sparrowgrass
Head Chef
I am a 4-H Youth Specialist in Missouri, and I have to tell you that Extension does way more than 4-H and canning info!!
We are part of the Land Grant University system, and we bring all the info from the university out the people in far corners of the state. We present programs, classes, publications and we answer questions on every subject from septic systems to community development to child care. In Missouri, we also do continuing education, particularly in the areas of law enforcement and firefighting.
On a typical day, I might answer a question on gardening (I am a Master Gardener, an Extension Program). If the question is beyond my skill level, I call a Horticulture specialist in a neighboring county, and she might make a field visit, or talk to the customer on the phone.
The next call might be about how to fill out a grant application, or how often to pump the septic tank, or how to build a chicken coop or start a small business, or a request for training for poll workers. We have specialists who can address all of these questions, either in our region or on campus at one of the state universities.
Our specialists all have at least a masters degree in their chosen speciality.
Lately, life in the office has been very interesting. 2 weeks ago, we helped with the search effort for Joshua Childers, the little boy who was lost for 3 days--we called volunteers and coordinated food and water deliveries for the searchers, and rounded up GPS units for the searchers.
Last week, we had a horrible storm, and Extension has been working with Red Cross, helping to set up a shelter for people whose homes were damaged, and we have been answering questions on food safety after a power outage, and livestock safety--downed wild cherry trees are toxic to cattle.
The old picture of Extension was an office with an Ag agent and a home economics agent, and all they did was answer questions on farming and canning. Not so any more.
We are part of the Land Grant University system, and we bring all the info from the university out the people in far corners of the state. We present programs, classes, publications and we answer questions on every subject from septic systems to community development to child care. In Missouri, we also do continuing education, particularly in the areas of law enforcement and firefighting.
On a typical day, I might answer a question on gardening (I am a Master Gardener, an Extension Program). If the question is beyond my skill level, I call a Horticulture specialist in a neighboring county, and she might make a field visit, or talk to the customer on the phone.
The next call might be about how to fill out a grant application, or how often to pump the septic tank, or how to build a chicken coop or start a small business, or a request for training for poll workers. We have specialists who can address all of these questions, either in our region or on campus at one of the state universities.
Our specialists all have at least a masters degree in their chosen speciality.
Lately, life in the office has been very interesting. 2 weeks ago, we helped with the search effort for Joshua Childers, the little boy who was lost for 3 days--we called volunteers and coordinated food and water deliveries for the searchers, and rounded up GPS units for the searchers.
Last week, we had a horrible storm, and Extension has been working with Red Cross, helping to set up a shelter for people whose homes were damaged, and we have been answering questions on food safety after a power outage, and livestock safety--downed wild cherry trees are toxic to cattle.
The old picture of Extension was an office with an Ag agent and a home economics agent, and all they did was answer questions on farming and canning. Not so any more.