Finding your local Extension office

[Chicken Salad]

Since I work in an Extension office and am vividly aware of the poor marketing many Extensions do...I thought I would give you all a link to finding your local office. I've seen where some of you post to someone who is asking a question to get with their extension office but sometimes that's easier said than done.

Go to CSREES and click on your state. This will take you to your land grant university web site that will, in turn, allow you to click on your county which should take you to your local office.

What can they do for you there? Well, it depends on the state initiatives...but most places will have an ag agent/educator or two who can set you up with publications, classes or information about raising whatever livestock you have in mind.

For those of you new to Extension, every state has a land grant university and part of the land grant was that they should make the results of research available to those outside the university in their state. This is the Cooperative Extension system. State, local and federal funding makes it possible (your taxpayer dollar at work, friends!).

It's more than just Ag...it's gardening, foods/nutrition, personal finance, and 4-H, too.

Check it out.

I'd also be curious to know what you think of your local Extension office.

 

[maymay8]

We've loved all our dealings with extension offices, both in Albuquerque, NM and rural northeast Indiana. Great folks who are excited to share their knowledge!
Maggie

 

[digitS']

Coop Extension is great

!

The local office has a very decent library with more stuff than I can sort thru in a few hours . . . but sometimes, it is really worth it to try.

What I like to do is use "site:edu" in Google. That usually takes me to an extension webpage somewhere in the US. Using the search terms such as "protein chicken feed" directs me to the right pages and, pretty soon, I've got something on what I'm looking for

.

Usually, the info has long been available but it's not just anywhere. (I'd like to know better how to use Canada's agricultural services. Sometimes, I use "site:ca" and just keep my fingers crossed. Sometimes, that works.

. If someone has tips on searches in Canada, I'd like to know about 'em. )

Coop Extension's job is to get information to the American public from the land-grant universities. I think they do a very good job, doing so

.

Steve

 

[SewingDiva]

Ours is at U Mass Amherst and they do soil testing too, for a very nominal fee ($13)

Phyllis

 

[rlk160]

I also work for Cooperative Extension...in Pennsylvania - wonder how many others of us are "involved" with poultry! Each state has Cooperative Extension and our offices are usually located in county buildings. you might also tap our resources using http://www.extension.org/ My specialty is family financial management. Backyard chicken has been a gem of a resource in helping me design and build my coop and manage my "flock". Posters have wonderful ideas and suggestions!!!!

 

[Chicken Salad]

Quote:
PA has a really awesome extension system.

So far I remain fairly unimpressed with extension.org. I believe the personal finance community to be the best one out there -- or a close race with the entrepreneurship one. I wonder why we don't have a poultry community - what with the imported fire ants one (what the heck is up with that - it was one of the first communities they had!).

As to your question...we had a 4-H educator who promoted poultry and poultry entrepreneurship...but the small farm guy in my office really only includes one session of his small farm certification series to it. He really doesn't "do" poultry. Our other ag person is a dairy specialist. As far as I know I'm the only chicken mama (to be) there...except for the 4-H secretary who I got broilers with this past spring so her daughter could do the project. But those are in the freezer now....

 

[Parson's Wife]

I haven't read all the post, so someone else may have stated this already.
Our office, well the one in NWAR, I haven't checked down here, will check your canners, tell you what needs repaired, if anything.
That is a blessing, since I'm a little leary anyway.
They have always been very helpful to me, and my family.

 

[Chicken Salad]

Quote:
Fewer and fewer offices have anyone trained to do that, though. I've worked in two Maryland county offices and when the "canner" person retired there was nobody to do it. We get calls for that because people expect that service from extension but nobody in "management" thinks it's important enough to give an educator credit in their plan for it...so they don't.

 

[Parson's Wife]

I'm sorry to hear that! I guess because fewer and fewer people can...though the last coupla years I think that has changed due to the economy.

 

[what was i thinking]

so i could go there to get information? written ? people to talk to and teach me? do they hold classes on different stuff? i would love to check it out. i don't think all people know what resources are out there. i sure don't.