Cooper County Extension 100 Year Celebration Past Present - Future

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1 Cooper County Extension 100 Year Celebration Past Present - Future

2 1913- Farm Advisor 10 Counties in Missouri were selected to have Farm Advisor and Cooper was one of the first. In these pioneering efforts towards Extension, Missouri farmers had the cooperation and support from Missouri Bankers Association, the Federation of Missouri Commercial Clubs, the State Grange, various farmers organization, and local clubs.

3 J.D. Wilson Cooper County s first Farm Adviser from the University of Missouri College of Agriculture prior to Smith Lever Act. One of his main activities was to assist farmers with an epidemic of hog cholera which threatened to destroy swine herds throughout Missouri.

4 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed the Smith-Lever Act on May 8, He called it one of the most significant and far-reaching measures for the education of adults ever adopted by the government.

5 1914 Smith-Lever Its purpose, clearly stated by Congress, was to aid in diffusing among the people of the U.S. useful and practical information on subjects related to agriculture and home economics, and to encourage the application of the same.

6 1916 First Farm Tour The first county farm tour to showcase new production practices was held in July. A large group of farmers, Farm Bureau representatives and University of Missouri staff traveled to Pilot Grove, Bunceton, and Prairie Home.

7 Hard Times There was no formal Extension program in Cooper County although there is some evidence that programs were conducted by temporary staff during and shortly after World War I. Nationwide, Extension helped increase wheat production from 47 million acres to 74 million acres in support of wartime needs.

8 1930 Reopened in Courthouse John P. Johnson was appointed as county agent for Cooper County. This was during the Depression and much of the activity of the office included assisting with government relief programs. The first office secretary was Wihlemina Torbeck Scott.

9 1930 s continued Another major area of concern was the loss of topsoil that was occurring throughout the county. Mortan Tuttle, a prominent young farmer near Prairie Home was one of the first farmers to work with Extension in terracing his land. Cooper County was one of the leading counties in the state and nation in installing conservation practices.

10 1937 4H Clubs Organized First year s membership included 136 boys and 13 girls. First year activities included a nine-county camp in Fayette, organization of the county 4- H Leaders Council, County Achievement Day, Cooper County 4-H News, demonstration and judging tours, state 4-H Roundup and a trip to the state fair.

11 1937 Extension Homemakers A total of 11 clubs were formed within two years. The main activities were home economics, food preservation, sewing, quilting, home grounds improvement and managing family resources. Margaret Van Orsdol was the county home demonstration agent.

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13 1937 4H Charter in Cooper

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18 1935 REA Rural Electrification Administration President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed the REA Act which were the first steps in a public-private partnership to bring electric power to businesses and communities.

19 Co-Mo Electric COOP The formation of Co-Mo actually started with Paul Doll who was the Cooper County Extension Agent during the Great Depression. Doll did the planning and legwork and made political connections to form the independent cooperative.

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21 World War II Extension service was very active during World War II in helping farm families maintain the agricultural production needed for the war effort and veterans were assisted as they returned to agricultural production. The Home Economics Agent assisted in dealing with the many hardships and scarcities that the war brought.

22 Victory Gardens During the wartime efforts, Extension agents developed programs to provide seed, fertilizer and tools for Victory Gardeners. 15 million families planted gardens and by 1943, those gardens produced more than 40% of vegetables for that year s fresh consumption.

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24 1945- Balanced Farming The Balanced Farming Program was established in Cooper County. This program was designed to develop a whole farm approach to production of livestock, forages, and crops. It expanded throughout the 50s and was successful throughout the country.

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26 1946 B. H. Cocheron Director When farmers testify as to the value of the Extension Service, it is not the savings and increased income that they so often bring forward as that the Extension Service has been a counselor, advisor, and friend. It is the human values of Extension work that are more cited more frequently than any others.

27 s The concept of extending the knowledge base of the land grant university widened into programs including citizenship, economic development and business management.

28 1969 Specialization The Missouri Extension Service shifted from a system of county agents to an area-specialist system. The purpose of the change was to allow each extension staff member to specialize in one area of study and serve multiple counties.

29 1993 Master Gardener The mission of the Missouri Master Gardener Extension Program is helping others learn to grow. The Master Gardener program provides in depth horticultural training to individuals throughout Missouri who then volunteer their time applying what they have learned to help others in their communities to learn about gardening and environmental education. The Boonslick Chapter was established in They have been involved in many educational activities throughout the years.

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34 Extension Today Over the last century, Extension has adapted to changing times and landscapes and it continues to address a wide range of human, plant, and animal needs in both urban and rural areas.

35 4-H Youth Development cultivates important life skills in youth that build character and assist them in making appropriate life and career choices. At-risk youth participate in school retention and enrichment programs. Youth learn science, math, social skills, and much more, through hands-on projects and activities.

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38 Agriculture research and educational programs help individuals learn new ways to produce income through alternative enterprises, improved marketing strategies, and management skills and help farmers and ranchers improve productivity through resource management, controlling crop pests, soil testing, livestock production practices, and marketing.

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41 Natural Resources teaches landowners and homeowners how to use natural resources wisely and protect the environment with educational programs in water quality, timber management, composting, lawn waste management, and recycling and newer technological advancements utilizing Global Position Systems.

42 Family and Consumer Science helps families become resilient and healthy by teaching nutrition, food preparation skills, positive child care, family communication, financial management, and health care strategies.

43 Community Development helps local governments investigate and create viable options for economic and community development, such as improved job creation and retention, small and medium-sized business development, effective and coordinated emergency response, solid waste disposal, tourism development, workforce education, and land use planning

44 Regardless of the program, extension expertise meets public needs at the local level. Although the number of local extension offices has declined over the years, and some county offices have consolidated into regional extension centers, there remain approximately 2,900 extension offices nationwide. Increasingly, extension serves a growing, increasingly diverse constituency with fewer and fewer resources.