Cooperative Extension marks 100 years of working for Wisconsin

You are invited to join Lincoln County Cooperative Extension for a reception on Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 5-6 p.m. in the Upper Level of the Lincoln County Service Center for a 100th Anniversary Celebration. The celebration will provide an opportunity to share your Extension stories as well as thank each of you for your support of Extension educational programs.

Cooperative Extension's first agent, E.L. Luther, hired in 1912 in Oneida County, made farm visits using a two-cylinder motorbike. One hundred years later, both modes of transportation and Cooperative Extension programming have changed, but one important point remains the same.

Cooperative Extension educators continue to serve as a portal to educational resources from the University of Wisconsin to address issues faced by individuals, families, businesses and communities around the state.

"Our centennial creates opportunities for us to celebrate 100 years of Cooperative Extension history through stories that highlight how we've evolved and changed to meet the needs of people, businesses and communities in Wisconsin and beyond," said Cooperative Extension Dean and Director Richard M. Klemme.

In 1911, the Wisconsin legislature provided funds for counties to jointly employ with the University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture "an agriculturist who is an agent of a restricted area, a county or a part of one." The Oneida County Board was the first county to send three of their members to Madison, asking the University for this service, with expenses to be shared on a 50/50 basis. Luther was hired in February 1912, and two additional agents were hired that same year, one in Eau Claire County and the other in Barron County. The first Extension Agent in Lincoln County, A.H. Cole, began as the Agricultural agent in 1914.

In 1912, Luther provided agricultural information about livestock, winter feed, soils and legumes. Today, Cooperative Extension is home to four program areas offering local information in person and online, providing research-based information 24/7. Local Cooperative Extension offices also connect communities with University of Wisconsin campuses, where Cooperative Extension faculty and staff provide research-based information about the issues facing the people of Wisconsin.

With an office in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties and on three Native American reservations, Cooperative Extension develops practical educational programs tailored to local needs and based on university knowledge and research. Cooperative Extension delivers expertise to the public, addressing a wide range of needs, in both urban and rural areas of the states. Information about the Lincoln County Cooperative Extension Office is available online at http://lincoln.uwex.edu/.