The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 provided federal support for land-grant universities to establish Cooperative Extension Services. Cooperative Extension was originally designed to bring vocational, agricultural, and home economics learning opportunities to all residents. Today Nebraska Extension (formerly called Cooperative Extension) brings University of Nebraska expertise and research in nine priority focus areas of impact directly to Nebraskans from all walks of life in each of the state’s 93 counties. Nebraskans turn to Nebraska Extension to strengthen their families, inspire their communities, empower young people, conserve and protect natural resources and advance their farms, ranches and businesses.
The nine Extension priority focus areas include 4-H Youth Development, Beef Systems, Community Environment, Disaster Education, FNH (Food, Nutrition & Health), Early Childhood, Rural Prosperity, Agricultural Economics, and WICS (Water and Integrated Cropping Systems). As of result of changes in 2015, Extension educators serve multiples counties called an accountability region in one of these nine focus areas. There is no longer an Ag Agent serving one county and covering all topics related to agriculture, yard, and garden. For example, I am a Water & Integrated Cropping Systems Extension Educator for Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties. I am an agronomist, Certified Crop Adviser, and have a PhD in agronomy. My workstation is in Wilber. If you have an agronomic question in Saline, Jefferson, or Gage counties, I am the educator you will be directed to and the one to come visit your field. If you have a yard, garden, or tree question, you will talk with Nicole Stoner, the Community Environment Educator. Nicole’s workstation is in Beatrice. The same structure is in place for the other seven Extension priority focus areas across Nebraska. In 2019, 11 engagement zones were created and coordinators hired to bring more consistency across county Extension offices.
It is normal to walk into or call your county Extension office and be directed to one of these accountability region educators, who may or may not be physical located in your county, but is responsible for helping Nebraskans like you in that county with that focus area. Our support staff are very knowledgeable about directing you to the educator with the appropriate expertise based on your question. I encourage you to visit the Nebraska Extension Expertise and Personnel Directory online at https://epd.unl.edu/and see the statewide focus priority areas or program maps and use the interactive map to click on your county to see the different educators that are serving your county.
For more information about Nebraska Extension and other general inquiries about agronomic resources from Nebraska Extension, feel free to contact me at or 402-821-1722. Know your crop, know your tech, know your bottom line at croptechcafe.org.
