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“What a person
hears, they may doubt. What a person sees, they still may doubt.
What a person does, they cannot doubt.” These are the words of
Seaman A. Knapp, founder of the Cooperative Extension Service. In
1903, he realized an integral education principle that still holds
true today—timing and the demonstration of benefits through
hands-on learning-by-doing activities are crucial to the adoption
of knowledge.
Today, helping
people help themselves and learning by doing are educational
philosophies that Extension faculty are continuing to use to
transfer information from the land-grant university campus to the
farm, home, and business. Adults and youth receive information
from the University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences through media, newsletters, workshops, seminars, applied
demonstrations and office calls.
Current
sustainable agricultural educational programs are focusing on methods and
technology that will enable farmers and ranchers to be competitive
and profitable. Poverty reduction, and community development are being emphasized by Family and Consumer Sciences
programs. Career exploration, know your government, self esteem,
leadership development, and public speaking are priorities for the 4-H program.
In January 2009, a
small farm and horticulture extension educator joined the Nez Perce County office.
Lydia interprets new knowledge
to help small acreage farmers and urban residents with environmental and pest control needs
to maintain sustainable farms and attractive landscapes.
Workshops, seminars and diagnostic services are provided to area
patrons to help them be environmentally
friendly and on the cutting edge of issues.
Providing citizens
in Nez Perce County with accurate, timely, research-based
information from the University of Idaho College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences continues to be the goal of the University of
Idaho Extension faculty and staff in Nez Perce County.
The cooperative
agreement between the University of Idaho and Nez Perce County
began in 1918. This teamwork approach to education links the
people in Nez Perce County with 3,200 county Extension offices
throughout the United States plus 50 land-grant universities and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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