Extension and commercial agriculture are now seeking a relationship more appropriate to the changing social, environmental, and technological context of American agriculture. A part of that changing context was expressed in 1987 by Keith Bjerke, a North Dakota farmer and currently administrator of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. Some farmers go further than Bjerke and suggest they no longer need Extension. Those of us in the organization usually respond by pointing out the many indirect paths by which we channel important information to farmers. Much of the information conveyed by the farm press and farm-supply industries originates from Extension.
Extension wholesales information to many retailers.
While this is undeniably true, two other responses to the question of agriculture's continuing need for Extension are also appropriate. One response is to suggest this is an important sign of Extension's success. It was never our intention to make farmers depend on Extension. On the contrary, we have delivered educational programs to farmers with the goal of making them independent of us. To the extent that these farmers, our adult co -learners, are now able to independently seek information, interpret that information to their own situation, and, as a result, make better management decisions, we've been successful.