No surprise that the Illinois Extension program is having budget problems. Read the article and particularly the comments below after the jump. This isn't just a State of Illinois problem. The Extension Program across the country has largely outlived its usefulness. It should have been radically modernized or cut back long ago.
We are now a digital urban society and the extension program is an institution of a bygone rural society. Its roots are in rural dirt.
The clay pot culture that I see proselytized daily by the USDA and Extension Program is anachronistic to the needs of people living in the city.
A significant exception is the Cook County (Chicago) program. Illinois would be wise to allocate more of its funds to Cook County and further support the fine work of Ron Wolford and his group of Master Gardeners.
What they are doing at the
Museum of Science and Industry Smart Home should be implemented as a generic extension program project all across the country. The extension program would then be justifying its existence by improving nutrition, reducing obesity, helping the environment and advancing science education with modern methods of urban greenscaping and agriculture.
Add the University of Illinois Extension to the list of entities that hasn’t been able to collect what is owed by the state. Extension spokesman Gary Beaumont said Friday the office is looking into the possibility of eliminating or combining offices. “We’re trying to be responsible and realistic in our budget planning,” Beaumont said. “We’re trying to float a couple of ideas that our constituents can respond to.” The agency is scheduling several public forums around the state to discuss the funding shortfall. One of those is set for 6 p.m. March 9 at the Extension Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. John Fulton, director of the Logan County Extension Unit, said Illinois owes about $10 million to Extension. “We’re in an information- and opinion-gathering stage,” Fulton said. “After March 12, we’ll be looking at putting together a plan in fairly short order. We’ll start implementing it in July and be done in August.
via www.sj-r.com
My So-Called Wife
On the lighter side after Friedman. I came of age with family in the 1950's. Many laughs while reading this. So who gets to plow the "victory garden?"
via www.nytimes.com
Posted by Greenscaper on January 24, 2010 at 08:36 AM in Editorial Comment, Victory Gardens | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)