Extension Heritage: Commemorating 50 Years of Extension Work in Iowa, 1956

in nineteen three the Foundation's were laid in several parts of the United States for broad educational programs for farm people in that year the use of organized farm demonstrations as an educational tool to improve American agriculture began almost simultaneously in Texas and in Iowa down in Texas the boll weevil was threatening to destroy the cotton crop under the one crop farming system failure of this crop spell disaster for the people semen a nap a former president of Iowa State College was sent to Texas by the United States Department of Agriculture and he saw the need to convince the people that a system of diversified farming was the solution to their problem dr. nap found a cooperator for a demonstration he was Walter Porter who lived near Terrell nap solicited the cooperation of businessmen in terrell who agreed to underwrite any loss that Porter might incur the demonstration program was a success and within a short time similar demonstrations were established throughout the south fifty years later a marker was placed on the porter farm for the first cooperative demonstration between the federal government a farmer and local businessman was established in Iowa a demonstration program also got underway in nineteen three in the same month as a demonstration in Texas a farmer's Institute was underway on februari the 18th at Hall in Sioux County it was held in this building which stood on the site for hulls modern community center is now located at the turn of the century selection of seed corn was more or less a hit and miss proposition prior to planting time most farmers went to their crib and picked out ears that looked good if the Germans in the Colonel's look like they would grow the corn was saved for seed even though their methods weren't scientific by present-day standards farmers wanted to know how to grow more corn one of the speakers at the Institute in hall was PG Holden authority on corn and a professor of agronomy at Iowa State College in response to a question he told his audience that it would be much better if the farmers of the community conducted corn growing demonstrations local rather than basing their decisions entirely on the results of trials made at the college and aims and this statement appealed to the institute a resolution was passed and duly reported in the hall index 50 years later John hymens left and Jake Moss who attended the Institute point out to co Sawyer former publisher and still an employee of the index the resolution passed at the Institute whereas it is believed that the board of supervisors upon request set aside a portion of the poor farm for such experimental form and appropriate money to purchase feed and to pay the extra expense incurred in carrying on such experiments as may be deemed best to be made the record of that institute is also recorded in the files of the Sioux County capital at Orange City where in nineteen three the Dutch language dominated the local press and the Volks friend was the weekly paper sue counties Board of Supervisors received the Institute's petition favorably and in the Sioux County Courthouse their official action is recorded in book number four of the County Board records sioux county auditor MJ van Wyk shows the record to George Dunlap su county's first extension director and to RK bliss former director of extension work in Iowa the record read relative to establishing an experiment station on the county forum on motion the board made an appropriation of a hundred fifty dollars to be used for an experiment station at the county poor farm the committee appointed to superintendents work je Emery HJ bender law and HH McKee as a result of the interest shown at the Institute and the action of the County Board of Supervisors a cooperative demonstration was established in 1953 George Dunlap and arcade lists were so interested that with present extension director Duane relator they visited the field in which corn taken from the seed supplies and planter boxes of farmers of the community was planted this is attempted the people of home to make plans to properly commemorate the 50th anniversary of this beginning of Agricultural Extension the anniversary celebration brought together 7-330 folks State Extension officials william stage the governor the state of Iowa congressman Hoban the former extension vectors have two pennies but a venerable old gentleman at 89 years where they center the celebration it is mr. Holden the same gentleman who is present and a key figure in a start of extension 50 years ago the fuckin they said that the question had been raised as to whether the experiments don't aims which be reliable up here was big because it decisional out here that was a good question yes and Jay first and there is I when he asked me here two more questions and and then I reply that I thought that they were discussing one of the greatest questions that have been raised in this faith are in this country at that it was found it is true and that I understand that you have a coke addict or I'm up here and I want any of the finest old way of life was a fine said what's the use of my grown up in just running this phone get enough Natalie for the cabbage and they said well could you come back with would you be willing to conduction experiments out there and he said he would well I said that is simply wonderful and I said that I will agree that some of the collapse in the college and help you plan this and put it on a sound basis social all be pleased with it and I wish you Godspeed in yours and but there was considerable opposition shown by certain parties especially the representative who had been followed with the original representative had died after the session legislature and then this man was appointed but had no heaven to duties and he was very anxious to be elected to the position well about that time the women in the back part of the hall why they prepare dinner they notified us that once was now ready and so we journey and so after we adjourned the women come around me and said mr. Holden he said the reason why so representative is opposed is that he thinks it'll make votes fall and if he shows the spirits of economy and he said we want you to help us if you will so after the meeting we again called water and then this man got up and said well let's not fool around with a few hundred dollars let's make it five thousand dollars and make you something worthwhile I said up pop pops up every big thing started little remember and we'd better be careful and of course they all shared then and men a man got up and he had a pleased that you wish upon his head here that the gone there I don't know who he was but he told the story said now there's bill think what a man could do we had an agent here in this county and I had already said that why you ought to have a County agent in every county you had County superintendents of schools why don't you have asked county superintendent of agriculture agriculture makes every business and then destroying really and responsible for life itself and and so then he while this man is speaking he said just think about that boy bill he says Lord only creation most were yesterday and he said in such a way that they roared and lasting and and mr. Hawkin yeah while they were laughing he put the question all those in favor say aye all those opposed say no his excellent memory still has many of the details that they're emitting and there were others present such as Reverend reps and who could Felton reconstruct all the detail to that early extension venture urban loft interior being a board at corn train one of the early extension project they that's exam happy to meet something how did that was on that train they that train was had I made 50 species in three days and the 20 minutes to the stars and they came right into the car and use the car for an audience you know and then they got to help me went to next place and I made 50 speaking no three days when I came here over 50 years ago to Northern Iowa some of the progressive or more progressive farmers then said told me that this will never be a corn contract were too far north but now when our boys are putting out a hundred bushels of corn to an acre somebody was mistaken then and it has certainly been largely developed by improving the seed corn as well as adding to the fertility and conserving this this soil and building up the soil that makes for good core that's wonderful and let me say this right here you take what of this question of soil you know one of our greatest problems Micucci is going to be the take care of this message soil it takes two things to make a great country good soil and great people and go into soft claims of Utah and Arizona Nevada and what do you see no fertility as I am on the other hand we've got to have great people good people and that willing to work if you people have done up to here and saw that tip we can have intelligent people on the farm and that means education I agree with that and we must learn to to consider that this soil and this rich syrup soil here in Northern Iowa is a sacred Satan absol you said landlord should not it's wrong to abuse it and not use it to its greatest purpose that for which the Great Creator intended us to use why I say you're stating they some of the most fundamental principles that we're faced with now do you know that agriculture agriculture is the business that make the business for every other business in the United States in the world and when agriculture failed and when we fail to realize that the tremendous importance of it then we're falling way PG Holden is the first director of the aisle extension kiddo and RK bliss he started his work under Holden was the second he was the director through most of the intervening years because the farmers of soot count in coop with Iowa State College established here a system of successful county extension education that has spread throughout the country it is a case of a creative forward-looking group of farmers meeting with a creative teacher and out of this meeting of minds a new system of permanent adult education for farmers emerged here at the zoo County Farm farmers Institute was born the fundamental system of organization under which county cooperated extension work is now conducted throughout the United States the plan developed here in nineteen three went steadily forward there has never been a backward stick after hearing from arcade lists the present associate director Marvin Anderson had a word for the future but to arrive at the point of action that's up to you just as it was 50 years ago you and people like you in every community in Iowa must say what is wanted what is needed you must designate the problem just as you did 50 years ago progress does not arise from formulas arrived by a select few or from government or from hired hand it can only come by reflection planning and action with a purposeful direction of and by all the people concerned the Cooperative Extension Service has always been it can always had its root in the local community it has always been guided by the people themselves local staff such as we have in this county the county extension director in the county extension home economist are your heart hand to carry out this in the kind of program that you want through the resources of Iowa State College and the United States Department vector and still speaking of the same enthusiasm and zeal for extension work that he had 50 years ago people I am very proud to come back to this spot while 50-yard years ago I met with a group of Europe people here at an institute and so they were started them a movement which has had a wonderful result throughout not only this state but all the states of the union and is now going to the other countries of the world and why is it was so important because that came from the people it's what they wanted and that is the source of democracy and you know as I think of it that wouldn't follow it and any of you that follow the history of this thing and and in other words I say why do I think it's so important because it led to one of the greatest developments at ours our state and our College and in the united states that of extension work taking it right to the people in their homes and when i came off from that first to train and that people come in editors from New York just know what had happened why the idea of going right out in the train and talking to the people take him agriculture right to the home why said we never heard of anything like that and they were so surprised at that method well that has gone now down so that every county has the County agent is getting contact with the people and it led to extension words that and the other thing but this is one of the fundamental thing people said we want more of it and when I say mr. Wallace asked me if I draw a bill establishing an extension department here was a people from here and red oak and other people places why we'd had these corn trains said that's the kind of work we want and we wanted have a department that gives all of its time to taken these things out to the people you see we had what Lincoln was once I asked what are the three which of the three departments of the government is most important executive legislative or judicial and when Abe Lincoln in the customary way said I will answer your question by asking you a question which legs of a three-legged stool is most important now I said you've got peaches you've got experimentation you haven't taken it to the people yes and that's what this started but taking it right to the people right here in the county see what their own corn is doing to the size of the other people's corn you don't get but progress by long-range poking that people you've got to go right with them and be with them and health right at home the best things that I've ever done all came from someone like this I didn't start this something your people wanted to know why they couldn't have some experiments here and bring it close to it and I saw it once what it's meant to the features and I told them so I said it'll all of the United States if you people will start this movie and it has and has been strengthened who would want to take out now and go back and take all of that work out like the County agent work and they the demonstration farm and the short courses they've got right to the people going to the people where they are they all paid for it and questions they'll have some of it and I think that I'm not saying that one department's more important another but if one of us three legs this tool now and it's a very important now throughout the nation and in every Isle County an extension director is employed in many counties a home economist and a youth assistant also work in this program that combines that the request of the people resources of their own organization of the county government the state government and through the United States Department of Agriculture the federal government the state land grant college coordinates the research of the state experiment station and the federal research agencies to bring to the people the latest findings these are relayed back through county extension office's to the people and so in 1953 on the same field on the same farm where cooperative demonstration work began in Iowa 19 3 a demonstration program still goes on instead of corn potatoes were planted in 1953 to find what rate and what kind of fertilizers would produce the maximum yield but throughout Iowa corn is still the crop in which farmers have the most interest just as they did in nineteen three on the groundwork for a Cooperative Extension work was laid Thank You service has taught me through the McLean system to raise better swine the Extension Service through soil conservation has taught me how to keep my farm from washing away the Extension Service had helped me in the selection and feeding all livestock and a 4-h leader for 21 years and I've had contact with about 80 some girls and to see them grow up and be their leader has taught me to be a better girl in myself as well as all the rest of girls it's been my college education you