The involvement of University of Idaho Extension in the lives of rural Idahoans can be traced to the first years of statehood. Formed by Congress through the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, Cooperative Extension continues to: “…aid in diffusing among the people…useful and practical information…Extension work shall consist of the development of practical applications of research knowledge and giving of instruction and practical demonstrations of improved practices on technologies…”

Photos above and below: A class in computer technology helps 4-H youth become Internet Masters who in turn share their knowledge with others. UI Photographic Services.

These portions of the act reinforce UI Extension’s integral role in rural America. Its programs have helped many Idahoans sustain rural lifestyles.

Extension delivers cutting-edge technology with such programs as Internet Masters. Computers are powerful tools to promote learning and widen the lines of communication, says Carol Benesh, associate 4-H/youth specialist in the State 4-H Office. Idaho’s Internet Masters take 30-hour training courses on how to access, search, retrieve, and post Internet information. Attendees then share their training with others, often in rural settings.

“Idaho needs a major public investment similar to the REA (Rural Electrification Administration) in the late ’30s and ’40s that transformed rural America.”

Interest in computers has exploded in the past decade, evidenced by about one-third of the Idaho Teen Conference youth registering for the “Get Wired Up!” track in June. Teens explored the digital world and formed technology leadership teams to share their expertise around the state.

Examples of long-term traditional extension programs are Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver. “Both of these programs are helping people to improve their health and safety while being more self sufficient,” says Neil Meyer, UI Extension agricultural economist.

“Helping people grow” is the motto of UI extension’s Master Gardener Program. More than 1,000 extension educators and experienced Master Gardener volunteers teach about 500 new gardeners annually to be Idaho Master Gardeners. Applicants receive basic horticultural training on a variety of topics, and graduates assist in many areas of the community through demonstration gardens, horticulture classes, landscape design, information booths, and through service at the extension office.

Master Food Preservers judge at fairs, answer calls, staff booths at farmers’ markets, and answer questions about food preservation. Their volunteer efforts in communities throughout Idaho parallel that of Internet Masters and Master Gardeners—30 hours after 30 hours in classes.

“Master Food Preservers help ensure that the food that people prepare is safe,” said Joan Parr, UI extension educator in Cassia County. Courses cover all aspects of food preservation—canning, freezing, and drying (such as making beef jerky).

Research knowledge is dispersed in other UI Extension programs such as small-acreage farming and efforts to find fruit tree varieties that can be successful in eastern Idaho’s higher elevations.

“These programs bring dollars from other places to make the local economy prosper,” Meyer said.

“It certainly supplements an income,” said Vickie Parker-Clark, a UI extension educator in Kootenai County, of small-acreage farming. “Some growers are making a living from their small-acreage farms. Others use the income to supplement their retirement. Another hopes the small-acreage enterprise will become a full income in five years or so. Niche markets have helped keep people on the farm.”

UI extension educator Brian Finnigan has helped small-acreage growers near Blackfoot test and develop fruit tree varieties that withstand that region’s frigid winter temperatures and short growing season.

Meyer says, “Idaho rural areas are at a disadvantage. Communication deficiencies in this state make this difficult,” he said about the dependence that rural enterprises have in a global economy. At the turn of the 20th Century, families provided a lot more of the inputs locally to sustain their operations. “Industrialized agriculture uses less human labor and fewer home-grown products and is more dependent upon specialized inputs that are provided globally,” Meyer said.

“Idaho needs a major public investment similar to the REA (Rural Electrification Administration) in the late ’30s and ’40s that transformed rural America,” Meyer suggests. He grew up on a small dairy farm before REA enabled the use of a milking machine and pumps to carry water into his family’s home. Idaho, indeed the nation, needs to make that same kind of investment into communications infrastructure today, he insists.
 

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