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?