Extension can play an important part in your life if you choose to let it. Some of you may not realize that you have been impacted by Extension in some way. For starters, you may know someone who has attended or plans to attend Purdue University. Purdue is Indiana’s Land Grant University that was established in 1862 under the Morrill Act and is deeply related to Extension. Later, the Hatch Act established Experiment Stations. However, in the early 1900’s, it was realized that the information gained at these stations were not getting distributed. That is why in 1914, the Smith-Lever Act established the Cooperative Extension Service.
The Cooperative Extension Service initially was solely related to agriculture, but overtime has grown to include four primary program areas that are used to help educate, promote, and provide services to local residents. The four primary areas are: 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health and Human Science, and Community Development.
4-H Youth Development Educators collaborate with teachers on school programs, conduct after school programs, and organize numerous workshops. 4-H is associated with developing life skills and career development. However, it is important to note that a successful 4-H program cannot occur without the help of numerous adult volunteers.
Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Educators provide various educational opportunities for adults and youth through a wide variety of topics including gardening, livestock care, farm management, pesticide application, and pond maintenance. One of the next opportunities to get involved with an ANR program is to sign up for the January Crop Update scheduled for January 22nd from 9:00-11:30 am at the Fairgrounds (register here). This update will include information about growing conditions & planter settings for corn production, precision pesticide applications, and a regulatory update.
Health and Human Sciences (HHS) Educators provide programs on healthy eating, physical fitness, and Alzheimer’s. They also work with youth on understanding how to read food labels and developing healthy eating habits. HHS Educators also offer a variety of lessons to Extension Homemaker groups around Indiana.
The final program area is Community Development (CD). We do not have an Educator assigned to this program area specifically, but together we have tried to utilize and provide CD resources to residents of Putnam County when possible. In the past, we have offered CD programs such as Running for Office and Beginners Guide to Grant Writing.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to be impacted by Extension. As you think about organizations you might want to become a part of, think about Extension. We welcome community volunteers all the time since they are truly a treasured part of Indiana.
We will be having our Joint Annual Dinner on January 23rd to celebrate the success Purdue Extension and the Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District have had this year. This event will take place at the Putnam County Fairgrounds and feature a presentation on migratory birds (specifically sandhill cranes). Cost of the dinner is $5, but we do ask that you register in advance by calling 765-653-8411.