MSU Extension Service - On Behalf of the People by Scott Freutel, MSU Communications Services Since President Lincoln's time the core missions of land-grant universities like Montana State University have been undergraduate and graduate education, fundamental and mission-oriented research, and outreach programs that extend the learning and resources of the university beyond its walls to enrich the lives of all citizens in the state. At MSU, the Extension Service is heart and soul of the third of these three missions. Above photo: No tweeds, no pipes: Gene Surber, '70 An Sci, '72 M, Extension's specialist in water quality and natural resources, conducting a workshop for ranchers. He's holding a D-net to capture macroinvertebrate insects, bellweathers of water quality; ranchers can gauge the quality of their streams by looking closely at which of these insects are present, and in what numbers. MSU Extension has a broad reach (almost all Montana's counties host and support Extension offices) and, to go with it, a broad complement of programs. The programs are put together and presented by Extension specialists, most of whom are located on the Bozeman campus, and Extension agents, who work in all but a handful of Montana's 56 counties. Specialists and agents alike are MSU faculty members. Many specialists work in agriculture--in soils, farm management and recordkeeping, marketing, beef cattle, horses, sheep and swine. There are specialists in pests and integrated pest management as well as in pesticides, noxious weeds, rangeland grazing, wildlife, forestry. There's a specialist in horticulture, another in community development, others in consumer education and estate planning, nutrition, parenting, housing and air quality, natural resources, water and pollution, and in many another field. These specialists—36 on the Bozeman campus, 12 elsewhere--are chiefly engaged in developing research-based educational materials, programs and workshops that address the needs of Montanans. Agents in the counties tailor these programs and workshops to the circumstances of their communities. While one county might struggle with burgeoning growth, for example, another might need assistance developing a long-range plan to attract tourists and businesses. Both might need help setting up a safe place for kids to go after school. Many specialists write publications intended for lay readers; the publications office of MSU Extension publishes these, and county and reservation agents distribute them. There are 92 Extension agents, all MSU faculty members. Some deal chiefly with agriculture, others with economics and community development, still others with family and child concerns or with nutrition among many others. In a few one-agent counties, the sole agent covers all bases. Fourteen agents and assistants work almost exclusively with 4-H programs. In fact, one of Extension's largest programs, the one that has the most name recognition (although by no means everybody knows that it is an Extension program), is 4-H. A recent telephone poll showed that nearly one-third of Montanans had participated in 4-H at some point in their lives. Once chiefly identified as a junior agriculture and homemaking program, 4-H has taken youth development to a whole new level. It combines research and novel education techniques to teach kids about life--and about responsibility, decision-making and citizenship. Dave Philips, MSU Extension agricultural agent in Fergus County and MSU faculty member, says technology has made his job easier—especially the information gathering component. One agent who's observed MSU Extension programs from the inside for a long time is Dave Phillips, '68 AgEd, '70 M, the agricultural Extension agent in Fergus County. He's been ag agent in Lewistown since 1983, and before then spent eight years in Billings. Phillips has seen change upon change in agriculture and Extension. "There's been an explosion of technology," he says. "Farms and ranches are affected like everybody else by computers and the Internet and e-mail. There have been huge advances in animal health and management and in crop management, with an emphasis on integrated pest management and biological controls. "GPS technology--Global Positioning System satellite-based mapping--lets producers map weeds and help apply fertilizer right where it's needed." Notwithstanding the increased use of technology, says Phillips, one thing hasn't changed since he began with MSU Extension some 30 years ago. "It's all about information. People are used to coming to Extension for unbiased, research-based information, and we're here to provide it or to validate it--a part of our job that's much easier now, with Web sites and the like. Before we had computer technology, tracking down information was much more time-consuming, and often meant getting on the phone to specialists or writing letters." What personal qualities make for a good agent? Phillips considers the question and says, "Communications skills, personal communication skills, so that you can talk easily with other people one on one or in group situations. That, and the realization that everyone has positive qualities they bring to the table; your job is optimizing the opportunity for everybody to contribute." At a time of worrying budget deficits, MSU Extension's specialists, agents, administrators and support staffers are relieved to know that MSU Extension is strongly supported by people who count. MSU President Geoff Gamble is one of the service's chief supporters. "All of my experience in higher education has been with land-grant universities," he said recently. "As a result, I know well how integral the Extension Service is to the threefold mission of a university. MSU Extension is how our university reaches into all communities in Montana, linking people and organizations across the state with the wide breadth of expertise and resources of the University." Gamble is seconded by Dave Bryant, vice provost and director of MSU Extension. "The strength of Extension, and its basis, is its statewide network," says Bryant. "We're a grass-roots-up, not a top-down, organization. Counties have a tremendous stake in Extension--a real ownership, since they're one of our main funding sources--and we listen very closely to the concerns of county commissioners. "Agents in the field keep us up to date on local doings and needs, goals and ambitions. Specialists here on campus, who work closely with those agents across the state, give back suggestions, expertise and the latest research." In 1862 President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act establishing land grant colleges in every state. "The land-grant university system is being built on behalf of the people, who have invested in these public universities their hopes, their support, and their confidence," he said as he signed the bill. MSU Extension's agents, specialists and support staff work continuously to affirm the hopes, retain and build the support, and earn the confidence of all Montanans. For a look at the publications Extension specialists write, see their catalog of publications at www.montana.edu/publications. Most of the publications are free, and many can be downloaded and printed out.