Agrcultural Extension Work in United States

This book presents history of agricultural extension work in the United States of America in the period from 1785 - 1923. That form of popular education of farming people in the United States now known as agricultural extension work has passed through several stages of development covering nearly a century and a half. It had its beginning in early agricultural societies from the time of the organization of the Philadelphia Society in 1785.

These societies were formed to acquaint their members with what was being done to improve agriculture. But they also had among their objects to bring about local agricultural organizations and to disseminate agricultural information through their publications, newspaper articles, and lectures.

Mobilizing the potential of rural and agricultural extension

This paper presents an overview of current opportunities and challenges facing efforts to increase the impact of rural and agricultural extension. The starting point for this analysis is in recognition that the days when agricultural extension was synonymous with the work of public sector agencies are over. The ‘‘extension services’’ described here may just as likely consist of an input vendor advising a farmer about what seed to plant, a television station broadcasting a weather forecast, a supermarket advising traders about what standards are required for the vegetables they purchase or a farmer organization lobbying for research that re ects the demands of its members for new technologies. Mobilizing the potential of extension is about enhancing this broad and complex flow of information and advice in the agrifood sector. Link: http://www.g-fras.org/en/knowledge/gfras-publications/file/3-mobilizing-the-potential-of-rural-and-agricultural-extension

Roles, Strategies, and Capacities to Strengthen Extension and Advisory Services

Extension and advisory services (EAS) 1 play an important role in agricultural development. However, these services need new capacities to address the current challenges in agriculture and to contribute better to agricultural innovation – a process that that requires interactions and knowledge flows among a wide range of actors in the agricultural innovation system (AIS). A summary of this paper is available here.