FALL 1998
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In this issue
General Motors, Mayo, 3M offer ISU degrees Computer literacy class helps at-risk teens succeed Extension curriculum helps workers succeed In Calhoun County __________ |
Extension 21: Make agriculture more valuable The Iowa Legislature has noted that the economic structure of Iowa agriculture is transforming rapidly. Government price support programs are being phased out, and agricultural production, processing and marketing are coming together in large scale, integrated systems. Iowa producers and agribusinesses must adapt to these changes and their consequences if the state is to prosper into the next century. It's all about making Iowa agriculture more valuable to producers, consumers and youth. That is why Iowa State University Extension received $916,000 from the Iowa Legislature to fund Extension 21, an educational initiative including several projects related to value-added agriculture and food, fiber and environmental science. Adding value to agriculture means converting Iowa's agricultural materials into products of greater value. For example, beef cattle increasingly are being marketed using grid or price formulas that reward producers for cattle that meet or exceed yield specifications, said extension beef specialist Daryl Strohbehn. Iowa beef producers can compare how their cattle will perform in grid-based markets and then can produce cattle that will bring top dollar.
Producer Ron Swanson, Galt, has been involved in grain quality issues for several years. He sees the Extension 21 funding as a good step forward for Iowa value-added agriculture. "We in agriculture realize if we are to succeed, we have to work on value-added," Swanson said. "Understanding and education need to take place." For example, Extension 21 funding will help the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative continue as a demonstration project and educational resource, Swanson said. He hopes it will lead to others in the private sector pursuing value-added projects. Another way to add value to agriculture is to increase agricultural knowledge among Iowa's youth and make agriculture more appealing as a career choice. To that end, the Extension 21 funding included $150,000 for a food, fiber and environmental science program. "I'm delighted that ISU Extension will be taking a leading role in this endeavor," said Loren Kruse, editor-in-chief of Successful Farming magazine and a former president of the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The funding will help continue efforts to create student awareness about agriculture's importance to Iowa and encourage high school students to pursue higher education in specific agricultural career paths. "The word 'agriculture' is a perception barrier to what we want to do," Kruse said. But food, fiber and environmental sciences can "get kids' attention long enough to get them to understand this is exciting stuff." Janet Anderson is excited about the food, fiber and environmental science program because "kids learn best by doing. Gardening is a hands-on activity." Anderson, a program specialist with ISU Extension 4-H Youth Development, is working on the "Growing in the Garden" curriculum for kindergarten through third grade students. The curriculum will increase agricultural literacy in Iowa youth and help them understand their responsibility and interconnectedness in the food, fiber and environmental system. This project carries on a national trend of garden-based learning.
Extension 21 funding set In the 1998 session, the Iowa Legislature appropriated $916,000 for Extension 21. Here is a list of funded projects.
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