Extension System of USA

1. EXTENSION SYSTEM
OF USA
By Rashmi Durgapal

2. INTRODUCTION-
• The agriculture system was introduced in 1887.
• The agricultural productivity by American farmers can
be attributed by a vigorous and rapidly developing
system that included components of supply, marketing ,
governance, research and the education/extension.
• From the beginning the emphasis in the agricultural
extension service has been on educating farmers.

3. HISTORY-
• The agricultural extension service has related its
flexibility, changing its organization and program
content from time to time to meet changes.
• About 170 years ago nearly 75% of the population of the
USA dependent on agriculture, as is the situation at
present in India.
• In the USA between 1910 to 1955 the number of tractors
increased from 1000 to 4.4 million and horse-power
decreased from 24.2 million to 5 million during the
same period.

4. • This decrease in the numbers of horses as farm power, as
it was uneconomic, and this result in the increased
output per man an hour.
• The increased in the farms output raised the standard of
living of the farmers.
• They purchased farm machines, household appliances
and this gave rise to industrialization.
• The size of holdings increased as people sold their farms
and shifted to industries and other occupations.

5. • The economic size of holdings, the use of machinery in
place of bullocks, farm investment, balancing in farming
and adjustments in crop patterns and the technology
provided to the farmers by their extension agency, etc.,
has brought about a rise in their standard of living.
• In 1970, every farmer had electricity in their farm
household , piped running water , mechanical
refrigerators and also television and telephones.

6. • Much of the credit for improved technology, and its
adoption by the farmers at such a rapid pace goes to the
land-grant colleges and the integrated service-
cooperative extension service.
• The universities provide solutions to the problems of the
farmers and the integrated approach of local, State and
Federal Govt. with the staff of AU has helped to
minimize the gap between the best known technology
and the technology actually used by the farmers.

7. Purpose Of Extension Service
• The major purpose of the service primarily was to set up
rural people to obtain the information needed and to
develop the skills require to solve many of their
problems in farming, home making and community
development.
• The original form of the organization was developed to
serve agriculture interests but later home economics,
youth work, public affairs, rural-area development.

8. • To solve the problems centered around increasing
efficiency in producing, marketing and utilizing crops
and livestock, conserving natural resources, obtain
credit, improving transportation, preserving food for
family use and developing interests groups.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

10. 1.LANDGRANT COLLEGE SYSTEM(1862)-
Land grant college system came into being with the
passage of Morrill act by the U.S.Congress in 1862, which
provided grants of public land to states and for
establishing maintaining at least one college (in a state)
where the leading object was the teaching of branches of
learning related to agriculture and the mechanic arts.

11. 2.FARMDEMONSTRATIONWORK(1903)-
Farm demonstration work began in 1903 when Dr.
Seaman appointed 22 men in southern states to
demonstrate the best methods of growing cotton under
boll-weevil conditions.
3.SMITH LIVER ACT (1914)-
• In 1914, the congress passed the smith-lever act, creating
a nation wide “Co-operative extension service”, so
called because it is a co-operative arrangement between
the government, the land grant colleges, and the people.

12. • It is a partnership agency in which the officials of
government federal, state and county-sit in council with
rural people and together analyse local conditions, take
stock of their resources, and make help to carry out
programmes for the financial, educational and social
benefit of the community and its individual members.”
• At the national level for example the farmer’s home
administration combines credit for low income farmers
with extension education. Soil conservation service
usually had educational, technical, and financial services
for farmers.

13. • Many other organizations- private, cooperative, public
also had a share in extension education. These include
farmers associations; cooperatives, commercial feed,
seed and machinery dealers, radio stations and farm
organizations.
• The Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service (CSREES) is an agency within
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), part
of the executive branch of the federal government.

14. • The 1994 Department Reorganization Act, passed by
Congress, created CSREES by combining the former
Cooperative State Research Service and the Extension
Service into a single agency.
• In 2009, CSREES was reorganized into the National
Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

15. • The Cooperative Extension System is a non-formal
educational program implemented in the United
States designed to help people use research-based
knowledge to improve their lives.
• The service is provided by the state's designated land-
grant universities. In most states the educational
offerings are in the areas of agriculture and food, home
and family, the environment, community economic
development, and youth and 4-H.
• The National 4-H Headquarters is located within the
Families, 4-H, and Nutrition unit of CSREES.

16. 4-H clubs-
• This is an organization of boys & girls from 10 to 20
years of age with a definite program of farm & home
development & personal & social development. It is a
part of national agricultural extension system. It has
been given the name 4-H club because the club members
are expected to have four Hs;
• HEAD, HEART, HANDS, HEALTH.

17. POLICIES-
• The cooperative extension service or organization
operates at three levels:
The national, the state and the county.
1. At National level the federal extension service carries
out three important function, the relationship function, and
the leadership and the assistance function.

18. 2. The national association of state universities and land
grant colleges helps member institutions to cooperate with
each other and the U.S department of agriculture in
formulating national extension programs and policies.
3. Matters of organization and policy, known as ECOP. It
is made up of twelve members elected by the directors of
four regions.

19. • Federal congress secretary-1.United states department of
agriculture
2. Secretory , Director of extension
• State legislatures - 1. land-grand institution
2. President of governing board
3. College of agriculture
4. Research, teaching
5. Co-operative extension service
6. Director of extension
7. Supervisors and specialists
8. Other colleges
• County government - 1. county sponsoring organisation
2.County extension service
3. County extension agents
• Citizens- 1. leaders, members and co-operators

21. Summary of functions:
1.The federal director of extension: represents the
secretary of agriculture in the states, the counties and the
colleges. Associated with the director are a group of
administrative officials, liaison officers, and subject matter
specialists. The federal directorate develops policies
affecting agriculture.
2. The state extension director: is the leader responsible
for the operation of the directorate in the state. He is
responsible for the administration and execution of all
duties and obligations agreed upon by the land grant
colleges and the united states department of agriculture.

22. • He administers all funds, looks after all projects and
plans, examines and approves all publications, and is the
link between the state and the united states department
of agriculture in matters of rural development.
3. The supervisors under the state directorate: are the
representatives of the state director and his eyes and ears.
• The supervisors interprets extension objectives, methods
and procedures to the county personnel and often also to
the people.
• He brings back to the state director information on
problems, needs and activities of the agents and the
people.

23. 4. The state subject matter specialists: each such specialist
usually deals with one subject, but in some counties he has
to deal with several.
• The subject matter specialist represents a subject matter
department of the united states department of
agriculture, the research stations and the land grant
colleges.
• On behalf of the director, he assist the county agents in
their subject- matter programme.
5. The county agents: the county is the crucial unit in
extension work.
• The county activities are centred around the county
agent, who is generally assisted by a home agent, an
associate agent and an assistant agent.

24. • There is no paid staff below at the ground level as it is
considered that only an adequately trained person can
impress the sceptical farmer and the rural people.
• These county agents therefore, cannot reach every
individual farmer frequently and have therefore to
approach and enthuse all, through organised groups
such as commodity organisations (dairy, fruit, cotton
etc.) or multipurpose clubs (women’s clubs, 4-H Clubs,
the farm bureau, the national farmer’s unit).

25. 6.County extension council: an elected body composed of
one man and one women from each township in the
county.
• It is responsible for arranging local financing and for
assisting in planning, executing and supervising county
extension work.

26. CHANGING PATTERNS…
• The shift toward high value agricultural commodities to
be primarily motivated by changes in food consumption
patterns.
• Four key factors contribute to this change:
1) rapid economic growth allows consumers to shift from
grains and starchy staples to higher value foods;

27. 2) urbanization accelerate the shift by changing lifestyles,
increasing exposure to media, and availability of high
value foods;
3) more liberal trade policies create new export and import
opportunities;
4) less restrictions on foreign direct investment change
food marketing channels, particularly food processing and
retail distribution

28. Development of American agriculture
& the cooperative extension service
• If we go through the history of the development of
extension service in the USA, we find that the
professional people who became involved in this
educational work also “learned by doing”.
• There were no pre-trained personnel. The individuals
who found the ways to get the job done became leaders,
but there was a great area of trial & error &
experimentation.

29. Important events can be given as follows:
• 1785- a society for promoting agriculture was organized
in Philadelphia to disseminate agricultural information
through publications, newspapers, articles etc,.
• 1796- George Washington, suggested to the congress the
establishment of a National Board of Agriculture.
• 1811- the Berkshire agricultural society (Massachusetts)
organized agricultural fairs, sale of farm products,
exhibits.

30. • 1852- the U.S. agricultural society was founded with
representatives of 23 different states.
• 1854- farmers institutes start.
• 1867- the Grange organization was formed.
• 1884- bureau of animal husbandry was organized.
• 1887- the hatch act established experiment stations.
• 1900- 13 clubs to work with rural boys & girls were
developed in many states.

31. • 1902- a national farmers union was organized.
• 1903- teaching by demonstration started by
Seaman Knapp.
• 1914- smith lever act coordinated extension
work nationally.
• Extension service of the US is still the only
system in which the main extension function
remains within the university, some developing
countries, India, have integrated educational
institutions into practical extension work.

32. • Some Indian AUs have come close to the US
model without taking over the full load of
extension work.
• Remarkable features are direct assessment of
clients needs, user oriented research, quality
training for State personnel and a strong linkage
between academic education and field practice.

33. CONCLUSION….
• The successful achievement of the cooperative extension
service in the united stated may be attributed to its
willingness and ability to change as the needs and interests
of its clientele change.
• The goals and objective of the entire system have been
relaxed almost every decade and have shifted dramatically.
• The clientele established need and activity plans and
country, state and national units try to respond. In addition,
neither national , state, nor country could control the
system, the preventing and level from dominating the others
and making the system rigid.

34. THANK YOU