The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service has launched a strategic visioning initiative to evaluate the organization’s business model and chart a course through choppy economic waters. NCCES has seen recurring budget cuts of $20 million since 2000, resulting in the loss of roughly 90 positions over the past four years.
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The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service has launched a strategic visioning initiative to evaluate the organization’s business model and chart a course through choppy economic waters. NCCES has seen recurring budget cuts of $20 million since 2000, resulting in the loss of roughly 90 positions over the past four years.
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Cooperative Extension turns 100 this year. May 18, 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the date President Woodrow Wilson signed the Smith-Lever act which provided for the organization of Cooperative Extension. To celebrate this occasion and to help the public better understand the important contributions of Cooperative Extension over the years, Currituck will be sharing bits of our local Extension history throughout the year. To put the organization in the proper context, Extension was established to diffuse useful and practical information developed by our land grant universities to the public. In North Carolina those universities are NC State University and NC A&T State University. Cooperative Extension is somewhat of a field office in every county that provides for education from the universities to the people and for communications of needs for research and resources from the people to the universities. Here in Currituck County the earliest record of Extension work is from a report submitted by J.E. Chandler, Emergency Demonstration Agent, in 1920. Unfortunately, his assessment of Currituckians was not entirely (if at all) positive. He writes that, “County organization work has not been wholly accepted. An effort has at least been made toward getting this work started but due to the backwardness of the people in the county and to not being awake to the importance of organization this all important work has not been appreciated as it should have been. “ Not much had changed by the time the first female home agent arrived in 1925. Mrs. Rachel Everett reported that, “Homes are very poor from standpoint of both beauty and convenience…. After viewing the county, the women especially seem to be very intelligent and progressive. The men are slow, conservative and imagine the sun rises and sets in Currituck County.” By 1929 county residents had come alongside the county agent and organized a farm board which met regularly to solve different agricultural problems of the county. Currituck residents had learned in just a few short years how to be part of the solution and put the knowledge of the university system, brought to them by Cooperative Extension, to work to improve their lives. Stay tuned for the next installment to see more of how Extension helped turn the tide, organize our beloved community and improve the quality of life for our citizens. The Currituck County Center of NC Cooperative Extension extends to county residents the educational resources of NC State University and NC A&T State University. Both universities commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.
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In the 1940’s the nation was consumed by the second World War and recovering from the Great Depression. Cooperative Extension work in Currituck County focused largely around these two current events of the time. Agents leading community efforts during this decade included Virginia Brumsey, Kathleen Snyder, and Margaret M. Bray (Home Demonstration Agents), L.A. Powell (Agriculture Agent), and Assistant County Agents Vernon Reynolds and J.E. Mewbern. Extension Agents utilized the vast network of Extension clubs to establish wartime committees to lead and provide structure for emergency programs. Club women and 4-H members staffed observation posts, collected scrap metal, paper, rubber and fat, organized social events for soldiers and made garments for the Red Cross while the men were away at war. Farms, which produced largely truck crops such as beans, potatoes, cabbage and tomatoes struggled to find enough labor during the harvest. As a result, schools altered their schedules so that farm children could be home early enough to help in the fields. Increasing food production and preservation was major focus of Extension programming. “Victory Gardens” were established to feed families and communities. Homemakers were taught pressure and water bath canning techniques by Extension educators. In 1940 alone these efforts resulted in 25,000 quarts of fruits and vegetables canned. The mantra that accompanied Extension publications and meeting announcements was, “waste nothing, collect everything for victory!” Currituck citizens responded to the calls to action. In 1942, 75,000 pounds of scrap metal were collected; as were 31,000 pounds of rubber. Fifty-nine 4-H club members along with 300 home demonstration club members served around the clock at observation posts throughout the county. The economic situation during the early 40’s was desperate across the nation and Currituck was no different. Extension educators led a large scale program that utilized surplus cotton to make mattresses for needy families. Communities bound together to help their neighbors in need, producing 856 mattresses in 1940 and 1240 more in 1941. Mattress making centers were located throughout the county with the largest being located at the historic courthouse in Currituck. In 1945 the Extension Advisory board was created (a concept that still exists today) to direct effective program planning representative of the needs of county residents. Improving diets, food preservation and preparation and overall health were also cornerstones of Extension programming. The Health King and Queen contest was begun for 4-H members in all of Currituck County schools. Participants kept health records that were reviewed by community doctors serving as judges to crown the county health King and Queen. In the 40’s, Currituck 4-H members were taught animal husbandry and entrepreneurial skills through the Albemarle Area Livestock program (then called the “fat stock show”). Currituck youth raised, cared for trained and exhibited steers in a regional contest. These animals were then sold for profit. The Albemarle Area Livestock Show and Sale is still active today and takes place on the last Tuesday and Wednesday in April each year. In 2014, Currituck Extension still works to improve farms, food and youth development. Improving health by addressing nutrition and local foods production is now a major program focus. The challenges and the landscape have certainly changed over the last 100 years, but the vision remains the same. Cooperative Extension in Currituck still aspires to empower people to improve their lives through quality, research based information and programs. For more information on Cooperative Extension, contact the county office at 252-232-2261, visit the website at http://currituck.ces.ncsu.edu or email the County Extension Director at cameron_lowe@ncsu.edu. The Currituck County Center of NC Cooperative Extension extends to county residents the educational resources of NC State University and NC A&T State University. Both universities commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation
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In North Carolina and across the country, 2014 will mark the 100th anniversary of Cooperative Extension programs. Extension’s centennial is linked to the signing of the federal Smith-Lever Act, which provided funds for life-changing educational programs. Today, Cooperative Extension programs in North Carolina are based in all the state’s 100 counties and on the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. These programs draw on research-based knowledge from the state’s land-grant universities -- N.C. State University and N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University – to provide education to citizens. In Currituck County, Cooperative Extension will celebrate the centennial by sharing highlights of Extension over the years in Currituck County, hosting a Centennial Ball in November and producing a commemorative e-book. Visit the county Extension website – currituck.ces.ncsu.edu -- for updates on local centennial events and celebrations. N.C. Cooperative Extension’s centennial website provides many resources that tell the 100-year history of this organization. Visit ncce100years.ces.ncsu.edu to see a timeline of Extension milestones, historic photos, examples of Extension programs “Then and Now,” the history of the Smith-Lever Act and much more. Throughout the past 100 years and earlier, the organization now called North Carolina Cooperative Extension has served the state well – helping farmers overcome pests like the boll weevil and learn ways to increase crop yields, educating rural families and helping bring electricity to the state, assisting during times of war and disaster, helping families to provide safe, healthy meals and encouraging youth to develop skills that made them better citizens. Today, Cooperative Extension continues this important role, serving communities and families, supporting agriculture and empowering youth to be leaders. Today, extension agents help connect consumers with food produced in their communities, help families to embrace a healthy lifestyle and engage youth in science, technology, engineering and math studies. Even before the Smith-Lever Act, agricultural extension work had begun in North Carolina. In 1907, C.R. Hudson came to North Carolina to begin the work of agricultural extension from Statesville. Hudson appointed James A. Butler the first county agent, and soon farm demonstration work was under way in seven other counties: Catawba, Lincoln, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus and Rowan. Butler worked with J.F. Eagles and other Iredell County farmers on field demonstrations to teach better methods of growing corn and cotton, two commodity crops that continue as North Carolina staples today. Farmers were fighting to save cotton from the boll weevil, and farm demonstrations helped them to overcome this destructive insect pest. R.E. Jones, who first served as an agricultural agent for African-American farmers, became the first full-time African American 4-H leader in 1936. Jones went on to become the top administrator for Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T State University from 1943 to 1977; the first African American inducted into the N.C. Agricultural Hall of Fame; and the first African American to serve on the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, the panel that sets the national extension agenda. In the early 1900s, leaders like I.O. Schaub and Jane S. McKimmon began programs for boys and girls that were the precursors to today’s 4-H youth development program. The same programs attracted the attention of rural parents who started asking for similar education programs of their own. At N.C. State University today, buildings are named for both McKimmon and Schaub. Schaub was leader of the state’s Corn Clubs for boys. Corn Club members planted an acre of corn using scientific methods, and many would double or triple the corn yields of their fathers. Throughout the South, adult farmers began to request seed corn from these junior farmers, hoping to see similar results in their next crops. As Corn Club members began to earn their own spending money, girls also were looking for opportunities to earn spending money for clothing and school books. McKimmon became the first woman to lead the girls’ Tomato Clubs in North Carolina. Tomato Club members would cultivate tomatoes on 1/10 of an acre, and these young women would sell fresh tomatoes during the summer and preserve the surplus by canning for use year round. In the program’s first year, 416 girls canned nearly 80,000 jars of food. Mothers and daughters worked together on canning food, and soon the mothers asked for their own clubs. McKimmon also helped establish the first Home Demonstration Clubs for women. In addition to learning basic skills for running a home, the clubs provided valuable service to their communities – feeding the sick during the 1918 flu pandemic, providing early hot lunches in schools, supporting the war effort through collection drives and by promoting Victory Gardens. North Carolina’s literacy efforts received an early boost when Home Demonstration Clubs brought bookmobiles, and later public libraries, to their communities. The legacy of Cooperative Extension is its history of helping move North Carolina forward over the past 100 years. North Carolina remains the progressive state it is today, thanks in part to the hard work of Cooperative Extension professionals and volunteers. Watch the website for centennial news -- ncce100years.ces.ncsu.edu -- and visit your county extension center’s website for local events: currituck.ces.ncsu.edu. “Written by Natalie Hampton, CALS Communications, N.C. State University; Provided by Cameron Lowe, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Currituck”
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Cooperative Extension in Currituck was built upon the backs of many heroes. Some of those heroes are the dedicated employees who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Currituck County citizens. While titles (and even the organization’s name) have changed somewhat over the years, employees of Cooperative Extension have always been referred to as agents. They are “field faculty” of North Carolina State University or North Carolina A&T State University. Their job is to disseminate the latest research from the universities to the people as well as to communicate the needs of the people to researchers at the universities. From 1920-1929 there were four agents that served Currituck County. The first was J.E. Chandler, an “emergency” farm agent who arrived in 1920. T.B. Elliot was hired as a farm agent in 1929. The first home demonstration agent arrived in 1925. Ms. Rachel Everett originally worked under the supervision of the school board. She served until Ms. Virginia Edwards was hired in 1928 to fill the role. At the time Extension first arrived in Currituck, the county was largely truck crops, fishing and gunning. Hogs were the most popular livestock animal with around 12,000 in the county. According to reports from the first agent, farming was largely neglected. Home agents reported that homes were very poor and poorly run and there were no organized youth programs beyond the schools. Many young people were nutritionally deficient. The first decade of Extension work in Currituck County was filled with firsts. A farm board was established to assist in solving various agricultural problems in the county. The first farm agents focused their educational efforts on improving pasture, composting manure, increasing soybean acreage, treating and controlling livestock disease, improving breeding stock and developing markets and marketing techniques for producers. Home agents concentrated on improving the nutritional health of families, implementing vaccination programs, improving water sources by encouraging wells, controlling flies and home beautification through landscaping. Extension agents and dedicated volunteers introduced school lunches and a traveling library. The first 4-H Poultry club was established. (Interestingly, in 2014, a new 4-H Poultry club has been started). Nearly immediately, the situation in Currituck County began to improve. Commissioners recognized the contributions of Extension early and established funding and a physical office space. Citizens organized into effective community groups and began helping themselves. Farming techniques improved, nutritional indicators improved and disease incidence decreased. Currituck was beginning to feel like a community bound together by common goals. In 2014, Currituck Extension still boasts a wonderful staff of dedicated professionals that continue to work toward improved quality of life for Currituck County. The challenges and the landscape have certainly changed over the last 100 years, but the vision remains the same. Cooperative Extension in Currituck still aspires to empower people to improve their lives through quality, research based information and programs. For more information on Cooperative Extension, contact the county office at 252-232-2261, visit the website at http://currituck.ces.ncsu.edu or email the County Extension Director at cameron_lowe@ncsu.edu. The Currituck County Center of NC Cooperative Extension extends to county residents the educational resources of NC State University and NC A&T State University. Both universities commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.
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Twenty-seven members of the Currituck Run came to the starting line on March 29th, 2014 to participate in the 1st Currituck Run Club Membership 5k. Runners and walkers alike completed the course around MORE »
Corolla Extension and Community Association is hosting a “High Tea and Fashion Show” on May 7th at The Currituck Club starting at 2:00 pm. Tickets for this event are $20 and capacity is MORE »
The 2014 Northeast District Extension and Community Association (ECA) District Day was hosted by Hyde County ECA. On Thursday, March 29th eight members of the Currituck ECA and the Currituck County ECA Liaison MORE »
The Currituck 4-H program, in partnership with Currituck County Schools, will once again be holding our annual summer 4-H Camp “Mesowannago” for K-5 students (must have completed Kindergarten). Six camps will be offered MORE »
Looking for a way to start a new healthy habit? Currituck and Camden County Centers of North Carolina Cooperative Extension are holding a 12-week challenge called the “1/2 Gallon Challenge”. The USDA recommends MORE »
The Currituck County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension will be conducting a program on raising a Backyard Chicken Flock on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at the Powells Point Senior Center in Powells MORE »
Hey kids, do you love spending time in the kitchen? If so, this 4-H cooking series is just for you! The series begins on April 23. The cost for the workshop is $5, MORE »
Making Sense (and Cents) out of Home Energy Efficiency Projects - The average U.S. household spends over $2,000 a year on energy. Whether you are considering making major energy efficient upgrades to your MORE » – from 
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