Kentucky: More than 4,500 older teenagers as volunteer 4-H club leaders have been recruited--strengthening the 4-H program and giving the teenagers an enriching leadership experience. The State has put special emphasis on the senior teens as both project leaders in local clubs and as club leaders. Local adult leaders, county Extension professionals and the State 4-H staff all look for likely prospects among the older club members. Teen leadership is also encouraged by teen councils at the county, area and State levels--which send representatives to adult leader councils. The State features teen roundups--weekends in 4-H camp settings that offer training in both program areas and leadership. The State sent 236 representatives to a recent teen leader 4-H conference in Washington, D.C. COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Current Activities: Almost 1500 Extension staff years are devoted to community and rural development programs with the goal of providing communities, organizations, and local governments with reliable knowledge and information upon which effective public decisions may be made. Every state, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia conducts a community development educational program and nearly 10 percent of Extension's professional staff time is devoted to this area. Efforts are expended in twelve components of community and rural development problems and concerns, but major program thrusts are concentrated in three areas: (1) improving the capacity or ability of communities and their governments to effectively deal with their problems; (2) developing economic resources; and (3) improving accessibility of essential community services and facilities. To provide adequate information for public decisions, Extension collaborates with many action and regulatory agencies. Approximately 15 percent of community and rural development client contacts are represent state agencies; ten percent. represent federal agencies at national, regional, state and local levels; and 16 percent represent local boards, commissions and jurisdictions. Local service clubs, locally organized development organizations and citizen groups comprise the other contacts. Selected Examples of Recent Progress: Capacity Building: Using traditional and improved communications technologies, Extension agents and specialists have been able to provide information and technical assistance to less than half of the 27,000 units of rural local governments. This assistance has included community studies, surveys and analyses; help in locating and utilizing local and external support resources; training in the social action processes; management of public finances and programs; cost-benefit analyses of public programs; and long range comprehensive planning. As a consequence, local governments are better prepared to cope with complex problems associated with Spiraling costs and increased citizen demands for public services, compliance with federal and state regulations, and reduced public revenues. An estimated 11,000 community leadership and organization projects are conducted annually by Extension. The activities consist of training and counseling citizens, groups and organizations in problem solving techniques and the principles of organization and the social action processes. As a result, some one-half million people are better prepared to deal more effectively with community problems and concerns. Louisiana: In DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, Extension-CRD conducted community meetings for both parish leaders and persons with little or no formal education on factors affecting community growth and development. About 450 people attended. Because of these training sessions, a bond issue was passed in one town, 27 miles of roads were improved, a parish advisory committee was formed, and better citizen rapport with elected officials was established. Arizona: In Safford, Arizona, Extension initiated surveys, forums, media analysis and citizen action committees. In response to the needs identified, a $1.5 million street improvement program was begun, the downtown area revitalized, telephone reassurance and transportation for the elderly developed, and a $65,000 neighborhood park is underway. Oklahoma, Florida and South Carolina: Extension is utilizing on-campus and remote computer terminals to assist local decisionmakers. Oklahoma assists 100 local entities a year to analyze budgets, utility rates, routings, facility locations and service feasibility for water districts, EMS services, fire departments, solid waste programs, and other community needs. South Carolina's computer programs help local officials understand the budget impacts on community facilities and services of economic development and job expansion programs. In Florida, decisionmakers and planners have used computer models to map strategies to achieve development goals; to study the probable impacts of a major housing subdivision in Okeechobee County; document and describe the role of the agriculture sector in the local economy as a growth management tool in dealing with the preservation of prime agriculture land; and to determine employment and income impacts for EDA funded programs. Oklahoma: Extension developed a state-of-the-art report on various alter- New York: Extension has undertaken an expansive training program for public Economic Development: The level of economic development in a community is the primary factor which determines the level of community services, facilities, recreation, etc., that a community can support. The impetus for increased Extension emphasis on economic development stems from inflation, unemployment, and declining investment returns and a shrinking tax base. Extension assistance programs are centered on improving and sustaining the economic base of the community; expanding trade and commerce, small business development, industrial development, and development of manpower resources. About 20 percent of the Extension community and rural development program is devoted to economic development. Florida: Gadsden County, Florida, now has a thriving industrial-agricultural economy as the result of aggressive, effective actions by the Industrial Development Committee and the county Extension Service. Skillful use of survey information and analyses brought new industries to the area and new skills to the work force. In all, 35 new industries have been attracted to Gadsden County, with more than 2,000 new jobs added. Georgia: This year (1980), marked the entrance of the University of Georgia development programs. The county staff holds a general informational meeting and then solicits input data from individual merchants. The data is computerized, analyzed and returned through the county agent's office to the client. Services range from assisting local entities conduct in-depth market surveys to working with merchants to provide a better understanding of business improvement alternatives. Wisconsin: Community needs were identified and analyzed, and plans implemented to effectively use $521,500 in private and public funds in a downtown improvement project in Athens, wisconsin. The project was a joint effort between the Marathon County University of Wisconsin Extension and the Marathon County Planning Department. Improvement emphasis was directed at industrial development, downtown revitalization, parks and public utilities as identified by the local citizens. New leaders in the community were identified and they, along with existing leaders, enhanced their leadership capabilities. The town of Athens has now solved a major portion of its economic problems. New York: In Seneca County, New York, an effort has been focused on developing the potential of agricultural opportunities. Program efforts have resulted in the opening of a farm winery, thus providing marketing alternatives for grapes and other fresh fruit, and also the opening of new refrigeration, packaging and storing facilities. Extension also cooperated with the state Department of Agriculture and the county Farm Bureau in setting up a state Transportation Advisory Committee to develop a state rural transportation plan. All of these cooperative efforts have been vital in bring about agricultural economic development in Seneca County. Kentucky: Over a long period of time, Kentucky Extension has played a prominant role in increasing income from tourism. It has provided studies, surveys, clinics, organizational assistance, and tourism development training. These efforts have supported and complemented those of other state and federal departments. The dividends have been impressive. Twleve years ago, the travel industry employed 15,000 people and accounted for $316 million in receipts. Today, tourism is Kentucky's third largest industry employing over 120,000 people with combined receipts of over $1.3 billion. North Dakota: An $80 million alcohol plant is being constructed in Hankinson, North Dakota, a community with a population of 1,150 located in the southeastern portion of the state. A $17 million sunflower processing plant will also be constructed in the community. A letter to the Extension Service, accompanied by a front page story of the local newspaper, refers to the development as "fruits of rurci business and industrial development course," conducted in the community in 1978. The development course is a cooperative effort involving a number of state and private organizations and agencies and is coordinated by the Cooperative Extension Service at North Dakota State University. Community Services and Facilities: The reverse migration from urban to rural, "boom towns" in coal development and rapidly industrializing areas, and rural isolation have all accelerated the need and demand for increased levels and accessibility of community services and facilities. Local decisionmakers must cope with these increased demands on the one hand, and declining purchasing power of public revenues on the other. Extension is helping local governments and community groups seek ways of resolving this dilemma. Long range comprehensive planning; cost-benefit studies; computer assisted location, routing, and facility alternatives; and methods of public and private financing are all forms of Extension assistance to community decisionmakers. North Dakota: County Extension staffs helped organize 21 rural water associations. Most of these are in sparsely settled communities. The associations are in various stages of development, with the ultimate goal of providing adequate and safe water to households. Indiana: Recreational facilities were inadequate to accommodate needs Arkansas: The Batesville area needed health services far in excess of what Tess than a dozen family physicians could provide. Extension held meetings and public discussions on this need. A Physician Search Committee was organized in an effort to attract medical school graduates or practicing physicians who might wish to relocate. The committee contacted 100 prospects and has now secured 10 new doctors, 5 dentists, 1 optometrist, and 1 chiropractor for the Batesville area. Texas: Grass fires are frequent in Wildorado, a small rural community in the Texas panhandle, because of distances of volunteers from the firehouse and distances from the firehouse to the sites of the fires. Often two hours were lost and hundreds of acres were burned. With the help of Extension and working through a Texas Community Improvement Program, Wildorado began concerted effort to secure a water system. Three years later, they had a water system and an upgraded volunteer fire department. Women were trained to respond to the calls and to deliver firefighting equipment to sites, thus enabling the firefighters to report directly to the scene of the fire, saving lives, property and time. Delaware: Extension is providing assistance in the incorporation of a county- Florida: The Florida Cooperative Extension Service, cooperating with other agencies and institutions, is helping develop an alternate form of energywood gasification. A pilot plant will operate 12 months a year, instead of the current nine month operation forced by natural gas quotas. HIGHER EDUCATION The Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 established the Department of Agriculture as the lead agency in the Federal Government for food and agricultural sciences and included teaching, i.e., higher education in the food and agricultural sciences, as an area of responsibility of the Department. The Act, P.L. 95-113, authorized transfer of the administration of Section 22 of the Bankhead-Jones Act to the Department of Agriculture. In addition, the Act authorized establishment of competitive grants and fellowships for all colleges and universities for the purpose of furthering education in the food and agricultural sciences. In an effort to be responsive to this legislation, the Office of Higher Education provides direction and national leadership to the Science and Education Administration's mission of strengthening formal education and training programs in the food and agricultural sciences: Appropriated Bankhead-Jones funds are administered by this office. Distribution of the grant payments under the Bankhead-Jones Act, by state, for fiscal year 1980 is given in Table 1. In addition, the Office of Higher Education is involved with joint planning and coordination of the broad programs of the Science and Education Administration, especially as these relate to extension, research, and teaching, as well as other higher education oriented activities related to the mission of SEA. Current Activities: The Office of Higher Education has made a concerted effort to interface with representatives of universities and professional organizations across the nation for the purpose of identifying higher education related issues and concerns. The Office strived to articulate these matters on behalf of Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Home Economics, Veterinary Medicine, and Forestry, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Congress, and to the public. A major study was undertaken and a report compiled which analyzes supply/demand relationships in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Veterinary Medicine. The purpose of this effort was to identify those academic areas which appear to warrant increased attention and support based on stable or expanding employment opportunities which exceed projected qualified graduates. A Congressionally-mandated study of the Bankhead-Jones legislation was undertaken in cooperation with the Joint Planning and Evaluation unit. The report generated from this study was forwarded to the Congress in October of 1980. The Office of Higher Education also coordinated the Department's participation in the Minority Research Apprenticeship Program for high school students. The objective of this program is to stimulate broader interest among minority students in careers in science and engineering and to establish contacts between students and active researchers who may become mentors when students need advice on colleges, and on careers, and need letters of recommendation. Selected Examples of Recent Progress: Interface with Cooperating Institutions and Organizations: The Office of Higher Education has worked closely with cooperators in the Resident Instruction Section of the Division of Agriculture, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), and the American Association of University Agricultural Administrators (AAUAA), to assist them in recorganizing their internal organizational structure to more effectively interface with agencies of the Federal Government. Cooperators have assisted in identifying higher education related priorities for the Five Year Plan for Food and Agricultural Sciences. Cooperating institutions and organizations were instrumental in identifying components of a national data base for use in planning, administering, and evaluating higher education in the food and agricultural sciences. Analysis of Manpower Supply/Demand Relationships: Existing data were utilized to the fullest extent possible and additional data were collected as needed. These data were compiled into a comprehensive report entitled, "Graduates of Higher Education in the Food and Agricultural Sciences: An Analysis of Supply/ Demand Relationships, Volume I, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Veterinary Medicine." This document was published and has been distributed to appropriate institutions, organizations, and State and Federal Government entities. In brief, this report reveals that: "To strenghtnen the food/agriculture labor force, the United States needs more master's graduates in Agricultural Business and Management, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Sciences, Food Sciences, Natural Resources, Plant Sciences, and Soil Sciences. At the doctoral level, we need more graduates in Agricultural Business and Management, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Sciences, Food Sciences, Forest Engineering, Forest Products Utilization, Plant Sciences and Soil Sciences. In addition, this study projects shortages of graduates in selected specialties in Veterinary Medicine (for example, regulatory medicine, pathology)." Bankhead-Jones Study: The study of the Bankhead-Jones legislation has resulted in a published report, "Review of the Bankhead-Jones Program: Final Report," which has been distributed to appropriate Federal and State entities, as well as appropriate university and professional organization cooperators. This report denotes these academic programs which have received support via these statues and the manner in which the funds were used. |