University of Minnesota. Extension Service

Agricultural extension in Minnesota is a programmatic, administrative and fiscal partnership with three component partners: the federal government through the USDA, the state of Minnesota via the University of Minnesota, and county governments. Its purpose from inception has been to educate citizens of the state through informal coursework and information provision. The program focus of extension services has four subject areas: agriculture and related industries such as horticulture, forestry and veterinary medicine; home economics and family living; youth development and 4-H; and community and resource development. Programs are designed to maximize use and conservation of natural resources; produce and market high quality food and fibers; increase effectiveness in the distribution of agricultural products, and develop the potential of rural individuals and communities.

From the description of University of Minnesota Extension records, 1858-1996, 2003 (bulk 1917-1985). (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 748329747

Agricultural extension in Minnesota is a programmatic, administrative and fiscal partnership with three component partners: the federal government through the USDA, the state of Minnesota via the University of Minnesota, and county governments. Its purpose from inception has been to educate citizens of the state through informal coursework and information provision. The program focus of extension services has four subject areas: agriculture and related industries such as horticulture, forestry and veterinary medicine; home economics and family living; youth development and 4-H; and community and resource development. Programs are designed to maximize use and conservation of natural resources; produce and market high quality food and fibers; increase effectiveness in the distribution of agricultural products, and develop the potential of rural individuals and communities.

Extension education is a national movement which began in Massachusetts at the end of the 1700s. It spread with the opening of the American west, so that by the post Civil War period most of the eastern, southern and plains states governments had some type of funding in place for farm education. Extension education at the University began in 1882 with the Farmer’s Lecture series, followed in 1886 by the Farmer’s Institute. The Institute offered lectures and day-long classes designed to inform members of the burgeoning farm population with knowledge about farming practices and information about agricultural trends and problems, like disease and drought.

The Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service was founded in 1909 through an act of the Minnesota legislature. The first director, A.D. Wilson, was hired in 1912, as was the first county agent, Frank Marshall. Passage of the Smith Lever Act in 1914 increased federal funding for rural education, and the University, through state allocations, established offices in 13 counties in the state staffed by a county agent. In 1917, the Minnesota legislature enacted regulations that all counties maintain a Farm Bureau presence, and that county money be set aside to help pay for county extension services. The Farm Bureau requirement proved to be controversial, and in 1928, regulations concerning Extension and the Farm Bureau were dropped. However, the farm bureaus, a membership organization that spoke to farm policy, and Extension worked together closely to implement the improved practices recommended by extension agents.

In 1917, the first Minnesota home economics extension agent was hired. Local extension committees worked with agents to help focus activities on local issues and concerns. The Department of Short Courses within Extension organized courses, conferences and workshops of interest to farmers and rural community members at the University and in cities and towns around the state, and in the post-WWII period, organized tours of Minnesota farms for international visitors interested in learning more about American farming.

With the advent of the Depression and larger role of the federal government in local programs, extension agents in the 1930s became interpreters of national and state programs aimed at increasing soil fertility and improving irrigation and drainage practices, adapting to the effects of rural electrification, understanding price supports and increasing tenure security at the local level.

In the post-war period, Extension continued to diversify, adding new programs focusing on development of farms and communities and using new communication methods to connect with rural audiences. Radio, television and visual aids were increasingly employed to get information about technical, machine and business innovations to farmers. Extension Services were the main conduit for moving surplus agricultural products to individuals and families below the poverty line through food and nutrition programs such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Family Nutrition Program.

The operational and administrative structure of Agricultural Extension shifted little with the decades. From the original 13 county offices in 1914, the division grew to 91 offices in 87 counties and regions by 1969. In 1972, the Division was reorganized into seven administrative districts; in 1982, the districts were reorganized into 18 county clusters and county agents were renamed as Extension educators. Budget cuts forced individual county offices to close and educators were consolidated into regional hubs. By 2003, there were sixteen regional offices.

The Division maintained its home in the Department of Agriculture, and through the Department’s name and structural changes to the Institute of Agriculture and then Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics between 1909 and 1995. The director of the division reported to the Dean throughout the existence of the Institute. When the Institute ceased, Extension was placed under the Office of System Academic Administration. The extension director has an administrative staff and oversees groups of specialists who worked with district staff. The USDA’s Extension Service consults with state agents concerning spending and carrying out federally-sponsored programs.

From the guide to the University of Minnesota Extension records, 1858-1996, 2003, (bulk 1917-1985), (University of Minnesota Libraries. University of Minnesota Archives [uarc])