Extension agents are neighbors you should get to know – The Ottawa Herald

Ive been proud to call Hays home for more than five years now. My husband and I moved to Hays in early 2012 for my job as the Extension family and consumer sciences agent at the Ellis County Extension Office.

"Wait what? Where? Whats Extension?"

If youre not as familiar with K-State Research and Extension (as I think you ought to be), youre not alone. Many people ask who we are and what we do. Weve even received mistaken phone calls from folks trying to get an extension on their court date or taxes.

So, let me try to answer the question Whats Extension? and tell you why your local Extension agents are neighbors you should get to know.

K-State Research and Extension is devoted to helping people live healthy and successful lives; it's part of Kansas State University's three-fold mission and traces back to why and how K-State was created as the states land grant university.

Federal legislation in 1862 granted land to states for the creation of institutions that could give working-class citizens in rural areas equal access to higher education, something formerly only available to wealthy families in eastern cities. Kansas State University was founded in 1863 as the nations first land grant university to provide on-campus teaching, research and outreach to Kansas citizens. In 1914, another law created the Cooperative Extension Service which placed educators in the 3,000-plus counties of America to extend practical, research-based information from the land grant university right to the people. It is this outreach mission which makes land grant universities such as K-State unique.

In Kansas, we are fortunate to have a great alliance with county government to support K-State Research and Extension. Federal and state funds come into Kansas State University to support the framework, administration and specialists of K-State Research and Extension. Mostly county funds, with shared state input, support the local Extension offices.

Extension in each county works to meet local needs. Extension agents live in local communities, share concerns about local issues and have a stake in local success. Locally elected citizens serve on boards and committees to guide and oversee our efforts. While Extension programs might vary from county to county, all are designed to provide reliable, research-based education to help individuals, families, farms, businesses and communities solve problems, develop skills and build a better future.

On July 1, following a trend of 45 counties before us, Ellis County and Barton County joined their Extension programs together to form the Cottonwood Extension District, the 17th Extension district in Kansas. The district allows for operational efficiencies as well as agent specialization, which will reduce duplication and give more in-depth focus and expertise for local programming. Agents will continue to office in their local counties and will provide educational programming in both counties. You now will have access to the seven agents of the Cottonwood Extension District for more specialized service.

The wide selection of Exension education and services is easy for Kansans to obtain; after all, we're located nearby. K-State Research and Extension is the front door to information from Kansas State University. Agents have access to the knowledge, experience and expertise of a statewide network of Extension specialists and researchers on the cutting edge of scientific knowledge all of whom share the goal of improving the quality of life of all Kansans, including you.

So I encourage you to get to know the personnel, programs and resources of K-State Research and the Cottonwood Extension District. Our local office is located at 601 Main, Suite A, in downtown Hays. We currently have three Extension agents on staff in the Hays office (and an opening in the Horticulture position while we recruit a new agent) with three agents in the Great Bend office and we are all considered K-State faculty.

We provide low- or no-cost educational programs that are open to the public, serve as speakers at clubs, organizations and schools, do one-on-one consultation on individual issues and share information through print, broadcast and social media. You can connect with the services and resources we offer by calling our Hays office at (785) 628-9430, receiving our quarterly email newsletter, visiting our website at http://www.cottonwood.ksu.edu, liking our Facebook page, currently at K-State Research and Extension Ellis County or following us in the media.

Were here to extend information from our state and partner experts to the people of Ellis and Barton counties to help you have a better life.

Linda K. Beech is a Cottonwood District Extension agent for family and consumer sciences.

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Extension agents are neighbors you should get to know - The Ottawa Herald