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HEARING TO REVIEW THE SMITH-LEVER ACT 

ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HORTICULTURE, RESEARCH, 

BIOTECHNOLOGY, AND FOREIGN AGRICULTURE

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

MARCH 4, 2014

Serial No. 113–9

(

Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture 

agriculture.house.gov 

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE 

FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma, Chairman 

BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia, 

Vice Chairman 

STEVE KING, Iowa 

RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas 

MIKE ROGERS, Alabama 

K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas 

GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania 

BOB GIBBS, Ohio 

AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia 

SCOTT R. TIPTON, Colorado 

ERIC A. ‘‘RICK’’ CRAWFORD, Arkansas 

SCOTT DESJARLAIS, Tennessee 

CHRISTOPHER P. GIBSON, New York 

VICKY HARTZLER, Missouri 

REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin 

KRISTI L. NOEM, South Dakota 

DAN BENISHEK, Michigan 

JEFF DENHAM, California 

STEPHEN LEE FINCHER, Tennessee 

DOUG LAMALFA, California 

RICHARD HUDSON, North Carolina 

RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois 

CHRIS COLLINS, New York 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

VANCE M. MCALLISTER, Louisiana 

COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota, Ranking 

Minority Member 

MIKE MCINTYRE, North Carolina 

DAVID SCOTT, Georgia 

JIM COSTA, California 

TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota 

KURT SCHRADER, Oregon 

MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio 

JAMES P. MCGOVERN, Massachusetts 

SUZAN K. DELBENE, Washington 

GLORIA NEGRETE MCLEOD, California 

FILEMON VELA, Texas 

MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, New Mexico 

ANN M. KUSTER, New Hampshire 

RICHARD M. NOLAN, Minnesota 

PETE P. GALLEGO, Texas 

WILLIAM L. ENYART, Illinois 

JUAN VARGAS, California 

CHERI BUSTOS, Illinois 

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, New York 

JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut 

JOHN GARAMENDI, California 

NICOLE SCOTT, Staff Director 

KEVIN J. KRAMP, Chief Counsel 

TAMARA HINTON, Communications Director 

ROBERT L. LAREW, Minority Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HORTICULTURE, RESEARCH, BIOTECHNOLOGY, AND FOREIGN

AGRICULTURE

AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia, Chairman 

VICKY HARTZLER, Missouri 

JEFF DENHAM, California 

STEPHEN LEE FINCHER, Tennessee 

DOUG LAMALFA, California 

RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois 

CHRIS COLLINS, New York 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

KURT SCHRADER, Oregon, Ranking 

Minority Member 

SUZAN K. DELBENE, Washington 

JIM COSTA, California 

MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio 

ANN M. KUSTER, New Hampshire 

JUAN VARGAS, California 

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, New York 

(II) 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Peterson, Hon. Collin C., a Representative in Congress from Minnesota, prepared statement ................................................................................................... 3

Scott, Hon. Austin, a Representative in Congress from Georgia, opening statement ...................................................................................................................... 1

Schrader, Hon. Kurt, a Representative in Congress from Oregon, opening 

statement .............................................................................................................. 3

WITNESSES

Ramaswamy, Dr. Sonny, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. .......................................... 4

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6

Hammock, Tess, Youth Trustee, National 4–H Council Board of Trustees, 

Athens, GA ........................................................................................................... 9

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 10

Reed, Ph.D., A. Scott, Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement, 

Oregon State University; Director, OSU Extension Service, Corvallis, OR .... 11

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 13

Lyons, Dr. L. Washington, Executive Administrator, Association of Extension 

Administrators, Greensboro, NC; on behalf of Delbert T. Foster, Acting 

Vice President, Land-Grant Services and Executive Director, Research & 

Extension Programs, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC; 

on behalf of Association of Extension Administrators ...................................... 15

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 16

SUBMITTED MATERIALS

American Society for Horticultural Science, submitted statement ..................... 33

(1)

HEARING TO REVIEW THE SMITH-LEVER ACT 

ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY 

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON HORTICULTURE, RESEARCH, BIOTECHNOLOGY, AND FOREIGN AGRICULTURE, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, Washington, D.C. 

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in Room 

1300 of the Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Austin Scott 

[Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding. 

Members present: Representatives Scott, Davis, Collins, Yoho, 

Schrader, DelBene, Fudge, and Kuster. 

Staff present: DaNita Murray, John Goldberg, Mary Nowak, Tamara Hinton, Andy Baker, Anne Simmons, John Konya, Merrick 

Munday, and Riley Pagett. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. AUSTIN SCOTT, A 

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM GEORGIA 

The CHAIRMAN. Good morning. This hearing of the Subcommittee 

on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture 

to review the Smith-Lever Act on its 100th anniversary will come 

to order. 

In consultation with the Ranking Member, Dr. L. Washington 

Lyons, Executive Administrator for the Association of Extension 

Administrators, will be testifying in the place of Mr. Delbert T. 

Foster due to travel issues if there is no objection. 

Seeing no objection, today’s hearing of the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture will review the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 on its 100th anniversary. Thank 

you all for being here to discuss our nationwide Cooperative Extension Service. We are pleased to have before us several witnesses 

who are involved and experienced the benefits of the Extension 

Service. 

As we hear from our distinguished panel of witnesses today, we 

hope to gain an understanding of the role that our nation’s landgrant colleges and universities continue to play in providing for the 

needs of the public through the resources and extension work established under the Smith-Lever Act. To better understand where 

we are, we have to understand where we have come from. 

A century ago, Congress created a nationwide Cooperative Extension Service through the Smith-Lever Act to address rural agricultural issues. It formally established the partnership between the 

agricultural colleges and universities and the United States DeVerDate 0ct 09 2002 09:32 Mar 25, 2014 Jkt 041481 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 I:\DOCS\113-09\87047.TXT BRIAN
2

partment of Agriculture to create a transformative education system. Specifically, the Act stated as its purpose: ‘‘In order to aid in 

diffusing among the people of the United States useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture, uses of solar 

energy with respect to agriculture, home economics, and rural energy, and to encourage the application of the same, there may be 

continued or inaugurated in connection with the college of colleges 

in each State, Territory, or possession . . .’’ At that time, more 

than 50 percent of the United States population lived in rural 

areas, and 30 percent of the workforce was engaged in farming. 

Through the establishment of the National Cooperative Extensive Service, the Smith-Lever Act helped to create a partnership 

between land-grant colleges who are conducting research and the 

farmer who could use the information to improve his farming systems, thereby improving the lives and leading the nation into an 

agricultural revolution. For example, in 1945, it took 14 labor 

hours to produce 100 bushels of corn on 2 acres of land. Today you 

can produce 100 bushels of corn on less than an acre. 

Over time the Extension Service has adapted but continues to 

address a wide range of human plant and animal needs in both 

urban and rural areas. Today’s extension educational offerings are 

in the areas of 4–H youth development, agriculture, leadership development, national resources, family and consumer sciences, and 

community and economic development. 

Before us today is a panel that will provide their unique perspective from many of the various components of our country’s Extension Services. We are honored to be joined by Mr. Delbert Foster, 

Acting Vice President for the Division of Land-Grant Services, directly involved in outreach and engagement to the citizens of South 

Carolina on behalf of South Carolina State University. Mr. Foster 

also represents the critical contribution of the 1890 land-grant community to the overall extension mission. 

We are also joined by Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy, Director of the 

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, who oversees 

NIFA awards, funds for a wide range of extramural research, education extension projects and addresses the needs of farmers, 

ranchers and agricultural producers. 

Dr. Scott Reed, Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement at Oregon State University also joins us to discuss his 

involvement with a growing number of educational programs within the OSU Extension Service, which enhances the economic, environmental and social welfare of society. 

Finally, I am pleased to welcome Tess Hammock, a sophomore at 

the University of Georgia—go Dogs—to share her experience and 

insight as a member of the Youth Council for the 4–H National 

Board of Trustees. 

We appreciate the time each of you has given to prepare for this 

hearing. Your testimony will be important to evaluate the current 

state of the Cooperative Extension Service and ensure a successful 

model of cooperative extension education for years to come. 

Thank you, and now I would like to recognize my friend and colleague from Oregon, Ranking Minority Member, Mr. Kurt 

Schrader, for any opening remarks he may have. 

3

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. KURT SCHRADER, A 

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM OREGON 

Mr. SCHRADER. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate having this hearing today. Now that we are past the farm bill, which 

I enjoyed working with you on a lot and was a pretty decent piece 

of legislation, it is time to get back to meat-potatoes-type issues, 

things that make a difference on the ground every day in our districts. Smith-Lever allows us to do that. It really does allow us to 

do that. 

I would like to welcome the witnesses also. Thank you for making the trek, especially in this weather. Good to have you all here, 

and two good friends of mine from back in my Oregon State legislative days. Scott, it is really good to see you guys here. I appreciate 

you coming out and being able to tell the story that’s been so successful for us back home. 

I think as we approach this 100th anniversary that authorized 

the cooperative extension programs, I think that is a big point. 

These are public-private partnerships that allow us to leverage taxpayer dollars to help us feed the world, and in this day and era, 

even though the urban population has increased and some of our 

rural population has decreased, it is important or maybe even more 

important for Extension to be out there because we are feeding a 

lot more people now that don’t raise their food, and Extension talks 

about that. 

Personally, I am a huge fan. I farmed for over 20 years. Oregon 

State University’s Extension Service was critical to my early success as a strawberry grower trying to find out the right varieties 

and ways to go out about the cultivation. We actually have a huge 

master gardener following in our State of Oregon. A lot of urban 

counterparts are very excited about those opportunities, and it 

makes a nice symbiotic relationship and I think Smith-Lever has 

that ability that we have seen over the last 100 years to be relevant not just to rural America but urban America also. 

And a case in point about how critical Extension is was the outbreak of the Drosophila suzukii issue with the stone fruit back in 

2010. I was able to get the then-Chairman of the Committee to 

come to Oregon. We convinced him of the work that Oregon State 

could do. We were able to get a grant and stop a huge, huge pest 

from devastating some of America’s agriculture that again helps 

feed the rest of the world. 

So I am very excited about the opportunity here. I think it is 

going to be a great hearing, hopefully a great recognition of the 

work that is done and I look forward to hearing from the witnesses 

today, and again, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Schrader, and the chair would 

request that other Members submit their opening statements for 

the record so the witnesses may begin their testimony and to ensure that there is ample time for questions. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Peterson follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. COLLIN C. PETERSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM MINNESOTA

Good morning. Thank you Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Schrader for 

holding today’s hearing on the 100th Anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act. And 

4

thank you to today’s witnesses for braving this Minnesota-like weather to join us 

today. 

One hundred years after it became law, the Smith-Lever Act continues to play an 

important role in rural communities across the country. With the 2014 Farm Bill 

now being implemented, the work of Extension economists and crop and livestock 

specialists at land-grant universities is perhaps more important than ever. These 

folks do an excellent job in spite some of the tough budget challenges they’ve recently had to endure. 

The Smith-Lever Act also formalized 4–H Clubs to carry out the Cooperative Extension System’s nationwide youth development program. Like many of us on this 

Committee, I was active in 4–H and they continue to do great work. Looking ahead, 

I hope that we can work with 4–H and Extension Service along with local companies 

and technical colleges, in addition to the land-grant universities, to help supply 

workers in rural areas with the skills needed for off farm job opportunities. 

I’m also proud to be an original cosponsor of a Congressional Resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act and I look forward to its 

consideration by the full House. 

So, thank you again, Mr. Scott, for today’s hearing on this important issue. I look 

forward to hearing from our witnesses.

The CHAIRMAN. For the panel, I would like to welcome our panel 

of witnesses to the table: Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Tess Hammock, National 4–H 

Council Board of Trustees, Youth Trustee, University of Georgia, 

Athens, Georgia; Dr. Scott Reed, Vice Provost, University Outreach 

and Engagement and Director, Oregon State University Extension 

Service from Corvallis, Oregon, and Dr. Washington Lyons, Executive Administrator for the Association of Extension Administrators, 

North Carolina A&T University. 

Dr. Ramaswamy, please begin when you are ready. 

STATEMENT OF DR. SONNY RAMASWAMY, DIRECTOR,

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, U.S.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of 

the Subcommittee. I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about 

something that is like talking to my own family here about this incredible enterprise that we have in the United States called Cooperative Extension Service. 

As you noted, Mr. Chairman and Congressman Schrader, it is 

the 100th anniversary of this enterprise, and I would like to share 

with you a little bit of my thoughts and particularly share with you 

also where we want to go as we go forward looking at the future 

as well. 

As you noted, the Smith-Lever Act was passed in 1914 and has 

been around for 100 years, and in my mind truly the global preeminence of America in general and particularly about the food and 

agriculture enterprise in large measure is attributable to that Cooperative Extension Service. Mr. Chairman, as you noted, the ability to grow food compared with what we are able to do 40 years 

ago, 50 years ago, 100 years ago with fewer people on smaller acreages of land is an incredible testimony to the kind of work that Extension has done. 

So Cooperative Extension Service itself, it is a three-way partnership. It is a partnership with the Federal Government and the 

state government and the local government, so funding is provided 

by all three entities. The funding from the Federal Government is 

5

provided by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture on behalf of the U.S. Government, the United States Department of Agriculture. 

Now, I could go on and on and wax eloquent about thousands of 

stories and in fact, you have both shared some stories already, but 

what I would like to do is just take a couple of examples and speak 

to the amazing things that happened in Cooperative Extension 

Service and in large measure is responsible for the strength that 

we have as a nation as well as global preeminence. I will keep referring to that as I make my comments here as well. 

Now, in terms of technical education to growers and land managers, this is an agricultural and natural resources area that Extension provides support in. Whether it is a backyard gardener or 

a farmer that farms maybe 1,000 acres of cotton or peanuts or a 

large rancher with thousands of acres of ranches in Oregon or 

other parts of our nation, these folks, they get their knowledge, 

their information from those local boots on the ground, our local 

boots on the ground of the Cooperative Extension Service, I will 

refer to as educators, county Extension agents as faculty. Depending on the state we are in, each one of them is called differently 

but all these folks, they get their knowledge from the boots on the 

ground, these local extension educators that we have. Or they 

might crowd-source the best knowledge from a whole community of 

practice that is part of what we referred to today as eXtension, this 

online community of practice that we have. Literally you can bring 

together a problem with horses or organic production systems or 

Drosophila suzukii, the insect that Congressman Schrader referred 

to. You can bring in the best breeds together as part of the community of practice to be able to address that, so that is the breadth 

of efforts that are contributed to by our Extension personnel across 

America. 

I want to share with you a couple of examples from the State of 

California and from the State of Georgia as well in this ag and natural resources world. As you know, droughts have been afflicting 

our nation pretty much west of the Mississippi and particularly 

California and the West Coast. They epitomize the situation that 

we have, and our Extension personnel at the University of California System has undertaken applied research and extension efforts in coming up with more efficient irrigation systems. They 

have created an app, for example, for smart phones and tablets 

where the local producers working with water conservation districts and others can go ahead and bank the water in the wintertime when you have excess water and runoff and things like that, 

and then deploy that water that has been banked in the summertime when you need the water for the crops to be grown, two quick, 

simple examples of the kind of work that is being done, and I can, 

as I said, go on and on about other states as well. 

Another area, for example, Georgia itself, one of the examples 

that I would like to share with you, and I know Congressman Scott 

knows this particular example is the blueberry industry in that 

state. It went in a matter of about 10 years with the help of Georgia researchers, University of Georgia researchers and Cooperative 

Extension Service, has gone from a farm-gate value of about $20 

million to about $150 million in a matter of 10 years. This has 

6

come about because of the wonderful work done by the researchers 

at developing new varieties. There is a particular variety called 

Titan, and this variety, the blueberries, if you can believe this, they 

are as big as a quarter. The diameter of the blueberry is as big as 

a quarter, and I have the privilege of tasting them as well. They 

are fantastic-tasting as well. So it gives you the idea of things that 

are going on. 

In the realm of family and consumer education, EFNEP is a program that works particularly with limited-resource families. Research recently has demonstrated that it has reduced health care 

costs, reduced absenteeism, reduced dependence on emergency food 

assistance as well. 

In the realm of community development, in the State of Oregon, 

for example, we have a program, Extension runs a program called 

Recipe to Market, and that one works with entrepreneur, people 

wanting to be entrepreneurs and offering them a boot camp where 

they are learning about business plans, what kind of products to 

take to market, et cetera, and a consequence of that is, three individuals have a company that produces several million dollars’ 

worth of economic activity as well, and that produces jobs and contributes to a number of jobs that are being created. 

In terms of youth development, Tess Hammock is going to testify 

about 4–H, and she really to me epitomizes the amazing things 

that are going on with our youth. We have seven million children 

in America that are part of 4–H, and in large measure the success 

is because of the volunteers. We have about a half a million volunteers that work with 4–H as well. 

[The prepared statement of Dr. Ramaswamy follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF DR. SONNY RAMASWAMY, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE

OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss the role and relevance of the Cooperative Extension System. 

As we mark the 100th anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which established our nation’s Cooperative Extension System, I believe that Extension is wellpositioned to build on the successes of its first 100 years. 

The Cooperative Extension System is funded through a partnership between the 

United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture (NIFA), state land-grant universities, and local governments. Extension 

deploys science-based solutions to address problems in food, agriculture, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, youth development, and community economic development. 

Today, I would like to use a few examples to highlight how Extension helps American agriculture, consumers, youth, and communities succeed and strengthen our 

nation. 

Technical Education to Growers and Land Managers 

Whether it is a backyard gardener or a farmer, rancher, or forester managing 

thousands of acres seeking information to address their particular problem, they can 

rely on unbiased, science-based technical information available from their local Extension agent. Or they can crowd-source knowledge via eXtension, the Extension 

system’s national online interactive learning environment. 

I’ll cite two particularly compelling examples from California and Georgia, where 

technical information from Extension is making a difference. 

In California, afflicted by the recent, severe droughts, Extension personnel are 

providing science-based information to help growers and other residents use their 

water resources more efficiently and effectively. With funding from NIFA, University of California Cooperative Extension refined conservation tillage practices to reduce water use on field crops through lower evaporation and higher irrigation efficiencies. At the same time, these practices have contributed to reduced production 

7

costs while maintaining or increasing yields. Similarly, with funding from NIFA’s 

Specialty Crop Research Initiative program, University of California Cooperative 

Extension personnel are testing new varieties of crops for salinity tolerance. This 

is especially helpful as we look to increase our use of reclaimed and recycled water. 

Finally, using a combination of NIFA, state, and local funding, in cooperation with 

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of California Cooperative Extension specialists have created a soil-based ‘‘app’’ for smart phones and tablets. This app can help users in California locate optimal locations for ‘‘groundwater 

banking’’ in times of excess water supply, thus making that water available in times 

of drought. The app can also be used to optimize irrigation of agricultural crops. 

This saves water while maintaining agricultural productivity. 

The Georgia Blueberry industry has undergone explosive growth in recent years—

in just over a decade, farm-gate value of blueberries in the state has increased from 

$22 million in 2000 to more than $150 million in 2012. Research and Extension at 

the University of Georgia—funded by NIFA—has been a significant contributor to 

the growth of this cash crop. As University of Georgia researchers developed new 

cultivars, new pest management and harvest techniques, and ways to add value to 

grower marketing, Georgia Cooperative Extension helped growers turn those advancements into profits. Researchers have developed varieties that ripen quicker, 

get bigger, and are more marketable. One blueberry variety developed by the University of Georgia, Titan, when grown under suitable conditions can often grow to 

exceed the size of a quarter! Another recently developed University of Georgia variety, Early Dawn, offers the earliest maturing blueberry variety for commercial growers in South Georgia. Cooperative Extension funding has helped to demonstrate the 

advantages of these varieties and to provide other science-based information to 

growers, guiding them through variety selection and dozens of other grower decisions that represent the difference between a farm profit and loss. 

Consumer and Family Education 

In addition to producers, Cooperative Extension educates consumers, families, and 

communities. For example, NIFA’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) currently operates in all 50 states and in American Samoa, Guam, 

Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Across 

the nation, EFNEP reached 130,485 adults and 479,398 youth directly and nearly 

400,000 family members indirectly in FY 2012. Obesity, poor health, and limited 

physical activity are major health concerns for many, and particularly so for limited 

resource families. EFNEP has improved the health and well-being of limited resource families and youth through better knowledge, skills, attitudes, and changed 

behavior regarding nutritionally sound diets. Additionally, EFNEP programs are 

contributing to public savings; for example, research shows that better health is associated with reduced health care costs, reduced absenteeism from work, and reduced dependence on emergency food assistance. 

Community Economic Development 

Prosperity and economic security for individuals and families, farmers and ranchers, entrepreneurs, and consumers across the country are key to a strong economy. 

NIFA funding and program leadership provide for Cooperative Extension activities 

that enable Americans to make sound financial management decisions, discover new 

economic opportunities, develop successful agricultural and nonagricultural enterprises, and take advantage of new and consumer-driven markets. 

For example, Cooperative Extension helped Oregonians launch new food businesses through a program called Recipe to Market. This program helps local entrepreneurs become marketable to well-established companies. Throughout the 4 

month Recipe to Market program, each participant builds a business plan, helps design a marketing campaign, and works one-on-one with local coaches to turn their 

dream into a profitable local business. In one rural, isolated coastal community, 

seven participants completed the first offering of Recipe to Market, which enabled 

them to launch three new businesses. These three businesses now generate almost 

$1.2 million in combined annual gross income and provide employment for up to a 

dozen employees. The governor of Oregon has likened creation of such economic opportunity in rural communities to be equivalent to creating hundreds of jobs in metropolitan areas such as Portland. 

A team of researchers and Extension specialists led by Cornell University is working to develop and test broccoli cultivars suited to the climate and soils from Maine 

to Florida and westward into Ohio and Tennessee. Estimates indicate that Eastern 

broccoli production will result in a 66 percent reduction in fuel used to transport 

the crop to market. This will save close to 2.3 million gallons of fuel per year and 

reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 51 million pounds annually. The 

8

team expects that growers in the region will see increased profits of $3,000 per acre 

per year, which translates to increased profits of $40 million. The total annual economic impact on rural economies will be almost $90 million. 

The Nation’s Largest Youth Development and Empowerment Organization, 

4–H 

The Cooperative Extension based organization reaches more than seven million 

4–H youth in urban neighborhoods, suburban schoolyards, and rural farming communities. Supported by university-backed curricula, 4–H’ers engage in hands-on 

learning activities in the areas of science, healthy living, and food security. These 

future leaders are developing intellectual curiosity along with skills in math, 

science, and technology, as a result of hands-on learning in 4–H programs developed 

by our nation’s land-grant universities. While Cooperative Extension professionals 

oversee the 4–H programs, it is local community volunteerism that really contributes to the success of the program. More than 500,000 4–H volunteers are helping 

to create life-changing experiences for young people in every county and community—all 50 states, U.S. territories and on military installations worldwide. In 4–

H, farm kids, city kids, and kids of every race, economic, and family situation are 

acquiring the skills that will help them become the capable future workforce our nation needs. They’re also developing the social values that lead to better futures. Research has demonstrated that compared with youth not involved in 4–H programs, 

4–H’ers are twice as likely to go to college, twice as likely to pursue careers in 

science, and three times as likely to give back to their communities. More than 60 

million of our nation’s most successful statesmen, business leaders, scientists, and 

academics credit 4–H with setting them on a positive, productive path. This includes 

current Members of the United States Congress! 

Resources 

Historically, the two main sources of Federal funds that provide broad support for 

the Cooperative Extension System are from two line items in the NIFA budget: 

Smith-Lever 3 (b&c) and 1890s Extension. These Federal funds are matched by 

state and county funds. During the last several years, Cooperative Extension efforts 

across our nation have been strengthened with locally leveraged private funding 

sources, including fees. Additionally, NIFA has worked to integrate Extension directly into research projects that seamlessly deliver results to end-users. NIFA’s 

largest competitive grants program, the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative 

(AFRI), is one such program that funds integrated research, education, and Extension activities that provide science-based solutions to address major agricultural 

challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance. For instance, last week, 

Secretary Vilsack announced a new, 5 year, $30 million water grants initiative 

through the AFRI program that will provide America’s farmers and ranchers solutions to serious agricultural water challenges and improve the quality and quantity 

of our water resources. 

The Future 

I believe America’s global preeminence in the food and agricultural enterprise is 

attributable in large measure to the effectiveness of the Extension system, which 

translates discoveries into solutions to address problems faced by end-users. This 

system, unparalleled and the envy of the world, is emulated by many; even today, 

many from around the world come to America to learn about Extension. 

In recent years, some have questioned—in the age of Google and Wikipedia—the 

need for this public enterprise called Cooperative Extension. However, Extension, 

with its service to every one of the 3,100+ counties, parishes, and boroughs of our 

nation, has demonstrated over the last 100 years its ability to morph itself to provide evidence-based, third party validated, unbiased information in addressing problems faced by generations of the public. The challenges our nation and the world 

face in the context of the burgeoning population—from meeting food security to 

dealing with droughts and other environmental constraints, public health issues, 

youth, family, and community well-being, and economic well-being—our nation’s Cooperative Extension System is ready and available to address the same and to help 

America continue to maintain its global preeminence over the next 100 years. 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity 

to speak about Cooperative Extension in the United States. I look forward to working with you and the others around our nation to continue to protect the interests 

of farmers, ranchers, consumers, youth, and communities across America through 

a vital and effective Cooperative Extension System.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Doctor. 

9

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Thank you very much for that opportunity, 

Congressman Scott. 

The CHAIRMAN. Ms. Hammock. 

STATEMENT OF TESS HAMMOCK, YOUTH TRUSTEE, NATIONAL 

4–H COUNCIL BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ATHENS, GA 

Ms. HAMMOCK. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Members of the 

Committee, thank you so much for inviting me to be here today to 

testify on the importance of the Smith-Lever Act, coauthored a century ago by a fellow Georgian, the late Senator Hoke Smith. 

It is an honor for me to share my story this morning, and to tell 

you how the Smith-Lever Act and one of the world’s most innovative educational ideas ever—the Cooperative Extension System of 

our nation’s land-grant universities—has helped to shape my life 

and the person I am today. 

As a young woman growing up in Georgia, I had access to a lifechanging experience called 4–H, the youth development program of 

Cooperative Extension, the largest and one of the most effective 

youth programs in America. For more than 100 years, 4–H has 

stood behind the idea that young people are the single greatest resource we have to create a better world. 

I am deeply grateful for the leadership skills I acquired in 4–H 

and the amazing adults who believed in me, including my county 

Extension agent and state program leaders. Without them, my life 

would have been very different. 

Two questions that I want to answer for you today are: how did 

4–H enhance my leadership abilities and skills and how am I putting those skills into practice today? 

4–H taught me that being a leader begins with confidence, and 

there were three things that helped me develop confidence, and 

that was participating in public speaking competitions, serving as 

a state officer, and performing with the musical group Clovers and 

Company. 4–H gave me the opportunity to discover for myself what 

my gifts and talents are. Moreover, it gave me the tools, the opportunities and the platform to master and then to demonstrate those 

skills, just like today. 

My passion is public speaking, and for millions of others in 4–

H, it might be creating an enterprise garden in a food desert, cultivating a peer intervention program or designing a smarter robot. 

Whatever it is, 4–H’ers, in partnership with caring adults, are becoming confident, capable young men and women with purpose, 

changing and leading the world today and into the future. 

There is proof that 4–H works also. According to a decade-long 

research study completed by researchers at Tufts University, 4–

H’ers excel beyond their peers. They are nearly four times more 

likely to contribute to their communities. 4–H’ers are two times 

more likely to be civically active, make healthier choices and participate in science programs during out-of-school time. In addition, 

they are tackling issues that matter most in the areas of science—

healthy living and food security—an issue that is important to me 

and is the reason I am pursuing my undergraduate degree in agricultural communications at the University of Georgia. Go Dogs. 

Agriculture touches every person on the planet, every day. It has 

been part of our story since the beginning of time and it is vital 

10

to our very existence. Agriculture has an important story to tell 

and I want to be one of the voices telling that story. 

One in seven people in the world go to bed hungry every night. 

Food production must double by the year 2050 to meet the demands of our world’s population growth. No one knows where the 

food, water or energy will come from but we do know that the 

farmer who will feed the world in 2050 is 13 years old today. This 

is just one example of why an investment in young people is the 

most important investment you can make. 

These experiences I have shared with you today have brought me 

to this place and made me who I am. Because others have invested 

in me, I have a responsibility to make a difference in this world, 

a responsibility that I am well prepared for, thanks to my family, 

my faith and to 4–H. 

There are more than 20 million 4–H alumni in this country, 

many right here in the halls of Congress, who are leading our communities and our country in remarkable ways. 

As a Youth Trustee of the Board of National 4–H Council, I am 

passionate about empowering youth to serve their communities and 

to make a positive difference in their own lives and those of others. 

Our pledge at National 4–H Council is to increase access to the 4–

H experience for millions more young people throughout the United 

States no matter where they live—on a farm, in an urban food 

desert, on a U.S. military base, or a tight-knit small town like 

Forsyth, Georgia where I grew up. 

As we begin a second century of service, our mission is to share 

the incredible story of Cooperative Extension, the power of the 4–

H program to change lives and save lives, and to highlight the urgent need for all of us to invest in young people. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, for 

your support and the opportunity to tell my 4–H story. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Hammock follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF TESS HAMMOCK, YOUTH TRUSTEE, NATIONAL 4–H COUNCIL

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ATHENS, GA 

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to be here 

today, to testify on the importance of the Smith-Lever Act, co-authored a century 

ago by a fellow Georgian, the late Senator Hoke Smith. 

It is an honor for me to share my story. And to tell you how the Smith-Lever Act 

and one of the world’s most innovative educational ideas ever—the Cooperative Extension System of our nation’s land-grant universities—has helped to shape my life 

and the person I am today. 

As a young woman growing up in Georgia, I had access to a life-changing experience called 4–H—the youth development program of Cooperative Extension, the 

largest and one of the most effective youth programs in America. 

For more than 100 years, 4–H has stood behind the idea that young people are 

the single greatest resource we have to create a better world. 

I am deeply grateful for the leadership skills I acquired in 4–H and the amazing 

adults who believed in me, including my county extension agent and state program 

leaders. Without them, my life would have been very different. 

Across our nation, there are thousands of professional Extension educators, who 

along with 1⁄2 million volunteers and mentors, make great things happen for more 

than six million young people each and every day. 

Two questions that I want to answer for you today are—‘‘How did 4–H enhance 

my leadership skills and how am I putting those skills into practice?’’

4–H taught me that being a leader begins with confidence. There were three 

things that helped me develop confidence—participating in a public speaking competition, serving as a state officer, and performing with the musical group Clovers 

and Company. 4–H gave me the opportunity to discover for myself what my gifts 

11

and talents are. Moreover, it gave me the tools, the opportunities and the platform 

to master—and to demonstrate—those skills. 

My passion is public speaking. For millions of others in 4–H, it might be creating 

an enterprise garden in a food desert, cultivating a peer intervention program or 

designing a smarter robot. Whatever it is, 4–H’ers, in partnership with caring 

adults, are becoming confident, capable young men and women with purpose—

changing and leading the world today and into the future. 

There’s proof that 4–H works. According to a decade-long research study completed by researchers at Tufts University, 4–H’ers excel beyond their peers. 

They are nearly four times more likely to contribute to their communities. 

4–H’ers are two times more likely to be civically active, make healthier choices 

and participate in science programs during out-of-school time. 

In addition, they are tackling issues that matter most in the areas of science, 

healthy living and food security—an issue that is important to me and is the reason 

I am pursuing my undergraduate degree in agricultural communications at the University of Georgia. 

Agriculture touches every person on the planet, every day. It has been part of our 

story since the beginning of time and it is vital to our very existence. Agriculture 

has an important story to tell and I want to be one of the voices telling that story. 

One in seven people in the world go to bed hungry every night. Food production 

must double by the year 2050 to meet the demands of our world’s population 

growth. No one knows where the food, water or energy will come from. But we do 

know that the farmer who will feed the world in 2050 is 13 years old today. This 

is just one example of why an investment in young people is the most important 

investment you can make. 

The experiences I’ve shared with you today have brought me to this place and 

made me who I am. Because others have invested in me, I have a responsibility to 

make a difference in this world, a responsibility that I am well prepared for, thanks 

to my family, my faith and 4–H. 

There’s another number I want to share with you. There are more than 20 million 

4–H alumni in this country—many right here in the Halls of Congress—who are 

leading our communities and our country in remarkable ways. 

As a Youth Trustee of the Board of National 4–H Council, I am passionate about 

empowering youth to serve their communities and make a positive difference in 

their own lives and those of others. 

Our pledge at National 4–H Council is to increase access to the 4–H experience 

for millions more young people throughout the United States no matter where they 

live—on a farm, in an urban food desert, on a U.S. military base, or a tight knit 

small town like Forsyth, Georgia where I grew up. 

As we begin a second century of service, our mission is to share the incredible 

story of Cooperative Extension, the power of the 4–H program to change lives and 

save lives, and to highlight the urgent need for all of us to invest in young people. 

Thank you for your support and the opportunity to share my 4–H story.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Ms. Hammock. 

Dr. Reed. 

STATEMENT OF A. SCOTT REED, PH.D., VICE PROVOST FOR 

UNIVERSITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, OREGON STATE 

UNIVERSITY; DIRECTOR, OSU EXTENSION SERVICE,

CORVALLIS, OR 

Dr. REED. Chairman Scott, Members of the Subcommittee, it is 

my privilege to be representative of Extension leaders across the 

106-member land-grant system, and as I begin, I would like to offer 

my thanks for your having moved Concurrent Resolution 86 that 

honors and inspires those who have spent their careers working as 

public servants on behalf of the Cooperative Extension Service. 

Two months from now, we will recognize the signing of this historic 1914 Act that created a funding mechanism and a system unlike any other in our country. I would like to describe the Federal 

dollars as the hardest working. They are the first ones in the door 

that cause states and counties to make contributions to the same 

powerful system. This relationship connects knowledge resources to 

12

issues. It is driven by national objectives but it is customized to 

meet local and state needs. 

My own career is an example. I began working in the private sector in a pulp and paper company in northern Minnesota. I was running a small research department, and in that capacity, I was more 

of a problem solver. I had more problems than I could solve. To my 

aid came the land-grant university Extension Service that provided 

me with intellectual depth, research design, access to graduate students, all things I did not have. I provided access to land and researchable problems. Together we worked with the local county Extension office and developed an applied learning laboratory and did 

things together that neither of us could have done separately. 

I am sure that back in your own states, you no doubt see the effects of Extension work all around you. While it is true that we 

count and report to you things like people reached, acres impacted 

and dollars saved or earned, we do all that, but the real durable 

effects of Extension work is on public value that manifests as 

healthy people, a healthy planet and healthy economies. 

So what are some of the innovations that you might be seeing? 

In my home State of Oregon, the Extension Service brings together 

vineyard managers, winemakers and students in shared learning 

environments, a recent innovation. We bring those audiences together both in-person and online that helps to advance the dramatic growth in this agricultural sector. The result: wine grapes 

have catapulted to the 17th most important crop of more than 200 

commodities in Oregon. 

In Minnesota, concerns over the influence of climate change and 

weather patterns are driving Extension to develop and implement 

adaptation strategies. Community by community in Minnesota, Extension helps growers make plant selection decisions, how to deal 

with invasive pests, manage extreme variations in rainfall, and 

choose levels of crop insurance. 

In Georgia, rising energy costs have made energy efficiency a 

high priority on farms, yet many farmers have trouble financing 

these kind of improvements. Energy assessments across 47 farms 

in Georgia provided by Extension assisted in $3.6 million in grant 

requested renovations and projected annual savings of more than 

$10,000 per farm. 

And finally, in Oklahoma, development of best management 

practices regarding the intersection of cattle grazing and wheat 

production created decisions models and Extension education about 

their application that translated to $285 million of savings from reducing lost production to wheat. 

While it is true we have been teaching for the last 100 years, we 

have also learned and adapted our strategies for the 21st century. 

Today’s issues are complex, and there are few simple answers anymore. Beyond simply sharing, we bring knowledge to the table developed by our research community that is stimulated by the work 

of this Subcommittee and then we partner with communities of 

place, communities of interest, communities of practice to adapt 

and share practices that are implemented across the landscapes. 

We are moving beyond simple outreach to what we call engagement. Outreach, we like to say, begins with an answer; engagement 

ends with one. 

13

Our local presence allows for personal relationships and face-toface education but Extension also thrives in the Web-based and socially networking world anywhere, anytime, any format defines our 

national network. As an illustration, this month we will answer 

5,000 questions through the electronic Ask an Expert System, part 

of the eXtension program that is funded through a Congressional 

line that is called New Technologies in Agriculture. With leadership of visionary policymakers and annual appropriations of about 

$300 million of capacity funds through the Smith-Lever Act, which 

I will point out is less than $1 per American, we keep a local office 

open in more than 3,000 United States counties. We enroll seven 

million youth in the legendary 4–H program. We advance nutritional support to limited-resource families, and we focus on rapid 

response through Extension’s Disaster Education Network, among 

other priorities. 

Finally, while recognizing 100 years of Smith-Lever is important, 

this isn’t about looking in the rear-view mirror. More critical is the 

windshield view of our adaptation to new issues, new audiences, 

new approaches. In the next 100 years, we will continue translating science for practical applications, we will engage learners to 

co-develop solutions, we will transform individuals, families, communities and businesses in both rural and urban environments. 

That is the work of Cooperative Extension. 

[The prepared statement of Dr. Reed follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF A. SCOTT REED, PH.D., VICE PROVOST FOR UNIVERSITY

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY; DIRECTOR, OSU

EXTENSION SERVICE, CORVALLIS, OR 

Why Cooperative Extension?—Extending Knowledge, Changing Lives 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I am Scott Reed. My role at 

Oregon State University is to serve as vice provost for university outreach and engagement and director of the Oregon Extension Service. I am an example of many 

others who lead such programs at the nation’s 106 land-grant universities as part 

of the Cooperative Extension System. 

Two months from now, we will celebrate the May 8, 1914 signing of the SmithLever Act that put into place a funding mechanism unlike any other. Federal dollars 

that flow to Extension services lever additional appropriations from state and county governments and create a tripartite partnership that connects knowledge resources to issues and opportunities. This distinctive network identifies priorities 

through systematic assessments that, while driven by national priorities, customize 

responses to meet state and local needs. 

My own career in Extension is an example. While working in the private sector, 

I was responsible for a small research department in a forest products company in 

northern Minnesota. In that setting, my job was a problem solver for our land managers—and I had more problems than I could effectively manage. To my aid came 

the land-grant university Extension Service that provided intellectual depth, research design support, and access to expanded knowledge, and graduate student 

support—all things I would not have on my own. My role was to provide access to 

land and problems that the local Extension Service used as an applied learning laboratory. Through this type of engagement, we accomplished things that neither of 

us could do separately. Working partnerships like this illustrate a key feature of 

how Extension has worked for 100 years. 

Back home in your states, you no doubt see the effects of Extension’s work across 

the landscape. While it’s true that we count things like people reached, acres impacted and dollars saved or earned, the durable effects of Extension emerge as 

healthy people, healthy economies and a healthy planet. The impacts and outcomes 

associated with Extension work generate huge public value. So what are some of 

the innovations? 

In my home State of Oregon, the Extension Service brings together vineyard 

managers, winemakers and students in shared learning environments—both in-perVerDate 0ct 09 2002 09:32 Mar 25, 2014 Jkt 041481 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 I:\DOCS\113-09\87047.TXT BRIAN
14

son and online in a virtual setting to advance dramatic growth in this agricultural 

sector. The result—wine grapes catapulted to the 17th most important crop of more 

than 220 commodities. 

In Minnesota, concerns over the influence of climate change and weather patterns 

are driving Extension to develop and implement adaptation strategies. Community 

by community, Extension helps growers make plant selection decisions, how to deal 

with uninvited pests, manage extreme variations in rainfall, and choose levels of 

crop insurance 

In Georgia, rising energy costs have made energy efficiency a high priority on 

farms, yet many farmers have trouble financing these improvements. Energy assessments across 47 poultry farms, dairies, turf and row crop farms provided by Extension assisted in $3.6 million of grant-requested renovations and projected annual 

savings of more than $10,000 per farm. 

In Oklahoma, development of best practices regarding the intersection of cattle 

grazing and wheat production created decision models and education about their application that translated to $285 million in savings from reducing lost production 

of wheat. 

In Cooperative Extension’s first 100 years, we’ve learned a few things and adapted our strategies to match the way people learn in the 21st century. Extension is 

moving beyond outreach to engagement with our audiences and partners. Outreach 

begins with an answer; engagement ends with one. Through engagement with those 

we serve, benefits are reciprocal and we learn as much as we teach. 

We’re about much more than information sharing—we’re in the knowledge business, and we bring to the table results of our cutting edge research—much of which 

is stimulated by this Subcommittee. Then we partner with communities—communities of place—of interest and of practice to adapt and share practices that get implemented across our natural and human landscapes. 

Without giving up the value of personal relationships and local, face-to-face education, Extension thrives in the web-based and socially-networked worlds too. Anywhere, anytime, any format defines our national network. As an illustration, this 

month, we’ll answer five thousand questions through the electronic ‘‘Ask an Expert’’ 

system. 

Extension is a classic American innovation envied the world over for its ability 

to change lives and improve the availability of safe and affordable food. Extension

attracts Americans in partnership that dramatically expands our capacity. Nearly 

100,000 Master Gardeners provide 4.5 million volunteer hours and more than 

800,000 pounds of food for local food banks. Extension puts our youth on positive 

trajectories through the 4–H program where participants are twice as likely to go 

to college and three times more likely to contribute to their communities. And Extension raises people up through our Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program where 90 percent of low-income adult participants and 60 percent of youth improved their food choices. 

With the leadership of visionary policy makers and annual appropriations of approximately 300 million capacity dollars provided by the Smith-Lever Act, we accomplish much. Smith-Lever funds are hard-working dollars that generate state and 

county investments and help create the infrastructure that allows effective targeting 

of competitive grant monies. For less than one Federal dollar per American citizen, 

we

• keep a local office open in more than 3,000 counties,

• enroll nearly seven million youth in the legendary 4–H youth development program,

• advance nutritional food support to limited-resource families, and

• focus on rapid response through Extension’s Disaster Education Network, 

among other priority programs.

Recognition of the first 100 year legacy of the Smith Lever Act is important—but 

this isn’t about looking in the rear-view mirror. More critical is the windshield view 

of continual adaptation to new issues, audiences and approaches. The next 100 

years will continue translating science for practical application; engaging learners 

to co-develop solutions to complex problems; transforming individuals, families, communities and businesses in rural and urban environments. That is the work of Cooperative Extension.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Dr. Reed. 

Dr. Lyons. 

15

STATEMENT OF DR. L. WASHINGTON LYONS, EXECUTIVE

ADMINISTRATOR, ASSOCIATION OF EXTENSION

ADMINISTRATORS, GREENSBORO, NC; ON BEHALF OF

DELBERT T. FOSTER, ACTING VICE PRESIDENT, LANDGRANT SERVICES AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & 

EXTENSION PROGRAMS, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE

UNIVERSITY, ORANGEBURG, SC; ON BEHALF OF

ASSOCIATION OF EXTENSION ADMINISTRATORS 

Dr. LYONS. Mr. Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee, I 

would like to thank you for the opportunity to appear before you 

today on behalf of the Association of Extension Administrators. I 

would just like to take a few minutes to share with you the importance of Cooperative Extension to the state, to our communities 

and to this country as we celebrate 100 years of extended knowledge and changing lives. But first I would like to thank you, Mr. 

Chairman, and Members of the Committee for your support for the 

funding that you have provided to Cooperative Extension, capacity 

as well as the competitive funding. 

Without the capacity funding, we would not be able to have the 

infrastructure that we would need to answer the questions and to 

provide the programs to change the lives of the people we work 

with. Without the capacity funding, we would not be able to be effective in implementing the competitive funding that we receive 

through NIFA at USDA. 

The land-grant system was created by the Morrill Acts of 1862 

and 1890. The 1862 Morrill Act created a land-grant university in 

each state and the 1890 Morrill Act extended the land-grant status 

to the Historically Black Land-Grant Universities in the southern 

states and the border states. 

The Smith-Lever Act, as you know, gave rise to the Cooperative 

Extension Program in 1914, which is a unique partnership between 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the land-grant universities. However, when the Smith-Lever Act was passed in 1914, it 

created Extension at the 1862 land-grant universities. The Act did 

not provide funding for the 1890 land-grant universities at that 

time. In 1972, Congress appropriated the first funding to support 

Extension at the 1890 land-grant universities, and that gave rise 

to the support of both 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities sharing the responsibility of implementing Extension programs in the 

southern states as well as throughout this country. 

Today I would like to focus my comments primarily on what the 

1890 land-grant universities are doing to contribute to Extension 

programs in this country. The 1890 land-grant programs and 

Tuskegee, although Tuskegee is not an 1890, but it is an institution that benefits from the Land-Grant Act and carries on a great 

deal of work in support of Cooperative Extension and the landgrant mission. 

In general, all the Cooperative Extension programs are designed 

to help people to develop the knowledge and skills they need to 

solve the problems they are facing, but the 1890 land-grant universities have a special mission and mandate. Many of these people 

have limited resources. They do not have the same opportunities as 

others so the 1890s focus on that client group. 

16

The Cooperative Extension programs of the 1890s have programs 

that are comprised of a broad range of science-educational efforts, 

which have been proven to strengthen the food and agriculture industry, particularly small and limited resource farmers: by developing agricultural production systems that are efficient, sustainable and highly competitive in the global economy; enhance the 

health of families through diet and nutrition and food safety education and their economic well-being through practical financial 

education; enhance youth skills in science, technology, math, citizenship and leadership; and also foster strong, stable communities 

through leadership development efforts and encouraging entrepreneurship. 

As Cooperative Extension continues in the future, the focus will 

be on addressing emerging and critical issues that are impacting 

families, youth, communities and agricultural producers. With the 

projected growth in the population there will be many issues and 

challenges that must be addressed in both rural and urban Cooperative Extension with the research base that the land-grant university will be in a unique position to help address those challenges 

and issues. 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, the future of the 

land-grant system in this country looks great, and we look forward 

to continuing your guidance, your oversight and support during the 

next century of discovery, teaching and engagement. We clearly understand what we do is not about us but about the people we serve. 

God bless you, the Members of this Subcommittee, and God bless 

America. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Foster follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF DELBERT T. FOSTER, ACTING VICE PRESIDENT, LAND- GRANT SERVICES AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & EXTENSION PROGRAMS, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY, ORANGEBURG, SC; ON BEHALF OF

ASSOCIATION OF EXTENSION ADMINISTRATORS

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I want to thank you for the 

opportunity to appear before you this morning on behalf of the Association of Extension Administrators. I would like to share with you, the importance of the work of 

Cooperative Extension to our communities, states and country as we celebrate 100 

years of Extending Knowledge and Changing Lives. 

First, I would like to thank you for your support of Cooperative Extension. The 

capacity and competitive funding that you provide for Cooperative Extension is crucial to providing the infrastructure and ability to generate the knowledge and programs needed to respond to critical and emerging issues impacting society. 

Background 

The land-grant system was created by the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. The 

1862 Morrill Act created a land-grant university in each state and the 1890 Morrill 

Act extended the land-grant status to the historically black public universities in the 

southern and border states, where due to segregation, African Americans were 

barred from attending the 1862 institutions. 

Cooperative Extension is a part of the tripartite mission of the land-grant university, which is Teaching, Research and Extension. The Smith-Lever Act was passed 

in 1914 and gave rise to the Cooperative Extension System in this country, which 

is a unique partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the land-grant 

universities. There are three types of institutions that have the responsibility for 

implementing Extension programs. They are 1862 land-grant universities, 1890 

land-grant universities and the 1994 tribal colleges. 

However, when the Smith-Lever Act was passed in 1914, it created Extension at 

the 1862 land-grant universities. The Act did not provide funding for the 1890 landgrant universities, at that time. In 1972, Congress appropriated the first funding 

to support Extension at the 1890 land-grant universities. Now, the development and 

17

implementation of Extension programs is the mission of the 1862s, 1890s and 1994 

tribal colleges. 

Program Overview 

Today, I will focus my comments primarily on the involvement of the 1890 landgrant universities and Tuskegee University in the delivery of Cooperative Extension 

programs. 

Cooperative Extension provides useful and practical research based programs and 

information that address critical issues and problems that are impacting agriculture, families, youth, businesses and communities. When people are confronted 

with a major problem or issue, they want a trusted resource for unbiased information. 

In general, all Cooperative Extension programs are designed to help people to develop the knowledge and skills they need to solve the problems they are facing, but 

the 1890 land-grant universities have a special mission and mandate. Many of the 

people the 1890 land-grant universities work with have limited personal or family 

assets, limited opportunities or they come from communities that have limited resources. However, none of this matters, because the task is to meet people where 

they are and move them to the next level. Moreover, the programs are designed to 

transform behavior and improve the quality of life. 

In the early days of Extension, the pioneers used the Jessup Wagon or the Movable School, which was a horse drawn wagon and later a panel truck to deliver programs. Today, a variety of technologies are being used to deliver programs. Many 

of the universities have mobile units, which are school buses, in some instances, 

that have been transformed into classrooms that are equipped with satellites, computers, projectors and flat screens to deliver programs to under-served communities 

in both rural and urban areas. The units are used to deliver a variety of programs 

using technology that may not be available in some of the remote rural areas. For 

example, the units are used to teach families and individuals basic computer usage, 

business development skills, financial planning, farm planning, entrepreneurship 

development and food safety. 

The 1890 Cooperative Extension programs are comprised of a broad range of 

science based educational efforts, which have been proven to:

1. Strengthen the food and agricultural industry, particularly small and limited 

resource farmers, by developing agricultural production systems that are efficient, sustainable and highly competitive in the global economy.

2. Enhance the health of families through diet and nutrition and food safety 

education and their economic well-being through practical financial education.

3. Enhance youth skills in science, technology, math, citizenship and leadership.

4. Foster strong, stable communities through leadership development efforts 

and encouraging entrepreneurship. 

Small-Scale Agriculture 

Cooperative Extension has developed transformation programs that have improved the economic viability of small scale agriculture and reduced the decline of 

small minority-owned farms. Programs emphasizing agricultural diversification, 

marketing strategies and risk management have been of paramount importance to 

this client group. Many of the small farmers have diversified their operations to include vegetable production, fruits, specialty crops and animals to increase their cash 

flow. 

For example, the development of a Natural Hog Growers Association increased its 

membership hog-sale income by over $200,000 in North Carolina and they have entered into contracts with the Whole Food Market. The development of the Master 

Meat Goat Herdsman Program has saved producers over $16,250, annually, in Florida in veterinarian and production costs. 

In Alabama, farmers participating in a comprehensive program in record keeping, 

financial management, production management and farm planning have become 

more efficient producers. It was reported that 13 farmers acquired USDA farm ownership loans in the amount of $2.6 million and ten acquired operating loans for 

nearly $1.0 million. Without this training, the farmers would not have qualified for 

the loans. Programs of this nature enabled the limited-resource farmers in Kentucky 

to increase their net farm income by $4,500.00. 

Nutrition and Health 

Obesity is a serious health concern for both children in adults. Nutrition education programs, such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program 

(EFNEP), are being implemented to help families understand the importance of conVerDate 0ct 09 2002 09:32 Mar 25, 2014 Jkt 041481 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 I:\DOCS\113-09\87047.TXT BRIAN
18

suming more fruits and vegetables, making healthy food choices and engaging in 

physical activity. Programs have focused on helping individuals and families to understand that poor dietary choices and unhealthy life styles can lead to chronic diseases. This contributes to an increase in health costs for the family and others, if 

they cannot afford the care. Participants in the various programs have indicated 

that they are consuming more fruits and vegetables and preparing more healthy 

meals. The 1890 land-grant universities are making a difference, but there is still 

a lot of work to be done in this area. 

4–H and Youth Development 

Recent youth development research indicates a need to provide opportunities for 

young people to increase their leadership skills. Creating opportunists to engage 

young people in leadership roles is a priority of 1890 Extension. Moreover, through 

the development of the Teen Leadership Connection Curriculum in Texas, after 

school programs were established in partnership with selected public schools. Extension’s work with 4–H volunteers has developed 4–H programs addressing the problem of low self-esteem, high dropout rates and juvenile delinquency. After School 

and summer 4–H enrichment programs have enhanced youth skills in science, engineering, technology, leadership and citizenship. In South Carolina, the Tech-Bridge 

Program is a 5 week summer technology/academic enhancement program for rising 

6th and 7th graders. The participants are taught how to build a computer from the 

frame to a Computer Processing Unit (CPU). In addition, the students are required 

to load all of the academic software and are trained in CYBER–SAFETY and proper 

Internet decorum. As a result of their participation, youth reported success in setting goals, appreciating cultural differences, a better understanding of leadership, 

positive change in behavior, improved academic performance and an interest in 

STEM disciplines as a career. 

Economic Development 

Independently owned and operated business enterprises are a vital part of the 

local economy. Helping entrepreneurs to develop, launch and sustain their businesses is a primary goal of the economic development activities of Cooperative Extension at the 1890 land-grant universities. Programs have focused on developing 

business plans, enhancing business management skills, marketing and managing 

risk. The development of a Virtual Entrepreneurship Center (VEC) uses social 

media platforms to merge traditional methodologies with online resources to deliver 

a comprehensive entrepreneurship program in partnership with each of the state’s 

land-grant institutions in Alabama. The Virtual Center located at Alabama A&M 

University, uses integrated conferences, entrepreneurship training and social media 

to expand delivery, widen customer bases and improve business interactions for the 

millions of online contacts reached since September 2012. 

Future Direction for Extension 

As Cooperative Extension continues, in the future, the focus will be to address 

emerging and critical issues that are impacting families, youth, communities and 

agriculture producers. With the projected growth in the population, there will be 

many issues and challenges that must be addressed in both rural and urban areas. 

Cooperative Extension with the research base at the land-grant universities is in 

a unique position to respond to the challenges and issues. Some of the issues to be 

addressed would include maintaining a safe and abundance food supply, protecting 

the environment to ensure water quality and quantity, helping to maintain a 

healthy society to reduce health care costs, providing opportunities for youth to become leaders and productive citizens, increasing the number of youth interested in 

the science, engineering, technology, and mathematics fields, helping to increase the 

sustainability and profitability of family farms and increasing energy independence. 

To remain effective, we must continue to develop and implement research based programs and use the latest technology in our delivery system. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I would also like 

for you to know that many states with multiple land-grant universities have a very 

productive history of working together in the development programs and activities. 

Effective Fiscal Year 2015, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture 

(NIFA) has mandated that all states will submit a Joint Land-Grant State Plan of 

Work. This requirement ensures that the universities will provide stakeholders with 

the most cost effective and efficient Research, Teaching and Extension programs, 

services and activities. In addition, the Joint State Plan of Work will enhance program planning, implementation and evaluation, as well as eliminate the possibility 

of duplication. 

19

The future of the Land-Grant System in the country looks great and we look forward to your continued guidance, oversight and support during the next century of 

discovery, teaching and engagement! We clearly understand what we do is not 

about us, but about the people we serve!

God bless you, the Members of the Subcommittee and God Bless America!

The CHAIRMAN. Amen, Dr. Lyons, and I see that Mr. Delbert Foster has joined us. I know that the weather and traffic caused you 

some problems, and thank you for being here, and I would like to 

ask unanimous consent that Mr. Foster be allowed to participate 

as a witness in the question-and-answer session of the Committee, 

and seeing no objection, Mr. Foster, we will be happy to have your 

participation in the question-and-answer session. 

If you would like to make a brief statement since you came in 

late, we would be happy to allow you a couple of minutes for that, 

and then we will move into the questions. 

Mr. FOSTER. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I really appreciate that. This is 

a prime example of what Extension does in this country, where Dr. 

Lyons will pick right up and take the baton and deliver what Extension is supposed to deliver. It is like an Extension agent in the 

country that may have had a flat tire or may have had a delayed 

meeting. The participants, the clients, the citizens are expecting 

Extension to produce, and we do it with a team effort in our states 

and our counties and in our districts. Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Foster, and the chair would like 

to remind Members that they will be recognized for questioning in 

the order of seniority for Members who were here at the start of 

the hearing. After that, Members will be recognized in order of arrival. We will rotate between Democrats and Republicans, and I 

appreciate the Members’ understanding. I now recognize myself to 

ask a question of the fellow Georgia Bulldog, if I may. 

Ms. Hammock, as a leader in 4–H, which is one of my favorite 

organizations, I can’t help but give credit to FFA as well as I sit 

here as a Member of the Agriculture Committee, what would you 

suggest are the greatest opportunities and challenges confronting 

the 4–H program as it begins its second century. 

Ms. HAMMOCK. Honestly, I look back over the last century, 4–H, 

we started as a canning club in Crisp County in 1902, so I can’t 

help but look at the rich history that we have to draw from, and 

you said challenges, but I look at this number. We serve seven million youth across the world. We are in 3,068 counties across the 

United States, so I don’t see challenges, and even if there are challenges, I firmly believe that 4–H’ers are adequately equipped to 

handle those challenges of the coming century. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, ma’am. 

Dr. Reed, Cooperative Extension rural versus urban, do you consider it still primarily a rural-focused organization, or can you 

speak to the areas where we are moving into an urban-type setting? 

Dr. REED. Thank you, Chairman Scott. This Extension Service 

covers every acre of our nation. It is true that our history and our 

focus is in rural America, and when I look at the rural parts of my 

own state, Extension provides a critical service to rural communities and those managing the land. In many cases, we are the only 

provider of knowledge in town, and in that respect, it is a very reVerDate 0ct 09 2002 09:32 Mar 25, 2014 Jkt 041481 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 I:\DOCS\113-09\87047.TXT BRIAN
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sponsible leadership position in order to continue to make that contribution to rural America. 

We also, though, however, need to pay attention to the rest of the 

customers of the Extension Service, the residents of our state that 

may not live in rural areas but they depend upon rural areas, and 

so we are learning to adapt our programs and to use knowledge to 

react to the needs of urban citizens as well. 

One of the particular themes of the conversation that is growing 

in Oregon is the concept of interdependence. I think we too often 

speak about rural and urban divides or technology divides. Instead, 

we are finding that residents of our state have a common future, 

and by co-committing to the value of, in this case, rural Oregon, 

our urban residents benefit as well. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Doctor. 

Dr. Ramaswamy, you mentioned the ability of the Extension System to adapt to the changing needs. How is USDA facilitating the 

Extension’s adoption of new technologies and new ways to communicate with its customers? 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Mr. Chairman, in multiple different ways, one 

of which is, we have this program called eXtension that I referred 

to in my opening comments, and this basically allows for us to 

bring together the best brains, intellectual resources from around 

the country to address the questions that we have. And so that has 

created a network across the United States, an online network as 

well as local networks that have been created, and so USDA basically facilitates that effort through funding that we provide as well. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Doctor, and I will tell you, somebody 

from the Farm Belt getting the information to the people who are 

actually putting the crop in the ground is extremely important, and 

I appreciate all of you being here to testify, and with that, I will 

yield the remainder of my time and turn it over to Mr. Schrader 

from Oregon for 5 minutes. 

Mr. SCHRADER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Going back to Dr. Ramaswamy here, where do you see the biggest growth of requests for information now from Extension agents 

in the Extension Service? 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Congressman Schrader, the biggest growth has 

been really in the realm of youth, families and nutrition area. You 

know, obviously agricultural questions continue to come as well but 

really the growth has been in issues pertaining to children and 

youth and nutrition. 

Mr. SCHRADER. These are tough budget times, and we struggle 

here, as you know, here in D.C. to maintain a budget, and I know 

from my experience back in Oregon as budget chair, it was tough 

to fund some of these things. What is your experience with other 

states around the country in funding for Extension? 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Well, the funding for Extension has been, particularly in the last 3 to 4 years with the very deep recession that 

we had, has been very challenging. In fact, across America Extension has lost about 1⁄3 of its footprint. When I am talking about 1⁄3

of its footprint, I am talking about boots on the ground. These are 

Extension agents. These are the folks that really translate the 

knowledge and deliver it to the end-users, and we lost that, and we 

need to be very concerned that this global preeminence that I was 

21

referring to is in jeopardy if we do not go ahead and turn things 

around, and we need to make the commensurate public investments, and it is just not the public investment. We are going to 

have to bring in private enterprise as well, and indeed across 

America, a lot of the different states have figured out different 

ways to bring in private investments along with public investments 

as well. 

Mr. SCHRADER. Dr. Reed, you have often talked about going beyond outreach, trying to get people engaged and stuff. Could you 

elaborate a little bit on the engagement aspect you talk about? 

Dr. REED. Yes. Mr. Chairman, Congressman Schrader, thank you 

for the opportunity. The concept in the word engagement is finding 

its way into our work more and more common. What it does is recognizes that we don’t have a corner on all the knowledge but that 

we can work collaboratively with those that we are serving and 

partners in order to recognize and put that knowledge to work. It 

really seeks to make the universities a better community but establishing reciprocal benefits, so while we’re contributing to the success of those we serve, we are also learning and becoming better 

over time. 

As I mentioned in my testimony, the issues of today are so complicated, there is not a single answer to many of them, so we find 

ourselves developing with our partners a set of alternatives and 

consequences and then helping those that need to make the decisions make the one that is best for them. 

Mr. SCHRADER. And Dr. Reed again, we have alluded to different 

core missions for Extension, and it seems, listening to the testimony from all the witnesses here, there is really a panoply of opportunities that Extension serves. Do you feel that is still the appropriate role for Extension, again, tough budget-limited environments, we are trying to make sure taxpayer dollar go as far as they 

can, is it possible for Extension to continue to have that broad continuum of services? 

Dr. REED. Mr. Chairman, Congressman Schrader, it is true that 

we listen to people’s issues and try to respond. However, it is more 

important for us to provide a focus on those issues that we have 

a capacity to respond to and so that we are utilizing our resources 

in the best possible way. 

Mr. SCHRADER. That is good to hear. Sometimes it is tough to be 

all things to all people at the end of the day. 

Dr. REED. I occasionally describe the Extension Service as sounding like the parable of the blind man and the elephant. People believe they know Extension based upon the part that they touch, 

and if you are a master gardener, you think that is all Extension 

is, but it is true that we serve a variety of audiences. 

Mr. SCHRADER. I am glad you do. 

Mr. Foster. 

Mr. FOSTER. Yes, sir. 

Mr. SCHRADER. Sir, you got in a little late, apologize for that, but 

in your written testimony you talk about that Joint Land-Grant 

State Plan of Work. Could you elaborate on that a little bit? 

Mr. FOSTER. Yes, sir. We started in Clemson University in South 

Carolina in 1999 where our plan for the state, we meet, we coordinate our activities, goals and objectives so that there is not a sense 

22

of duplication so that when we are speaking to our state legislators 

as well as our Federal legislators, that question becomes a new 

point, and now that Mr. Ramaswamy has taken over, all states will 

have to submit a state joint plan of work for the land-grant services and have it approved prior to receiving their appropriation, 

and we started that with Clemson. Two thousand was the first 

year that we have done it and every year since. 

Mr. SCHRADER. Congratulations. That is a very smart way to go, 

especially in this environment. 

Mr. FOSTER. Yes, sir. 

Mr. SCHRADER. I have a quick question to our youngest witness 

up there. What should Congress be doing to better support 4–H? 

Great program. 

Ms. HAMMOCK. Well, already this Committee does so much for 

Cooperative Extension continuing the work we do, adding another 

century onto what we already have. Obviously continuing to grow 

is very important to us, and one of the most exciting things that 

we get to see, and I get to see as a Youth Trustee, is the growth 

globally. I just got to visit Africa this past September, and this 

completely testifies to the life-saving principles of 4–H here in the 

United States. We measure success with a blue ribbon but they 

measure success by being able to eat dinner. So thank you very 

much for the work you do. It is much appreciated by seven million 

people around the world. 

Mr. SCHRADER. Thank you very much, and I yield back, Mr. 

Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. I now recognize the gentleman from Illinois for 

5 minutes. 

Mr. DAVIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to each of 

you for being here today. Thank you, Mr. Foster, for making the 

long trek. Welcome to our world. 

Mr. FOSTER. Yes, sir. 

Mr. DAVIS. It was mentioned that the Smith-Lever Act was part 

of the beginning of one of the great things that happened in central 

Illinois when it comes to Extension Services, it comes to 4–H and 

it comes to land-grant universities like the one I represent, the 

University of Illinois. I am very proud of some of the partnerships 

that University of Illinois has been able to make in my community, 

and I have seen young people grow into great leaders who have 

gone through the same programs, Ms. Hammock, that you continue 

to tout today, and I am very thankful for that. 

I want to get into the questions really quick. One of my priorities 

is food security and food insecurity in this country, and I urge each 

of you to read a book that I just finished written by one of my constituents, Howard Buffet, that is called 40 Chances and talks about 

food insecurity issues globally and how to address them by using 

America’s ingenuity, and many of the ideas that he talks about in 

that book would be applicable to some of the issues that you would 

address with the folks you serve every day. 

Dr. Ramaswamy, you mentioned food security in your testimony 

too, and how have you seen the Extension Services successfully 

tackle some of the issues we are seeing in some of our poorest communities? 

23

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Congressman Davis, thank you very much for 

that question. Just harkening back to the efforts that are going on 

in your state with the district that you represent as well and the 

fine work that is being done by the University of Illinois, for example, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, EFNEP, 

has been very successful in making sure that the limited-resource 

individuals, their needs are met, their health needs, nutrition 

needs, et cetera, are being met, and so there is one example of 

EFNEP actually reaching out and working with particularly limited-resource individuals. In addition to that, we have also got programs in family and consumer sciences and the nutrition area, and 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, education, for 

example, the SNAP-Ed program that we have as well. 

Again, our Extension colleagues in Illinois, they partner with the 

EFNEP colleagues and work collaboratively to make sure that 

there is good education about safe food, healthy food, food safety, 

et cetera, addressing the food security/food insecurity that you’re referring to. 

Mr. DAVIS. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Hammock, you mentioned food security in your testimony 

too. What can you tell me that 4–H is doing to help address some 

of the issues that we see here in this country? 

Ms. HAMMOCK. Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Congressman. I am 

so excited actually that you asked that question. I had the opportunity to go to New York City this past April, and actually today 

several of our trustees and council members are visiting Tucson, 

Arizona, and one of the wonderful things that 4–H is doing is giving children and high schoolers the knowledge, the tools, the opportunity to grow in urban food deserts. So we got to visit the Food 

and Finance High School in Manhattan, and it is a five-story high 

school. I did not know high schools could go up. I thought they just 

went out. But it was just so amazing to see them use aquaponics 

and hydroponics to produce food for themselves and their communities and to sell that, so it is not only just food security, it is economic security because they are selling it, and I can’t wait to hear 

about the Tucson trip when people get back later on this week, but 

that is just a little part of what 4–H is doing. 

Mr. DAVIS. That is great, in Illinois, we take for granted that everybody knows where the food comes from that gets to the table, 

so to see you participate, to see 4–H participate in trips like that 

to highlight what is going on in urban areas is essential to addressing many of the food insecurity problems that we have in this country. 

I only have a few seconds left, and I just want to say thank you 

to each and every one of you for what you do. It is a problem. The 

food security issue is a problem with so many kids. I am very concerned about the School Nutrition Program where we have seen 

kids have to get by on less calories, and those are some of the kids 

who need it the most. They are the most food-insecure kids that we 

have, those who rely on the free lunch program, and it frustrates 

me that many cafeterias in my district are limited in what nutritious foods they can actually give to our kids. Washington shouldn’t 

be the barometer of what kids get to eat. It should be a local school 

district issue, and I appreciate what you do outside of the school 

24

to highlight some of the food security issues, and thank you for 

being here, thank you for your time, and thank you for your service. I yield back. 

The CHAIRMAN. I now will recognize the gentlewoman from Ohio 

for 5 minutes. 

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman, and I thank my 

colleagues for allowing me to go out of order. 

I actually only have two questions, and they are both to you, Mr. 

Foster. In your testimony, you discussed how 1890 land-grant institutions have a special mission and mandate under the Act as opposed to 1862 institutions. Can you tell me what that special mission and/or mandate is as you see it and why it is necessary? 

And second, many of the best jobs and our ability to compete 

globally in a global marketplace are related to STEM yet the number of minorities and women choosing STEM majors in college is 

disappointingly low. How can Cooperative Extension specifically at 

the 1890 institutions address this issue? 

Mr. FOSTER. Thank you. Yes, ma’am. The first question, the special mission mandate is to serve those populations that traditionally have been under-served in our communities, and that goes to 

urban areas, limited resource base or income, education or other resources. That is the special mission that we see that we have as 

an 1890. 

Second, in reference to STEM, most of our universities are having a problem attracting members in the STEM field unless we 

conduct a program like my former board member spoke about at 

4–H development, and several 1890 universities have youth programs that introduce students and women to STEM-associated disciplines at an early age. In fact, in South Carolina we have TechBridge, which is teaching 6th and 7th and some 8th graders where 

they actually build a computer, load all of the software, are taught 

all the ins and outs of how that CPU operates, and then are able 

to maintain a group of conscientious students and they teach those 

students and reteach those students and teach people in their communities. So that is just one of the examples of a STEM program 

that they really don’t realize they are in STEM. They are just 

messing with gadgets. But at the final closing program to hear 

them articulate what they have learned in 51⁄2 weeks and sometimes 6 weeks will let you see that they will truthfully garner that 

support they need at home and in their communities to pursue a 

STEM career. 

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. I now recognize the gentleman from 

New York for 5 minutes. 

Mr. COLLINS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I would like to 

share a little story with the group before I ask my question to Dr. 

Ramaswamy. 

I was the County Executive up in Erie County elected back in 

2007, very rural area, but I now represent eight counties including 

some small counties. The Erie County Cooperative really is a major 

supporter of Cornell and the Cornell Cooperative, which while it is 

located just outside my district has offices throughout. Now, when 

I was elected, our county was effectively bankrupt. The state had 

taken over our finances, and I go line by line on the budget and 

25

I see this budget line for Cornell Cooperative. I don’t know what 

that is. That was 7 years ago. So I put that on the list of items 

that just might not be funded. Lo and behold, no one comes to see 

me so when I go to work through that, I eliminated all the funding 

to Cornell Cooperative. I now know what I know and can’t believe 

I did that. I think you can appreciate it. 

Needless to say, I got a panicked phone call and found out if I 

didn’t fund Cornell Cooperative through the county, they would get 

no Federal funding. So I put it back in the budget but my question 

is this: with tight finances around the country, certain New York 

State probably more than most, the rules are, if you don’t have 

county funding to match the cooperative, in this case, Cornell Cooperative wouldn’t get any funding. So I just have to wonder, are you 

hearing concerns from others? In the case of Erie County, we dwarf 

the size of the other counties. Without our support, Cornell Cooperative would not continue, and that is the lifeblood of most of our 

other counties, dairy, specialty crops. We have apples and peaches 

and our apple growers want to sell their apples to McDonald’s, and 

Cornell has been very, very helpful in making sure they have what 

they need to meet the quality standards. 

So I am concerned, going forward, meeting the county match, 

and I understand multiplying the dollars by having counties and 

states put the money in but priorities are different in every county, 

and I just wonder if you have heard that and if you share my concerns and have anything else to—if you have heard this kind of 

story elsewhere. 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Congressman Collins, thank you very much for 

that question. You saw a smile on my face as you were talking 

about it. I smiled in the sense of recognition of that situation that 

we have throughout America where many, many local communities 

have had difficulty in meeting the budgetary needs that we have 

as well, and not unlike Erie County, in Indiana and Oregon and 

Illinois, as I said, about 1⁄3 of our footprint has been lost across the 

United States. Washington State has lost about 50 percent of the 

Extension funding, for example. So this is the situation that we 

have. 

So one of the things that has happened, sir, is that Cornell University or Oregon State University or others that have had a situation like this, and Linn County is one of the counties in Oregon 

that saw a similar situation as well, is that the universities, the 

state funding and the Federal funding were still available to be deployed and then the neighboring counties picked up the slack, as 

it were. It was not like they were left high and dry and walked 

away from and there was a need for a cash flow type of situation 

as well. So the folks at the land-grant universities are aware of this 

as are ourselves here in USDA as well, and we are trying to figure 

out a way to create a path forward. 

Mr. COLLINS. Yes, and I can tell you after the scare that I put 

them in my first year, they came with a very detailed presentation 

each year after that, and they are in my office here, at least four 

or five times a year because they know that I know the issues as 

well and I am close to our legislators in the county and sometimes 

have to share with them through tough budgetary times. 

26

I would like to also mention—maybe I should be one of your witnesses—the 4–H in our rural communities, when they don’t have 

the same menu of options for the kids is very, very strong, wellattended. Those are our future farmers. Many of our farms are five, 

six generations old, and as such, it is just almost a given that the 

kids will continue, whether it is dairy farming or crop farming. 

But I would just like to compliment Ms. Hammock because she 

represents what I have seen in many cases, young folks able to 

present themselves. You say public speaking is your passion, and 

I can see that it is. Most people don’t share that passion. We have 

Members of Congress that won’t give 1 minute speeches because 

they are afraid to talk in front of the world on C–SPAN. I am just 

making that up. But I just want to compliment you for coming, and 

thank you for coming in because you really do put a face on what 

is good about 4–H and all the funding that we have. I am just 

grateful that we have a 5 year budget now that has actually increased some of these fundings. You know, flat is the new win, and 

the fact that you have a little more money in there shows the bipartisan support for everything Smith-Lever does and the impact 

across the country. 

So again, thank you all for coming in. It has been very interesting. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. I now yield 5 minutes to the 

gentlelady from Washington. 

Ms. DELBENE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to all of 

you for being here today. I appreciate it. 

Washington State University is the original land-grant university 

in my state, and I am fortunate to have an Extension up in Mt. 

Vernon in my district where they are doing great work, research 

as well as bringing members of the community together. They have 

a bread lab, bringing bakers and wheat growers together so they 

understand the impact the different crop varieties have on nutrition and the baking process and taste, et cetera. So there is a lot 

of great work happening up there, and a lot of the work they are 

doing is supported through programs like the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, and it does have a huge and lasting impact, not 

just to the local growers but to entire industries and broadly to the 

public. Research on improving crop yields through plant mitigation, 

sun exposure, irrigation, mulch, all have had a dramatic impact on 

our food supply, and so we see real results from the work they are 

doing. 

That kind of leads me to a question for you, Dr. Ramaswamy. It 

is my understanding that after the last farm bill that you began, 

or the USDA began awarding multi-year research grants maybe 

more than it had done historically, and so I wondered, do you think 

that that is a successful path and are you still looking at awarding 

larger or multi-year grants, given that research is something that 

takes place over a longer period of time? 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Congresswoman DelBene, thank you so much 

for that question, and I want to congratulate you as well, and 

Washington State University has done some tremendous work in 

your state and in your district as well. 

In regards to the multi-year research grants that we started 

doing as a result of the 2008 Farm Bill, yes, that is correct. What 

27

* The report referred to is in process, the information concerning the basis of the study can 

be found at: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/projectview.aspx?key=49505.

we have done is, the question that you asked me, has it been beneficial, is it achieving what it set out to do. We have asked the National Academy of Sciences to actually look at that question, and 

they are going to be providing us with a report in June and we are 

going to take that report and determine whether or not that has 

been a successful model.* But in the meantime, we have not quit. 

What we have done it to basically continue those multi-year investments but we have scaled it back down a little bit where we are 

doing $30 and $40 million grants. In fact, Washington State has received a few of those and University of Washington as well. We 

have scaled it back down to between $5 and $15 million, and we 

will continue to do those continuation awards as well because it allows us to invest. These challenges that we are addressing are really complex and it requires multiple individuals to come together, 

multiple disciplines to come together over multiple years, and so 

we will not walk away from that but we are trying to scale how 

much it is going to be and what sort of objectives might we be addressing as well. 

Ms. DELBENE. That would be interesting to see the results of 

that because when I talk to our farmers and our researchers, they 

want to know that they have the investment, going forward, so 

they can really do the research well, and sometimes that means 

having the visibility, going forward. They know that they can complete the research they are doing, and it isn’t always in a shortterm time span that they look at. 

One thing that we saw during the debate over the farm bill that 

while the importance of agriculture is widely understood, in some 

areas it may not resonate so much in other parts of the country. 

I was wondering, and maybe this is a question a little bit for everyone, how can we use tools like Smith-Lever to deepen and broaden 

the education across the country and that connection to agriculture 

that we all do have. In areas of my district, there is a deep connection, and in other places, people aren’t as aware of what is happening close by in agriculture, and so I wondered what your 

thoughts are on what we can do to improve that, going forward. 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. I will take a shot at it very quickly. Indeed, the 

Cooperative Extension Service is the translator of knowledge and 

the deliverer of that knowledge to the end-users and they have 

done that exquisitely well over the last 100 years, and part of that 

is to educate the populace as well, and we need to continue to foster that. Along with that, we also have programs like 4–H, for example. Ag in the Classroom is another outstanding program that 

enables particularly young kids to develop the knowledge as well. 

So it is going to have to be a multipronged approach. You know, 

earlier we had a question about science, technology, engineering 

and math. I myself like to throw the letter A into it for agriculture, 

and in fact, in America, a lot of the challenges that we see today 

are in part—about obesity and things like that are in part due to 

lack of understanding about food and where food comes from. So 

we really need to do everything we can to convey that sense of the 

28

education that we need, and the Smith-Lever Act and Cooperative 

Extension Service have really allowed us to do that very well. 

Dr. REED. Mr. Chairman, Congresswoman DelBene, thank you 

for the question, and it is all surrounding food. It has become almost a tired phrase, that while only two percent of Americans 

farm, 100 percent of us eat, but it is true that people care about 

food and the food systems that surround them. The Pacific Northwest is a very foodie area, and to the point where some farmers 

markets are now labeling the food with how many miles it has 

traveled to get to people. And so I believe that we have a teachable 

moment for Americans in order to help them understand the consequences and the interdependencies that all of us have on our 

farmers and farmers markets. In fact, at Oregon State just 2 weeks 

ago, we hosted what we called the Small Farms Conference, and 

there are a large and growing number of individuals farming relatively small parcels, and they were regarded at this conference as 

rock stars. I mean, there was clearly a sense of pride and identity 

that I hadn’t seen before. 

Ms. DELBENE. Thank you. It looks like my time has expired. I 

yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. I now recognize the gentleman from 

Florida for 5 minutes. 

Mr. YOHO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I appreciate you all participating today, and you guys will agree 

that God intended us to live at 70° and above. Being from the great 

State of Florida where we have the University of Florida and IFAS, 

which is the Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, and we are 

blessed to have 67 different Extension agents throughout the state 

with the 67 counties. Having a diverse ecosystem from the Florida 

Keys where we have key limes, coconuts, tropical plants and of 

course, margaritas are down there, all the way up to the Georgia 

line to a more moderate temperate zone and the second biggest industry in Florida is agriculture, and we are proud of that. My background is, I am a veterinarian for the last 30 years, and I hold my 

roots with agriculture very dear to me, and I appreciate the effort 

and the work you guys have done to strengthen the Extension 

agents and the work that they do, especially you, Ms. Hammock, 

with the 4–H. My question that I would like to ask you is, what 

challenges are you seeing in extending the youth programs, especially in the inner city areas where we just need to get into those 

areas so much more. You were talking about Manhattan with the 

five-story high schools and hydroponics. I think that is a great way 

to break into an area, but to get people involved in ag, especially 

today, when we see so many people—agriculture is something they 

buy at a store, and we all know that you can’t have a secure nation 

without a secure food source, so I would like to hear what your 

thoughts are on the challenges that you have seen. 

Ms. HAMMOCK. Absolutely, and the challenges I have seen have 

actually sparked my interest in my major, which is agricultural 

communication, and this kind of goes back to your question about 

educating the population about why agriculture is so important, 

and those challenges are very evident. They are very pronounced. 

Like Dr. Reed said, two percent of population feeds 100 percent, 

and so that is an obvious challenge, and that is the first step of 

29

getting into the high schools in Manhattan and the large inner city 

areas of Atlanta, Manhattan, San Francisco, all of the larger cities, 

and this is a great starting point, and I am very proud of 4–H and 

the work we have done through the Cornell Cooperative Extension 

in Manhattan, but it is a starting point. 

Mr. YOHO. Have you seen specific challenges that we can address 

or maybe help? I know funding is the big issue. You know, more 

funding will solve a lot of these things. But just getting into a program, are you running into resistance? 

Ms. HAMMOCK. Program such as——

Mr. YOHO. Like in the inner cities to develop a 4–H program or 

ag programs, or anything like that. 

Ms. HAMMOCK. There has actually been no resistance at all, 

which is great, absolutely. But there has really been no pushback 

on this. It is one of those things that people are very welcome to 

do and we as agricultural communicators are trying to make that 

story a little bit better. 

Mr. YOHO. Okay. Dr. Ramaswamy, you were talking about something you brought up, and I see this in Florida dealing with IFAS 

on nutritional counseling as it deals with the nutrition programs. 

What we see is, there is not only undernutrition in some areas but 

there is malnutrition that you brought out that leads to type 2 diabetes. You see a big role of the IFAS or the Extension agents going 

out and educating people. Do you want to elaborate on that, what 

else we can do? 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. There are multiple areas where our Extension 

agents, our Extension educators might often be involved, are involved in many, many states including your state as well through 

IFAS, and obviously it is in the production of healthy food. Specialty crops particularly are known to have very significant positive 

health benefits. So you have Extension agents involved in that part 

of it and making sure that specialty crops are grown, they have 

healthier traits, the genetics part of it being incorporated as well. 

That is one area. 

The second area is the education piece of it. Through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—Education, SNAP-Ed and 

EFNEP, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, so 

that they are reaching out to the young people through schools, 

through faith-based and other non-governmental entities, and we 

need to continue to foster that education as well. 

The third area is in the type of agriculture we practice as well 

in terms of health impacts on the communities that live around 

where food is being produced as well. So education is a very significant part of this and then Extension certainly has in all these different domains been providing the knowledge necessary, reaching 

out to multiple conduits, as it were. 

Mr. YOHO. Right. We just had a director from one of the food 

banks come into our office today, and we were talking about canning. You know, on the farm today, we have farm communities and 

their families, they go into canning, they are putting up beans, 

corn and all that, and that is an art that is being lost that I hope 

we continue to promote throughout our population so we can 

produce our own foods. My wife and I when we were at the University of Florida, we were poor as a church mouse, and we had a garVerDate 0ct 09 2002 09:32 Mar 25, 2014 Jkt 041481 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 I:\DOCS\113-09\87047.TXT BRIAN
30

den plot that we went out there they had where you could go out 

and garden. And so we took advantage of that, and I think that is 

something we need to promote more. 

I appreciate all of you. I am proud to be associated with the Extension agents, and the Smith-Lever Act, I am proud of their heritage. Thank you all, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. I now recognize the gentlewoman 

from New Hampshire for 5 minutes. 

Ms. KUSTER. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and Ranking 

Member Schrader, and thank you to all of the witnesses today. 

This has been a very enlightening hearing, and I appreciate the 

work that you do. I represent New Hampshire, western New 

Hampshire and the University of New Hampshire is our land-grant 

university, and we have farmers and foresters across the state that 

are working with the Extension. I wanted to mention to Ms. Hammock that I served on the board of the 4–H in New Hampshire a 

few years back, and I am very impressed by the program. My town 

has the largest state fair, and so 4–H and all that goes with it has 

been a big boon for us. 

I think we are all amazed and impressed by Congressmen Smith 

and Lever over 100 years ago to have been thinking about this and 

come up with a program that was so sustainable and so effective 

in so many different environments, and I am sure those of us here 

today would like to be a part of something that has that kind of 

longevity. 

I want to focus my questions briefly here on this discussion about 

healthy people, healthy planet, healthy economy, and how that is 

tied together. I represent a district that has a mix of urban, suburban and rural, but the challenge for me, and this came out during 

the farm bill, is that it is the rural areas where we tend to have 

the challenges with access to healthy food, and I find that somewhat distressing because this has happened over the course of my 

generation. When I was a girl, everyone had a garden and people 

raised animals and raised food, but now part of it is just people’s 

lives are so busy and we have lost some of that. And so I guess 

my question is directed at the panel, anyone that would like to respond, on what we can do to put healthy food back into people’s 

lifestyles, and I want to commend my colleague, Marcia Fudge, who 

had an amendment that we did pass on food deserts and that will 

be helpful in the rural communities as well. But I welcome your 

thoughts. 

Dr. RAMASWAMY. Congresswoman Kuster, indeed, as you said 

right towards the end of your opening comments, that we have the 

situation with food deserts in rural areas in a country where we 

know how to grow food and we can feed the entire world, and thus, 

it is a mind-boggling situation that we have. We have these food 

deserts, and in part, it is the logistical aspects that we need to be 

addressing of food distribution that needs to occur as well along 

with education, access to safe and secure food. These are things 

that our Extension folks are really addressing. If you go across the 

United States, even within New Hampshire itself, the University 

of New Hampshire very clearly is addressing these sorts of questions of making sure that people that have no or low access to food, 

their needs are being met as well. 

31

One other example about this connectivity between healthy people, a healthy planet and a healthy economy is, University of New 

Hampshire has an excellent program that works on greenhouses. 

The greenhouse industry in New Hampshire is about a $250 million industry that employs about 12,000 people, and the work that 

is being done with the greenhouses to grow crops, fruits and vegetables and things like that, and incorporated into that is more effective and efficient means of energy use, and so there is a 10 to 

15 percent reduction in the cost of energy producing these healthy 

foods that now is being made available for distribution, and it creates jobs as well. 

Ms. DELBENE. Great. Thank you. Excellent example. Yes, Dr. 

Reed? 

Dr. REED. Yes, Mr. Chairman, Congresswoman Kuster. I often 

use healthy planet, people and economy to sort of help frame conversations because you might recognize them as the pillars of sustainability but they are all interdependent and we need to work on 

all in order to advance kind of social welfare. And while this is only 

a partial answer to your question, it seems to me that compared 

to yesteryear, society today is some time-driven in both urban and 

rural areas that we simply can’t find easy ways to take the time 

to produce the food that I think we would all enjoy seeing in rural 

or urban environments. So if we could figure out a way to slow 

down the clock, that might be a way to make some progress. 

However, seriously, our master gardener program, which was our 

most successful and significant volunteer training program has 

made a dramatic and observable shift to food production where historically it had been focused more on the environmental side of 

things and something that is central to the stock and trade of Extension education is to work in peer-to-peer education because individuals can accomplish sometimes more than we can, and so it is 

my hope that we could adapt the master gardener program to find 

a place in urban environments to do exactly what you described. 

Ms. DELBENE. Thank you. My time is up, and I have a guest 

from the food bank, so I am going to have to step out. But thank 

you so much for your testimony. I appreciate it. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, ma’am. 

Before we adjourn, I invite the Ranking Member to make any 

closing remarks that he has. 

Mr. SCHRADER. Well, I appreciate that, Mr. Chairman. What a 

great hearing. Tough times in our great country. It is nice to see 

positive influence. Continue to take no prisoners and continue to be 

a leading guiding light in food production, leadership, and for our 

younger generation, see them grow and develop the way they do 

through 4–H is just emblematic of I hope what the future of this 

country is all about. 

I had the privilege of being guided through my educational career by three different land-grant institutions—Illinois, Cornell 

and, of course, my Oregon State—go Beavs—and really appreciate 

that opportunity, and everyone has been influenced and impacted 

more than they probably realize by the work these ladies and gentlemen do every day under tough circumstances. 

So happy 100th anniversary to you all. 

32

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Schrader, and ma’am and gentlemen, thank you for being here. I am proud to be a Member of the 

Agriculture Committee where, as you can see, we are able to work 

closely together. We understand that food security is a part of national security, and we understand that this Act has helped us as 

Americans and as a country to provide that nutrition that Americans need in a very efficient and effective manner. 

Ms. Hammock, thank you for representing 4–H in the manner 

that you do. Such a professional. I have a tremendous amount of 

respect for that organization and the young leaders that come out 

of that and look forward to the day when people like you are representing us in Congress. 

With that said, any written statements from the witnesses shall 

be made part of today’s record, and under the rules of the Committee, the record of today’s hearing will remain open for 10 calendar days to receive additional material and supplemental written 

responses from the witnesses to any questions posed by a Member. 

This hearing of the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:20 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.] 

[Material submitted for inclusion in the record follows:] 

33

SUBMITTED STATEMENT BY AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE

Happy Birthday Smith-Lever Act! You are the conveyer of our research programs, 

and a positive facilitator of progress and prosperity. The American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), the world’s premier professional society for horticulture 

science, education, and training, considers Extension to be an inestimable gift for 

agriculture research and the entire land-grant system. You convert our discoveries 

into applicable deeds. From our extensive research and analysis, you provide tools 

translating critical data into applied science—educating and training current and 

future farmers to be good stewards of the land, and wise protectors of their resources. Without Extension assistance, we might not enjoy benefits from 4–H Clubs 

educating our youth. Or training Master Gardener volunteers who provide regionalbased horticulture counsel. Or Family and Consumer Science programs which sustain so many rural and urban communities. For land-grant institutions, your outreach and support verifies the very essence of their continued legacy to our nation. 

With Senator Hoke Smith (D–GA) and Rep. Asbury Lever (D–SC) as your first 

patrons, and President Woodrow Wilson as midwife. you were born on May 8, 1914 

in the crucible of a new century, as demographic shifts and waves of immigration 

signaled new challenges and demands for agriculture. Three years before America’s 

entry into World War I, you taught us how to plan and create urban gardens, preserve and prepare food. and create new energy sources that would see us through 

dynamic and transformative times ahead. Embarking upon your second centennial, 

Extension remains a vibrant and integral part of the trifecta fueling innovation and 

growth for American agriculture. 

With education and training as core principles, Smith-Lever disseminates information far and wide, from print manuals and videos to online services and on-site 

training. This broadens agriculture research’s knowledge-base sphere, and educates 

the general public about the many uses and benefits emanating from food and plant 

science. 

Transforming our work from laboratories to practical on-site demonstrations, you 

prove that quality Extension works in tandem with quality research. This confirms 

the complimentary companionship Extension and research will continue having 

among all land-grants and affiliated stakeholders. Smith-Lever programs taught by 

dedicated personnel—from 1862 and 1890 colleges to 1994 Tribal institutions—offer 

practical knowledge translating science into action and production into profits. 

So congratulations and take a bow Smith-Lever. ASHS wishes you all the best. 

For those in the land-grant community, and in other research fields across our land, 

this observance marks a singular moment. Yet it also celebrates successful models 

of cooperative partnerships between government, academia, and private industry—

partnerships that will continue for the well-being and enrichment of all Americans. 

On this occasion. we blow out the candles for your first 100, and relight them for 

a bright and productive future ahead.

Æ