🎶 If there's something strange,
In your neighborhood (soil),
Who you gonna call?
CO-OP EXTENSIONS! 🎶
Something weird and it don't look good?
Call your Cooperative Extension Office!
They may not carry proton packs like the Ghostbusters do, but they are fierce protectors and investigators of your local gardens and farms.
The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) is a nationwide network of state and county based schools that provides scientific research and educational outreach to farmers, families, and communities. They handle all the dirty work in the world of agricultural science.😎
Cooperative Extension History
Established in 1914 - Coop Extensions were originally a way to bring resources like land grants, tools and information on agricultural research to rural farmers across the country. Back then, more than 50% of the American population lived in rural areas and 30% of the workforce was in farming. As you can imagine, it wasn't easy to get information out to growers and producers.When the Morrill Act was first established in 1862, it granted ‘public’ land to the development of universities for the study of ‘agriculture and mechanic arts.’
It should be noted however, that 'public' is a loose term. It was land and territory that had been seized from Native Americans through violence and erasure.
The Hatch Act of 1887, ensured that each Land Grant University, or LGU, was given resources to actively research all things agricultural sciences in cooperation with the USDA. But it wasn't until The Smith-Lever Act of 1914, that educating and community outreach became an integral part of the services offered by Cooperative Extensions.
The goal of the CES was to connect the latest scientific research to the people who would benefit from it the most; providing funding for the service of assisting farmers and growers in applying new research-based knowledge to their farms.
They exist for the benefit of all home growers - lean on them!
Your local extension is designed for your access and success. They have real, up to date info on what's best for your current growing conditions, programs and resources on topics such as pest management, soil conservation, nutrition, and 4-H youth development. They're continually studying things like crop production, livestock management and even, food safety. They truly do it all. So call 'em!
How to find your local CES
Visit THIS WEBSITE and click on your State to find your local office. They'll have information on workshops and upcoming educational events, planting information and common issues facing farmers and home gardeners-
(though I can't make any promises on their ability to handle Slimer).
And for 50 years, starting in Seattle Washington, Master Gardeners have helped to extend the reach of the Extension Services. MGEVs are now international and will be celebrating in Kansas City in June at the International Master Gardener Conference!