Centennial Celebration 2012:100 years of working for

Wisconsin

Mary KluzMarathon County UW-Extension

Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Wisconsin-Extension

Thank you for 100 years! Cooperative Extension began in counties Partnership remains strong – because of YOU

and our ability to meet the educational needs of your county.

We appreciate your support and partnership!

2012 is our Centennial Celebration Celebration is important Great time to focus on/build awareness for our

future Events will help us raise awareness; look for

our materials at related events like the June Dairy Breakfast, the Wisconsin Valley Fair

Centennial will be part of Wisconsin Associated County Extension Committees (WACEC) 2012 conference Event at Lambeau Field – Sunday, June 24, 6:30-

8:30 p.m. Co-sponsored by WACEC

Cooperative Extension’s history is woven into the fabric of American history. The first county agricultural representative was hired in February 1912 and was headquartered in Rhinelander. E.L. Luther made his rounds on a two-cylinder Indian motorcycle.

The first Cooperative Extension agent was hired in what County?

1. Barron2. Vernon3. Oneida4. Dane

The first Cooperative Extension agent was hired in what County?

1. Barron2. Vernon3. Oneida -

CORRECT4. Dane

Oneida County The County Board voted November 11, 1911, to request an agent.

“He circuit-drove a horse and buggy or a dusty old Ford, loaded to the gunwales. Somehow he tucked in and toted soil augers and soil samples, wire seed corn racks, packets of litmus paper, rag-doll seed germination rolls, dairy barn record sheets, caustic potash and nippers for calf and cow dehorning. And in college bulletins, bundled up with binder twine, the Extension worker carried handy plans for bull pens, milk houses, and split-log road drags.”

That was Elwood McIntyre writing about the first 50 years of Cooperative Extension.“these men peddled progress”

But it wasn’t just men peddling progress. While ag agents worked the fields with farmers, women “home” agents helped farm wives keep the family together.

By the end of 1912, more than a dozen counties had agricultural representatives. In 1912, the cost to taxpayers in a county that retained an agricultural representative was between $1,000 and $1,300 a year. The Wisconsin Potato Train was an innovative way to take new information to the people.

Our first extension agents traveled by

1. Train2. Tin Lizzies3. Horse and

buggy4. Motorbike5. Bobsled6. None of the

above7. All of the above

Our first extension agents traveled by

1. Train2. Tin Lizzies3. Horse and

buggy4. Motorbike5. Bobsled6. None of the

above7. All of the above

A state of the art winter transporter was a Model T Ford, with chains that ran in a continuous circle around the back and front tires!

Cooperative Extension often held join programs with the branch experiment stations. This picture represents such a meeting, which took place in Marshfield in about 1917.

During World War I, the College of Agriculture placed 27 war emergency demonstration agents in counties to help stimulate food and livestock production.

The emergency agents pushed Wisconsin farmers to plant more and harvest more.

Post World War I ,increased production for the war created more produce than markets could handle after the war ended. Cooperative Extension agents shifted from how to produce more to how to produce more economically.

Early county agricultural agents also helped farmers with practical problems such as calibrating a grain drill, pictured here.

Cooperative Extension has a long history working with Agriculture Experiment Stations, which are older than extension.

1. True2. False

The closest Agriculture Experiment Station to Marathon County is:

1. Hancock Ag Research Station2. Rhinelander Ag Research Station3. Kemp Natural Resources Station

(Woodruff)

Cooperative Extension has a long history working with Agriculture Experiment Stations, which are older than extension.

1. True2. False

The closest Agriculture Experiment Station to Marathon County is:

1. Hancock Ag Research Station2. Rhinelander Ag Research Station3. Kemp Natural Resources Station

(Woodruff)

The Wisconsin assembly passed a bill that established the Agriculture Experiment Station on March 27, 1883

TRICK QUESTION!We have an ag research station right here in Marathon county located just off hwy 97 between Stratford and Marshfield.

For all these years, Cooperative extension also has a close relationship with campus based faculty. An example, research done on campus on conserving food and clothing was, and still is, disseminated by county agents to homemakers across the state.

With the crash of the stock market in 1929, Rural Wisconsin suffered along with everyone else. Cooperative Extension agents spent many hours working at county fairs, dairy shows and other events that brought people together during the Great Depression.

Extension agents also worked with the CCC. Forestry programs were promoted and often supervised by coop extension agents. These men are planting trees in 1936.

Home economics was a very important issue for Cooperative Extension educators during the challenging times during the Great Depression and before World War II.What are these people doing? Mattress making was an important homemaker project, as pictured here in 1939.

In the years leading up to World War II, Extension showed its mettle.

By 1945 Wisconsin had more dairy cows than any other state. It produced more milk and more cheese. To improve milk quality, Extension encouraged farmers to build milk houses.

In 1941, when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture called on Wisconsin farmers to double their dairy production, farmers – and Extension workers – responded almost overnight with superhuman efforts, boosting milk production by 9 percent and growing emergency crops such as flax.

“Home agents” helped families stretch resources during the Great Depression, like our Family Living educators do today. The first home agent was hired in:

1. Milwaukee County

2. Wood County3. Winnebago

County4. Marathon

County5. Sheboygan

County

“Home agents” helped families stretch resources during the Great Depression, like our Family Living educators do today. The first home agent was hired in:

1. Milwaukee County2. Wood County3. Winnebago County4. Marathon County5. Sheboygan County

Mary Brady was the first county home agent to be paid with federal, state and county funds. She was hired January 1917. Milwaukee County became the second county to employ a permanent home agent in 1928, followed by Wood County in 1929, Winnebago in 1932 and Sheboygan in 1933.

In the 1930s, Extension helped bring electric power to Wisconsin and succeeded in getting rural families to adopt this life-changing technology on a widespread basis. Not unlike today, as we teach people about how the new technology of the internet and connecting with the rest of the world through broadband connection improves their lives.

Campus-based specialists and county agents offered crucial technical know-how. But they did much more than serve as impartial educators. As an integral part of Wisconsin communities, they worked with families, farms and individuals, serving as a liaison between power providers and users, helping bring about change .

In the midst of World War II, 4-H -- active in Wisconsin since 1915 – continued to flourish.In 1945 Wisconsin’s 4-H enrollment exceeded 30,000 members.

Another important campus connection … The College of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension have been national leaders in the development and promotion of new alfalfa varieties, and of management practices that resulted in higher yields. This picture was taken in Wood County in 1949.

Cooperative Extension embarked on new directions from 1960 to 1975. One such new initiative was the expanded food and nutrition program. One of the first programs in Wisconsin was in Jackson County. This program reaches out to low-income persons.

Broad changes occurred within Cooperative Extension between 1975 and 1990.There were additions and expansions to family living programs, 4-H youth development programs and community development. During this time, community development educators began to work on economic development and comprehensive land use plans.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Program began in 1968. How many counties now offer nutrition education programming?

1. 222. 463. 594. 68

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Program began in 1968. How many counties now offer nutrition education programming?

1. 222. 463. 594. 68 - CORRECT

We respond to the diverse needs and resources of low income populations by implementing community-based nutrition education programs. Last year, our educators made more than 400,000 educational contacts providing nutrition education to youth, families and seniors.

The last century ended with profound changes within Cooperative Extension in Wisconsin, as Cooperative Extension made greater attempts to reach out to the underserved, tribal nations and urban audiences.Pictured here is the Rock County youth development summer enrichment program.

TODAY, …Cooperative Extension has offices in each of our state’s 72 counties.Works with county government and three tribes, state and federal agencies.Makes close to 1 million educational contacts each year.And is reaching rural and urban audiences, continues to offer traditional educational services, and is working hard to reach new audiences.

Cooperative Extension educators work hard to keep Wisconsin’s $20.6 billion dairy industry profitable and competitive. A 2008 sample survey of 99 farmers receiving modernization assistance from UW-Extension Cooperative Extension showed a total annual milk income increase of $45.3 million and an average labor reduction of 2,436 hours per farm each year.

“CNRED” educators began appearing in Wisconsin in the 1950s. Today these educators offer programming in:

1. Economic development

2. Local government education

3. Water quality4. Natural

resources5. All of the above6. None of the

above

“CNRED” educators began appearing in Wisconsin in the 1950s. Today these educators offer programming in:

1. Economic development

2. Local government education

3. Water quality4. Natural

resources5. All of the above6. None of the

above

And MORE! CNRED educators offer downtown revitalization, work to help communities create a healthier economy, work to protect our lakes and rivers, work with forestry issues, work on urban and regional planning, and the list goes on and on…

Natural Resource Education within the Community, Natural resource and Economic Development program area can look like a web-based series of workshops. One that has been popular lately is the Learn About Your Land series, in which landowners learn to understand, manage and get the best use from their property.

Local government education may include session concerning long range planning for our local units of government, such as the work that started my time here in Marathon County, as comprehensive planning was going on in towns, villages and cities, as well as the county.

4-H is teaming up with community and military partners in Wisconsin to offer Operation Military Kids (OMK), a nationwide initiative that supports the children and families of U.S. military personnel during and after the deployment of a loved one.

Here is one of our volunteers in action. Katy is a professional photographer, who volunteered her time to  work with 4-H students and parents. Some of the cameras and all of the notebook computers were part of the broadband mobile lab. 

How many volunteer hours did volunteers associated with Marathon County UW-Extension contribute in 2010 to support educational programming?

1. 45002. 27,6003. 63,200

How many volunteer hours did volunteers associated with Marathon County UW-Extension contribute in 2010 to support educational programming?

1. 45002. 27,6003. 63,200 -

CORRECTThat is roughly 5,268 per month. If we estimate, conservatively, at $10 per hour, that is a financial contribution of $632,000 that was made in 2010.

Hispanic dairy workers are a growing and important part of our state’s agriculture economy.

The Cooperative Extension Dairy Team created an award-winning curriculum and program for Hispanic Dairy Workers.

4-H offers opportunities for youth to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through workshops and camps. How many youth were involved statewide last year:

1. 3602. 2,4703. 4,0004. 5,600

4-H offers opportunities for youth to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through workshops and camps. How many youth were involved statewide last year:

1. 3602. 2,4703. 4,000 -

CORRECT4. 5,600

Over 4,000 youth, both 4-H members and non-members, participating in 4-H STEM activities around the state. This includes activities and programs like 4-H Gateway Academies, robotics, 4-H Tech Wizards and Power of Wind. Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development STEM programs prepare youth for future technical careers by letting them experience success with concepts in engineering and scientific thought.

4-H is using this network in Wisconsin to help youth build their science, engineering and technology skills through 4-H STEM activities to provide opportunities for hands-on scientific learning and discovery in 4-H clubs

How many youth were involved in 4-H in Marathon County in 2010:

1. 1902. 3623. 8564. 1041

How many youth were involved in 4-H in Marathon County in 2010:

1. 1902. 3623. 8564. 1041 – CORRECT

1041 and 416 adult volunteers received training and resources from UW-Extension to help them in their roles of club organizational leaders, project leaders, activity leaders and resource leaders to supplement the work of the UW-Extension professional staff. The typical 4-H volunteer contributes nearly 8 hours per month.

Our Family Living Program area focuses on economic development, one family at a time. Cooperative Extension educators help create strong families that serve as the foundation for community life by enhancing family relationships, parenting, child development and the community institutions that promote family well-being.

Cooperative Extension programming will be here another 100 years, because we will continue to be a thriving, well-known and sought-out educational resource that reflects the rich diversity of the state.

1. True2. Absolutely,

without doubt, True!

Thank you!For partnering with us

for 100 years.

YOU make this centennial possible.