iowa State College of Agriculture in Ames, Iowa
1896 - He go to Louisiana as manager of a company which planned to colonize a million acres of land it owned in that state.
Dr. Seaman A. Knapp
But nobody would buy the landThe natives of the area, who made their
living by grazing inferior cattle, believed that the land was not fertile enough for farming
Dr. Knapp, said: "In desperation, we then resorted to
demonstrations."
Dr. Seaman A. KnappHe subsidized a few good farmers from the
Middle West, placing one in each township; after 2-3 years they proved that the soil was
productive. It became a rich and prosperous agricultural
section. He said:
"I then learned the philosophy and power of agricultural demonstrations."
Dr. Seaman A. KnappHe starts working for USDABulletins, and short courses, were not
effective in getting the results of research readily accept by farmers
Dr. Knapp suggested demonstration farms designed to show how to increase yields of the standard crops
He was not satisfied of the results
Dr. Seaman A. Knapp He conceived the idea of demonstration farms,
established by the community itself, and conducted without government subsidy.
1903 - 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.
The businessmen of Terrell raised $900 to guarantee the demonstrator against loss
Dr. Seaman A. Knapp
The farmer reported that he made $700 more by farming according to Dr. Knapp's instructions
The farm attracted much local attentionThis incident was the beginning of the
Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work
“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 - Seaman Knapp, USDA, 1887 - advocated Cooperative Extension farm demonstrationsCooperative Extension farm demonstrations
Dr. Seaman A. Knapp
History of Cooperative Extension
Following the success of the first demonstration on the Texas farm, USDA gave money to Dr. Knapp to establish more demonstrations.
1904 - About 7,000 demonstrators and cooperators were enrolled.
The yields of cotton on the demonstration farms were 2X the yields of the other farms
History of Cooperative Extension Demonstrations became the medium by which
experiment station programs were delivered 1905 - The first Cooperative Extension work
conducted by the University of Arkansas 1906 - the first County Demonstration Agent , W.
C. Stallings was hired in Texas. By 1907, four district agents and seven county
agents had been appointed in AR.
History of Cooperative Extension
1914 – Smith-Lever Act passed, marrying USDA and land-grant colleges to
conduct agricultural extension work The act also requires that federal funds be
matched by local funds the tripartite role of federal, state, and local
government is established establishing the Cooperative Extension Service
1914 - Smith-Lever Act
it 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...."
1914 - Smith-Lever Act
Regarded as one of the most responsible and ingenious pieces of legislation the United States Congress has ever adopted
Questions?