Historical Summer 2024 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Sometimes, it is difficult to know where to go for help if you have questions or need to learn something new. For some problems, everyone knows where to turn – if you have a toothache, contact your dentist; if your car is not running well, you take it to a mechanic.
But what if cottontail rabbits are digging holes in your yard, or you have too many strawberries and want to make jam, or you want to start a small business, or your lawn is struggling and you want to figure out why? One resource that can help you with all these things and more is the MU Extension Service, part of the US Dept. of Agriculture’s extension program. State extensions are part of a system with a history that echoes important stages in our country’s development.
The extension system grew out of the land-grant universities founded in the 1860s. Because at first this only benefited white people, in the 1890s the system was extended to include historically Black colleges and universities.
In the 1990s, the system was extended again to include Native American colleges and universities.
The MU Extension is working to keep pace with the changes faced by Missourians. Areas of focus include efforts to ensure broadband access for all, maintain equitable healthcare access, manage food growing needs with the changing climate, and help communities to provide safe spaces for recovery.
As always, these services and educational programs are backed by university research and designed so that all age groups are supported.
The MU Extension has traditionally focused on agricultural and youth programs. 4-H has long been one of the extension’s services.
The MU Extension program is dedicated to providing access to the best research, practices, and educational opportunities in four key areas: agriculture and the environment, business and community, health and safety, and youth and family. Locally, if you are looking for programs to develop youth, community, small businesses, workforce, or health, you may not have to look further than extension programs or publications. You will find hundreds of course and event offerings in-person and online, including programs for farmers, nurses, fire and rescue professionals, seniors, and young people on diverse topics like cooking, exercise, career readiness, wine grape production, and food safety.
Some of these classes are low-cost or no-cost.
The MU Extension also has an extensive library of publications available to anyone on these topics reflecting the best research-supported practices, written in clear, accessible language, and available to anyone.
A great example is the MU Extension’s course on Food Preservation (https://extension.missouri.edu/courses/food-preservation).
As gardeners grow in experience, it is common to start harvesting more than one can eat right away. Food preservation is fun to learn, but it is important to understand the practices that will help keep your harvest safe and taste great.
The MU Extension has a large library of publications you can access or download. Need information about encouraging or managing urban wildlife? You can find many answers on their website (https://extension.missouri.edu/search?s=urban%20wildlife). Giving two examples of their publications and courses hardly does the extension service justice.
They offer many programs that serve a remarkable number of needs, so if you are looking for help learning about agricultural and environmental topics, business and community, health and safety, or youth and family, a perfect place to start looking is the MU Extension system.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Summer 2024.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2024_06.pdf, printed page(s) 4; PDF page(s) 4.
