www.dadeinfo.com

By Beverly Sparks

Amid a growing epidemic of deep budget cuts to colleges of agriculture across the country, many states have redesigned their teaching, research and extension programs to fit their funding. Each has searched for a perfect model that will serve its clientele as well as the century-old system that made the American agriculture system the world leader in food production.

Our system of educating students to lead the industry, conducting robust research to solve problems and enhance agricultural production, and delivering that research to all growers in every county of the state through Cooperative Extension has been a good one. To run smoothly, however, the system depends on solid cooperative funding from federal, state and county governments.

Budget cuts

As each level of government has faced economic hardships, land-grant universities watched funding for agriculture shrink. Over the past two years, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has lost 23 percent of its state funding. Due to these cuts, we have eliminated, through attrition and retirement, 88 county extension agents and 26 specialist and administrator positions.

With lawmakers predicting even deeper cuts in the 2012 state budget, we can no longer sustain our current education delivery model.

In March, we began gathering information from those we serve, our employees and other states to help us formulate a new plan for how we can continue to support Georgia agriculture and keep the largest sector of our state economy growing. With just 113 agriculture agents, 36 family and consumer science agents and 90 4-H agents remaining, and 159 counties to serve, we knew we couldn’t continue to fully support every county.

The plan

With using a range of criteria specific to each county, we developed a new structure that will work best to continue to bring vital education from the university to the Georgians who need it. The framework for the new delivery model will be based on tiers of service, meaning services in a county will depend on the needs and available funding in that county.

As we implement this plan we will add to our catalog of online materials and work to create a more active virtual community for educating consumers and growers. We will offer more multi-county programs, too, especially in specialized crops and training areas.

We are working very hard to ensure some level of 4-H program for every county to support leadership and youth development for our young people. For many schools, 4-H is a vital part of their hands-on, applied science curriculum. We want to strengthen that support to help school systems, which are struggling with their own budget problems, to meet science education goals.

When you buy a new car, it takes a while to get used to the new look and feel of how it handles. There are new features and gadgets to figure out. As we roll out this new model, Cooperative Extension may take on a new look and feel in your county. We will have some new features. Some old ones will be phased out. But we will do our best to continue delivering the reliable service and education across the state that you know and trust.

(Beverly Sparks is the associate dean for extension in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)

Extension Offices Seeing Changes
By Josephine Bennett
ATHENS, Ga. —A nearly 100-year-old program that benefits farmers and students is changing the way it does business. Budget cuts are forcing changes in Georgia’s county extension offices.

Over the last two years the program has seen its budget cut 23-percent. The 159 county offices provide services like soil testing, advice for farmers and 4-H programs for students. It is free and links university experts with the public.

The program’s Beverly Sparks says the new tiered system will put staff in priority locations based on population, the number of school-aged kids, and farms.

“When you look at the map of where we have placed our employees it’s going to be where we have the most intense agricultural production throughout the state.”

Sparks says some 4-H programs will become quote, ‘very basic’. The tiered program will also help make any further cuts easier

Mr. Young: Thank you for your inquiry and for your long standing support of our Extension program in Dade County. Both are greatly appreciated, especially in this most difficult fiscal time with so many changes going on. The current plan calls for the Dade County office to remain open and to be staffed with a professional staff position. This person will be charged to maintain the office, provide clientele assistance in finding the information/assistance they need and in carrying out a basic 4-H program. I am copying the District Director for Northwest District, Mr. Greg Price, on this email so he can provide a more detailed response to you on the particulars of Dade County staffing and on the time frame for implementation of the changes. This is a very difficult and challenging time for Cooperative Extension and again, I truly appreciate your ongoing support as we weather these changes. It is our hopes we can restore agents/all Extension program services to a greater number of counties as the state economy improves.

Kindest regards,

Beverly Sparks
Associate Dean for Extension

No Funding Available For Extension Agent/Staff
2/9/2011

By: Eddy Gifford, PUblisher

In November of last year Greg Price, District Extension Director Northwest District of the University of Georgia met with concerned residents about filling the vacant Extension Agent/staff position in the Dade County Extension Program.
This position has been vacant since Ted Dyer took another position within the University of Georgia Extension program.
Price gave the following update in the form of a letter dated Jan. 31, 2011:
In November I shared our plans to advertise a position in January to support the Agricultural and 4-H programs in Dade County. I regret to inform you this position has been put on hold pending outcome of our FY2012 state budget. The current proposed budget for Cooperative Extension contains additional cuts that make it difficult to fill this position right now. Unfortunately the State of Georgia has reduced funds for the Cooperative Extension program by 23 percent in the last two years. The current state budget under consideration includes an additional four percent cut.
In order to program within the recommended state budget appropriation, I will need to continue to reduce the number of positions in my district. Staffing at the proposed budget level would leave 11 counties in my district without a state supported agricultural agent. Statewide budget reductions have resulted in the loss of over 90 county agent positions. We currently have 110 County Agricultural Agents and 159 counties.
Cooperative Extension receives funding directly from the state and county. We do not receive funds from UGA student tuition or the Bulldog athletic program. It is my hope state funding will return when the state economy turns around. In the meantime, we will work with our state legislature to keep as much funding in Cooperative Extension as possible.