As I believe we are all aware by now, our State is facing a budget crisis. Up until this week Extension was looking at a possible 10-15% budget cut state wide which would effect programs, positions, and ultimately the future of Extension as we know it. Yesterday, Dr. Joe Zublena, Associate Dean and Director of North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (CES), has said that the cuts being discussed are between 25-30%. That means the loss of almost 400 positions across the state and programming cuts across the board.
If Cooperative Extension programs, including 4-H, have affected your life in a positive way, we are asking you to make contact, either through phone calls or emails, to elected officials. Below are the names and numbers of the people we elected to serve us and who are ultimately the people who are making decisions about our budget. The Cooperative Extension budget is in the Higher Education Line item, specifically the agriculture section of Higher Education. Cooperative Extension is budget code 16032. Please take a moment to share that Cooperative Extension is important to our farmers, our youth, our families and our communities. In 2010, Richmond County Extension made contact with more than 11,000 people (nearly 25% of our county population) and Extension volunteers donated more than $75,000 worth of volunteer service to our community. Let lawmakers know that Extension includes helping traditional agriculture such as farmers, livestock producers, and poultry producers but also let them know we help families and youth. Extension is the only organization that can adapt to the needs of a county and offer solutions with research-based materials that improve the health/well being of our citizens, protects our food chain, and increases the profitability of our agricultural economy.
If you are a resident of Richmond County, you are represented by:
Representative Ken Goodman (Dem): 910-997-2712, 919-733-5823, Ken.Goodman@ncleg.net
Senator William R. Purcell (Dem): 910-276-7328, 919-733-5953, William.Purcell@ncleg.net
If you live outside of Richmond County, please visit the website listed to find out who represents you.
Dr. Zublena sent some key points about the work that Cooperative Extension does in North Carolina for you to think about & hopefully share with those representing you.
“Below are some additional key points that may be useful. Keep in mind every program we provide is at risk. When interacting with your legislators speak from the heart and about the programs you believe in and support within their and your districts.
• The CES budget is only 0.23% of the General Fund. The Research Budget is 0.30% of the General Fund. Combining these two with NCDA CS (0.31%) and NCA&T SU, the primary research, extension, marketing and development organizations supporting agriculture are only 1% of the General Fund. Agriculture is the #1 industry at $74.3B and more than 688,000 jobs in the state. This data clearly shows a very frugal, effective and efficient system of support for such a significant and important industry in our state.
• A recent (March 2011) Council on Agriculture Science and Technology report showed North Carolina is among the states that has seen the greatest growth from 1960 through 2004 in agricultural output. In addition the report showed nationally that agricultural productivity is largely responsible for the fact that the percentage of U.S. household income spent on food has decreased from 22.3 to 9.5 percent at the same time that total food consumption increased. The report also points to studies that conclude that each dollar spent on public agricultural research returns $32 to society. Information from this report validates that agricultural research and extension is a significant value to society and our efforts in NC have been one of the best in the county. This was not by accident, we’ve had a state that understood the importance of agriculture and invested in its future through CES and ARS.
• Research today provides adaptability, economic development, competitiveness and sustainability for our state’s future. Most research takes 4-10 years to provide reliable outcomes. Adoption of that research by producers and adaptation of the research for local conditions occur though Extension.
• 4-H is one of the Nation’s premier youth development programs. Compared to their peers, youth engaged in 4-H: stay in school longer, have higher graduation rates, have higher college attendance and graduation, smoke less, have significantly lower rates of criminal conduct and arrests, and are more involved in their communities. In 2010 NC 219,000 youth and 22,000 volunteers participated in 4-H. Youth in 4-H make significant contributions throughout the state and will be our future leaders just as many of our 1,000,000 4-H alums are leaders in their communities today.
• Since the early 1900’s NC communities have had strong leadership though the efforts of rural women participating in home demonstration clubs and now Extension and Community Associations. We will be celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and their accomplishment are many including the development of rural libraries and book mobile programs, establishing hot lunch programs in NC rural schools, selling more than $2M in war bonds for the WWII hospital ship, Larkspur whose total cost was $4M and helping bring electricity to rural NC. Today’s Family and Consumer Sciences Extension programs train women in leadership development and empower them to publicly address family and community issues, provide education for their families on financial management, energy conservation and nutritious and safe food preparation.
We appreciate your continued support for Extension and Research within your College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Your efforts today will shape the future!”
• The CES budget is only 0.23% of the General Fund. The Research Budget is 0.30% of the General Fund. Combining these two with NCDA CS (0.31%) and NCA&T SU, the primary research, extension, marketing and development organizations supporting agriculture are only 1% of the General Fund. Agriculture is the #1 industry at $74.3B and more than 688,000 jobs in the state. This data clearly shows a very frugal, effective and efficient system of support for such a significant and important industry in our state.
• A recent (March 2011) Council on Agriculture Science and Technology report showed North Carolina is among the states that has seen the greatest growth from 1960 through 2004 in agricultural output. In addition the report showed nationally that agricultural productivity is largely responsible for the fact that the percentage of U.S. household income spent on food has decreased from 22.3 to 9.5 percent at the same time that total food consumption increased. The report also points to studies that conclude that each dollar spent on public agricultural research returns $32 to society. Information from this report validates that agricultural research and extension is a significant value to society and our efforts in NC have been one of the best in the county. This was not by accident, we’ve had a state that understood the importance of agriculture and invested in its future through CES and ARS.
• Research today provides adaptability, economic development, competitiveness and sustainability for our state’s future. Most research takes 4-10 years to provide reliable outcomes. Adoption of that research by producers and adaptation of the research for local conditions occur though Extension.
• 4-H is one of the Nation’s premier youth development programs. Compared to their peers, youth engaged in 4-H: stay in school longer, have higher graduation rates, have higher college attendance and graduation, smoke less, have significantly lower rates of criminal conduct and arrests, and are more involved in their communities. In 2010 NC 219,000 youth and 22,000 volunteers participated in 4-H. Youth in 4-H make significant contributions throughout the state and will be our future leaders just as many of our 1,000,000 4-H alums are leaders in their communities today.
• Since the early 1900’s NC communities have had strong leadership though the efforts of rural women participating in home demonstration clubs and now Extension and Community Associations. We will be celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and their accomplishment are many including the development of rural libraries and book mobile programs, establishing hot lunch programs in NC rural schools, selling more than $2M in war bonds for the WWII hospital ship, Larkspur whose total cost was $4M and helping bring electricity to rural NC. Today’s Family and Consumer Sciences Extension programs train women in leadership development and empower them to publicly address family and community issues, provide education for their families on financial management, energy conservation and nutritious and safe food preparation.
We appreciate your continued support for Extension and Research within your College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Your efforts today will shape the future!”
On a slightly more personal note, I wanted to end by sharing part of a letter that I recently wrote in support of my “home” Cooperative Extension program in Jackson County, Ohio. The words hold true for programs across the state of North Carolina as well.
“4-H is the largest youth development organization in the United States and began in Ohio more than 100 years ago. Since then, the idea of Extension Staff and trained volunteers working together to impact the lives of youth has expanded into every state of the Union and more than 60 countries worldwide. No two 4-H programs look like one another, because 4-H meets the citizens where they are and helps them to reach their own goals.
On a personal note, I am a product of 4-H. I was a member at age 9, showed livestock at the Fair, went to 4-H Camp as a camper and a volunteer counselor, became a 4-H Volunteer when I aged out of the program, interned with 4-H in Tennessee and currently work as a 4-H Agent in North Carolina. In a recent conversation with my mother, she actually told me that I was so shy as a child that I was, “painful to watch.” Even into junior high and high school, I would seldom speak to people unless I was talking about 4-H. 4-H provided me with my first public speaking experiences and even though I was shaking as I spoke to groups of 3rd graders and announced shows at the County Fair, I did it. And I learned to enjoy speaking and sharing what 4-H had done in my life.
Through my time in 4-H & grace alone, I have gone on to obtain both a BS and MS in Agricultural & Extension Education. I have traveled around the world and spoken to thousands about my experiences. I have seen 4-H do the same thing for others that it did for me – my time in 4-H gave me a voice. It gave me a voice and the ability to use it to help others.
My hope in writing this is not to brag – far from it! My purpose in writing is to implore you – keep 4-H & Cooperative Extension in Jackson County. Without it, I hate to think of where I would be today.” You can insert any county name there - because I truly believe that Cooperative Extension makes a difference in the lives of our citizens!
As always, please contact us with any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful day!
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