By By JURGEN BOEREMA
news@wdnweb.com
Contributing Writer
Agricultural extension agencies have been providing services across the globe for decades.
The concept has developed over time with different countries adding changes and improvements.
In the United States, the Hatch Act of 1887 established a system of agricultural experiment stations in conjunction with each state’s land-grant university, and the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 created a system of cooperative extension agencies to be operated by those universities in order to inform people about current developments in agriculture, home economics and related subjects.
In eastern North Carolina, agriculture plays an important role in the region’s economy.
Rebecca Liverman said she was led to her position as Washington County’s extension director from a summer internship at the Beaufort County extension office during her time at Meredith College.
Liverman gave several examples of changes she has seen in her profession.
“In my years with the Extension, I have seen the shift to a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum. In working with adults now, I see the need for financial management employability skills. We are constantly updating and changing the way we deliver programs.”
Liverman served as the 4-H agent for Washington County from 1999-2000. When she became director in 2010, the county saw the need to hire a 4-H agent. Liverman now has the role of administration, community development, and adult education for the county. She holds a BS degree from Meredith and a MS degree from N.C. State University.
Gaylon Ambrose is one of Beaufort County’s extension agents.
He said he became interested in extension work while he was a graduate research assistant under a professor in the crop-science department at NCSU. At the time, he assisted the professor in doing on-farm research trials in weed control. He traveled around the state and met different extension agents and farmers.
He said this experience was valuable to him.
“I had an opportunity to observe and work with those county agents and farmers during a two-year period of time. I saw what they would do and the farmer’s reactions to the university specialists and the county extension agents. It looked like they saw value in what we were doing. I thought to myself this was something I wanted to pursue.”
Ambrose has an annual Wheat Field Day for Beaufort County. Beaufort County is usually ranked first or second annually in wheat production in North Carolina. This past year, people from 22 North Carolina counties and four different states attended the event, which has been going on for 20 years.
Beaufort County also hosted a North Carolina Cotton Field Day. People from 42 North Carolina counties and 12 different states came to the event.
Ambrose said more is required of extension agents now than when he first started.
“We have expanded beyond agricultural programs into youth resources, family, and soil science programs. Over time, there has also become more technical training. People are also looking if you have worked for an academic institution for your qualifications,” he said.
Mac Gibbs became Hyde County’s extension agent after spending several years farming.
He noted that agriculture research has shifted from a public emphasis to a more private emphasis.
“A chemical company comes out and they are selling something to a farmer. Whereas, I have done the research and I am not selling anything. I’ll go out and say this is not cost-effective or this is not going to give you the yields or what you think you are going to get.”
He noted that extension agents also have a tough time because fewer and fewer people understand agriculture.
“We have shifted in my 22 years in this job. We have become more urban. So extension agents have to tell how they are making a difference in people’s lives and promote a better understanding of agriculture. There is a cost of marketing to the public of what we are doing well and asking for support,” he said.
Gibbs noted that he had attended interesting events such as a conference in Galveston, Texas, called Restoring America’s Estuaries. He gave a talk on rising sea levels, how they are affecting Hyde County and what the county is doing to combat the problem of salt-water intrusion. He also mentioned the Joint Conference on Soybean, Wheat and Corn as another informative meeting.
Frank Winslow said he had several “life experiences” before he became the extension agent for Tyrrell County.
Winslow said he does not have a specific “specialty” as a county extension agent. Winslow said he does “everything from home gardens to large farms, not to mention corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton.”
When Winslow was in Washington County, he also worked with peanuts and tobacco.
“You get a lot of different questions from people,” Winslow laughed. “One time, a lady called me and said ‘I got lizards in my house. When I open the door, the lizards come in. How do I get them out?’”
Winslow discussed an association of county agricultural agents that operates at the district, state and national level. It is a professional organization that has some educational activities presented to those attending state and national meetings.
Winslow said that Tyrrell County is the largest potato-growing county in the area. He said that Tyrrell County has slightly more than 70,000 acres of farmland. He mentioned that three growers have around 3,000 acres planted with potatoes.
Winslow is coming up on his 19th year as an extension agent.
He mentioned some changes in his profession not noted by other extension agents.
“Fifty percent of the corn and 70 percent of the soybeans are farmed using no-till methods. I think one of the biggest changes that have affected safety and health issues for farmers is that we have gone away from organo-phosphate insecticides on corn for billbug control to seed treatment, which is a lot safer,” he said.
Mitch Smith is the interim Cooperative Extension Service director for Martin County. He accepted that position Dec. 1, 2010. He currently serves as Pitt County’s CES director. Smith said that Pitt County has close to 300,000 acres of farmland.
He mentioned a time in 1989 when he was able to tour seven countries in western Europe to observe agriculture and tour in Santa Cruz, Brazil, to observe tobacco-farming methods.
“Basically, the purpose of the Brazil trip was to observe how they handled their crop and how they compared to the United States. The Europe trip also involved a look at how the government supported agriculture,” he said.