Where do you go to find answers to curiosities and questions that affect your life or livelihood? The internet is a useful tool, but sometimes it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. Purdue Extension offers research-based information to local people.
So, who are we? In simple terms, Purdue Extension extends the research-based knowledge of the university into local communities to help local people make informed decisions. But, rather than formal university courses, Purdue Extension’s mission involves practical education for local people.
As research is conducted at Purdue University, Purdue Extension helps local residents access and understand that research as it relates to their lives and livelihoods. Just think of us as your local connection to Purdue University research. If a question involves agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, consumerism, family, or youth, that’s right up our alley.
Purdue Extension’s four main program areas are agriculture and natural resources, health and human sciences, 4-H youth development, and community development. My area is agriculture and natural resources (which also includes home lawn, landscape, pests, and garden issues, plus the popular Master Gardener program). Brittney Schori heads up health and human sciences, and Todd Geiger administers the 4-H youth development program. 4-H is probably our most visible program in the community.
On a practical level, let’s say you want to know the going rate for custom farm operations, you have insect pest problems, or you want to know proper food preservation methods. Purdue Extension has research-based information and publications that can help you make a more informed decision as you move forward or deal with the situation. Youth can receive knowledge about STEM-related subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math), and learn about a number of 4-H projects (not just animals) supported by university research. If it’s a question we don’t immediately have access to through our extensive library of information, we can consult a specialist at Purdue to offer additional insight on the on the issue. If Purdue doesn’t have the breadth of information we need, sometimes we can gain additional reliable information from neighboring land-grant institutions within USDA’s Cooperative Extension System.
Local residents have often called the Purdue Extension office because they just needed a place to start. That’s okay, too. Sometimes, rather than answering the full extent of your question, it is appropriate for us to refer your question to another institution or professional, such as it may be with legal or specific health-related issues.
So, if you have questions, we have answers. Give your local Purdue Extension office a call. There is a Purdue Extension office in every county in Indiana. In Whitley County, the number is 260-244-7615. Find our web page at www.extension.purdue.edu/whitley. To find us on Facebook, search for Purdue Extension – Whitley County. The Whitley County Extension office is physically located at 524 Branch Court (across from Ace Hardware) in Columbia City.
Come learn more about local Purdue Extension programs at our annual meeting, entitled, “Together We Thrive: The Power of Partnering with Purdue Extension,” on Oct. 2, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Whitley County Community Foundation, 1171 E. Woods Way, Columbia City, IN. Drop in or stay longer to learn more about our programs. Please RSVP by 9/25 at 260-244-7615.
We take the guessing out of whether information is reliable or not, as you can get with internet-based information. Contact us or consider partnering with Purdue Extension.