History of UCCE

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In honor of UCCE Colusa's upcoming Centennial Celebration, Sarah Marsh Janish takes a trip back in time, outlining the development of the Extension Service in California and how, despite shifts in funding and leadership, the mission of UCCE remains to serve the communities in which the offices are housed. For more information, see the links below:

History of UCCE

California Agriculture: 100 Years of Service

History of the Agriculture Experiment Stations

Science and Service by Ann Foley Scheuring

UCCE Rice Links

UC Rice Blog

UC Agronomy - Rice

Rice Briefs (Colusa/Yolo)

Rice Notes (Yuba-Sutter)

Rice Leaf (Butte/Glenn)

Rice in the Delta

Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is the law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.

UC ANR is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Transcript

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Hello, everyone. in which they're housed. Additionally, our office would like to announce that in honor of this achievement, we will be hosting a centennial sprint, a sort of fun run to celebrate this accomplishment. And that centennial sprint will take place Saturday, April 5th, 2025 at the Colusa Sacramento River State Recreation Area on 110th Street in Colusa. Check-in will start at 8.30am and the two-mile walk slash run will start at 9am You can register for this event at our website, cecalusa.ucanr.edu, and registration will be$30 per person and will include a shirt and entrance fee to participate. Registration will close on March 31st. Additionally, there will also be a 100-yard dash for the kids in order to earn a medal. If you have any questions about this event, please feel free to reach out to our office at 530-458-0570. Thanks, and enjoy the show.

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Hello and welcome to Thoughts on Rice, a podcast hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension Rice Advisors. I'm one of your hosts, Sarah Marchionish, and I'm a Rice Farm Advisor for Colusa and Yolo Counties. Together, the UCCE Rice Farm Advisors seek to provide relevant, topical, research-backed information relating to California rice production. We're going to go a little off our usual subject matter today. We originally started this podcast to convey information relating to rice production and research, as that's a core tenet of the mission of the University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisors. However, one thing we've learned is that the role of University of California Cooperative Extension isn't completely understood by our communities and the people we serve. We're going to take today to give a bit of background on how UCCE came about, the original goals of the organization, and what UCCE looks like today. This talk today could not have been made without the contributions from the UCANR publication, Science and Service, written by Anne Foley Shearing and published in 1995. This book is available for purchase through UCANR publications, and we do not receive incentives for recommending this book. I'd also like to acknowledge the work of James MacDonald, Rose Hayden Smith, and Rachel Searles, all who have been involved with UC ANR and have written extensively about the history and development of the mission. The complete bibliography can be found in the show notes. The immediate purpose of UC agricultural research and extension, of course, is to help California agriculture maintain and increase its productivity and efficiency, whilst conserving and maintaining the quality of the state's natural resource base. But the benefits of research, resident instruction, and extension extend far beyond the farm gate. The University of California Cooperative Extension, also known as UCCE, has a rich history that dates back over a century, intertwining education, agriculture, and community service. Let's take a journey through its evolution.

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Our story begins in the middle of the turmoil of the Civil War, when a beleaguered U.S. Congress passed three pieces of legislation that, though pending for some time, had not yet made it through Congress. Compared with the events of the war, the bills were not particularly dramatic, but they would eventually have profound impacts on the nation's agriculture and the subsequent course of American history. Between May and July of 1862, Congress established the U.S. Department of Agriculture, enacted the Homestead Act, and passed the Agricultural Colleges Land Grant Act. All three acts were aimed at developing a stronger and more productive American agriculture. The Department of Ag was empowered to collect and disseminate all kinds of useful information on agricultural subjects, and to make available amongst the people new, valuable seeds and plants. The Homestead Act liberalized previous land laws and encouraged the spread of population into remoter areas of the West. However, we're going to focus mostly on perhaps the most far-reaching of all, which was the piece of legislation usually called the Morrell Act, after its chief sponsor in Congress. This law enabled states to establish public institutions of higher education, which became known as land-grant colleges. This was the Agricultural Colleges Land Grant Act. These land-grant colleges would offer instruction in agriculture, the mechanic and practical arts, military training, and other industrial vocational fields to a democratically broad range of students at public expense. To understand the impact of the land-grant colleges on the nation as a whole, it's important to understand the context in which they were developed. By the mid-19th century, American agriculture was already commercial in most major aspects, from the early tobacco and cotton export to the South, to the milk and meat products supplied by regional farmers to the eastern seaboard cities. Still, many American farms, especially in the West, were primarily self-sustaining units, supporting a family, sure. but not contributing to the larger world, at least not in a huge way. The disparity between rural and urban living standards was becoming ever more obvious. While thousands of families from less prosperous agricultural areas sought better farming opportunities in the West from the 1840s and 50s onward, many bright young men and women left their rural homes for more economically and socially rewarding occupations in town. Their exodus from rural areas and However, this increasing industrial expansion also required increasing amounts of food for off-farm consumption. What farmers needed in order to provide that surplus that might be poured into industrializing cities, beyond the old triumvirate of land, tools, and sweat, was an organized system for gathering or discovering useful information and encouraging greater productivity, which the landmark laws of 1862 would begin to meet those needs. The Land-Grant College Act, again, also known as the Morrell Act, allocated 30,000 acres of public land to each state. However, the colleges weren't necessarily to be built directly on this land. Instead, the Act stipulated that the proceeds from the sale of these lands were to be invested in a perpetual fund, with the interest used to support and maintain at least one college focused on teaching subjects related to agriculture and the mechanic arts. The act also mandated military instruction and allowed for other scientific and classical studies. In California, the land-grant university founded from the Morrell Act was established in Berkeley in 1868. Eugene Hilgard, the second dean of agriculture and often called the true founder of the university's College of Agriculture, was deeply passionate about agricultural research. He believed in establishing a scientific foundation for agricultural education. Hilgard strongly advocated for agricultural experiment stations, viewing them as essential for promoting rational farming practices. His views were part of a broader national movement that led to the Hatch Act of 1887, which aimed to support a state agricultural experiment station with federal funding. Just a note here before we go back to Hilgard. In 1890, the Hatch Act was modified to include a number of historically black colleges, known as the 1890 land-grant universities, into the state agricultural experiment stations. These 19 universities are still found throughout the South, Midwest, and Eastern states. To name a few, Prairie View A&M in Texas, Fort Valley State in Georgia, and Alabama A&M in, you guessed it, Alabama. One more point before we move on from this in the land-grant university system. In 1994, through the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status Act of 1994, 36 federally recognized tribal colleges and universities, also known as 1994 institutions, were designated as land-grant universities. These colleges and universities are vital to improve the lives and career opportunities for Native students and the communities at large, and to support research, education, and extension programs that enhance local agriculture and food production. Back to Hilgard. From the start of his career in California, Hilgard focused on addressing practical issues faced by farmers. He quickly began writing short research reports, which were published as supplements to his annual reports or as bulletins to to newspapers like the Pacific Rural Press. Hilgard encouraged direct correspondence with farmers, leading to such a high volume of letters that by 1903, his station staff was responding to nearly 15,000 inquiries annually. In January 1884, the College of Agriculture initiated the publication of short bulletins. When the Hatch Act mandated quarterly bulletins and provided funding for their distribution, the Agricultural Experiment Station started producing longer pamphlets. By the late 1890s, some bulletins were over 30 pages long. Initially, Hilgard was the sole author on most of these publications, but other contributors soon emerged, including C.W. Woodworth on plant diseases, F.T. Bioletti on grapes and olives, and M.E. Jaffa on animal nutrition. By the time Hilgard retired in 1905, the series included 171 bulletins, with thousands more printed to meet demand, documenting both research and historical concern These reports were the precursors to the outreach newsletters still produced by Cooperative Extension Advisors today. When the Hatch Act provided more funding for reaching farmers, another thing they stipulated was the dissemination of information. In response, Hilgard implemented a series of outreach programs where he and the other agricultural professors would load up on trains and travel up and down the state. And on these trains were mobile classrooms. These classrooms held diagrams of plants, animal anatomy models, and these were extremely popular. When these trains stopped at stations up and down California, the lecturers would provide what we called farmer institutes, mobile classroom education systems that conveyed the results of UC research directly to farmers. However, it wasn't solely a one-way stream of information. This also gave the UC researchers an idea of what the needs of the local people were. But back to ag. By 1900, California's wheat boom was declining due to decreasing soil fertility and increased competition in global markets, causing production to drop from over 40 million bushels in 1895 to under 18 million by 1905, as large grain ranches began to break up. And salt! smaller parcels of land became available. The introduction of irrigation to previously arid regions sparked interest in owning farms, leading to a surge in the number of farms in California, from 72,542 in 1900 to over 100,000 by 1914. The advancements in irrigation and agricultural science made this growth possible, creating profitable orchards and vegetable farms, while improvements and transportation facilitated the shipping of products. Farmers organized cooperatives to tackle marketing challenges across vast distances, marking an exciting new era in California agriculture. The need to support this explosion of farms prompted calls for a nationwide extension service to connect land-grant colleges' research with rural communities, demonstrating effective methods for practical farming. Seaman Knapp, known as the father of extension, pioneered demonstration techniques that became fundamental to early extension work, assisting farmers in the South combat the bull weevil. The signing of the Smith-Lever Act in May 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson allowed all states to hire extension agents to assist farmers and farm groups in enhancing production and living conditions. However, California was ahead of the game. As we mentioned before, Before, UC agriculture faculty were already offering short courses at farmers' institutes, but farmers were clamoring for more and eager to have a cooperative extension educator, known as a farm advisor in California, assigned to their community. Anticipating the passage of the Smith-Lever Act, UC officials required each county government that wanted to participate in a cooperative extension partnership to allocate funding to help support extension work in that community. Additionally, it was required that a group of farmers in participating counties organized into a Farm Bureau to help guide the Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor on the issues of local agriculture. These groups later evolved into the California Farm Bureau Federation. The first California county to sign up, Humboldt County, had its Farm Advisor in place by July 1913, before the passage of the federal legislation. Seven more counties came on board in 1914. And by the end of 1916, 13 California counties had farm advisors. And in the following years, 41 of the 58 California counties secured cooperative extension farm advisors. Early extension work mainly focused on practical demonstrations applying university research, such as better pruning techniques, pest control, and cow testing associations. Beyond technical support, farm advisors By 1919, more than 3,500 of the nation's 4,000 counties had extension agents. However, after the war, special funding appropriations ceased, causing a temporary decline in the extension service, leading to the resignation of nearly half of California's farm and home advisors. Despite this, local governments recognized the value of extension work, replacing lost federal funds with state and county support. The 1920s became a golden age for extension work. Young, dynamic extension agents traveled rural roads on motorcycles and Model Ts, helping farm families improve their livelihoods. The Agricultural Extension Service's primary role remained the local dissemination of research findings. But the 1920s also saw a focus on fostering social connections and leadership among rural communities. Extension efforts included organizing fire protection districts, septic system construction, home demonstrations, nutrition education, and local economics meetings. In 1926, the director of the Extension Service, B.H. Cochran, boasted that, quote, The number of persons attending meetings conducted by members of the Agricultural Extension Service in a given year was more than double those attending all football games played by the university team. End quote. Now, I know this was almost 100 years ago, but that may still be partially true. In the years following World War I, California's agricultural landscape shifted dramatically. Farmers invested heavily in orchards and vineyards, but the resulting overproduction led to plummeting prices and financial distress for many. By 1932, California's farm income had fallen to less than half of what it had been just three years earlier. The Great Depression hit California hard, with farm foreclosures rising and unemployment levels soaring as people migrated in search of work. The Extension Service was not immune to the financial hardship. As an example, in 1929-30, the state funded the UC budget to the tune of$9.9 million. But just a few years later, in 1933-34, the state budget only allocated$6.6 million for the entire UC system. The College of Agriculture's dean, Claude Hutchinson, and the director of the Agricultural Extension Service, B.H. Cochran, took to the road. They pleaded their case to the people, via the radio, in-person meetings, and any chance they could get to convince the populace to support the Extension Service and UC research. Public support was so high they were able to restore the lost funding through the generosity of the people, who had seen the value of extension work and were not going to let it falter. Farmers facing the challenges of the Depression turned to the agricultural experimentation for solutions. Much of the productivity growth in American farms during the 1920s and 30s was attributed to extension efforts, but the role of extension agents shifted during the Depression as they participated in federal programs aimed at alleviating economic Despite these economic hardships, advancements continued, particularly in rice production technology, which proved invaluable during wartime. In 1934, the college collaborated with state agencies to create the California Approved Seed Plan, also known as CalApproved, ensuring that farmers had access to high-quality seeds and significantly improving crop yields. When World War II began, the Extension Service took charge of emergency farm labor projects and planning for post-war agricultural policies. By the time Franklin Roosevelt took office, the Agricultural Extension Service had established itself as a vital link between land-grant colleges and rural farmers. It facilitated the direct application of research through consultations, group meetings, and local demonstrations. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Extension Services quickly pivoted to focus on public safety, including assessing rural emergency water supplies. Farm advisors map safe water sources and assisted farmers in improving their water storage systems. They also organized tractor cooperatives to share machinery and provided technical support for maintaining older equipment. Other activities included promoting victory gardens and disseminating information on food preservation and conservation during wartime. Following World War II, advancements in science and technology transformed American agriculture, significantly increasing the diversity and value of California's agricultural output. The New Hatch Act of 1955 increased funding for state experiment stations. With increased funding came increased number of farm advisors and extension specialists, who expanded acreage of test plots with cooperators. The field station network doubled from 5 to 10, spread throughout the state to serve regional research needs. These research stations soon boasted agricultural success stories such as the near-total elimination of brucellosis in dairies, relocating the citrus industry to the San Joaquin Valley, and developing a safflower industry for marginal lands. Perhaps one of the most dramatic successes of this period was the compound innovation of the development of the mechanized tomato harvester and the breeding of a tomato that could handle mechanized harvest. By the 1960s, however, the societal impacts of these technological changes raised new environmental and social concerns. UCCE embraced social change, launching programs aimed at youth leadership and community engagement. Since the 60s, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, also known as FNEP, has provided free nutrition education classes in urban communities. Thousands of urban and suburban residents have benefited from the Master Gardener Program, which offers free workshops and advice to home, community, and school gardeners. Currently, more than 5,400 Master Gardener volunteers serve California communities. The Master Food Preserver program teaches Californians to safely preserve the healthy foods we produce. The 1970s and 80s saw a heightened awareness of environmental issues. UCCE embraced sustainability, introducing programs that helped farmers maintain productivity while caring for the environment, exemplified by the adoption of the Integrated Pest Management, IPM, program. In the 1990s and 2000s, UCCE expanded its outreach through technology, utilizing the internet to provide virtual workshops and resources. The extension also tailored its programs to reflect California's diverse population, including initiatives for urban agriculture and immigrant communities. A new Master Naturalist program was developed, training volunteers to help communities respond to complex issues in sustainable natural ecosystems, where observations by volunteers in the community are recorded using mobile technologies, so the data can be studied by scientists, who then respond to and help solve community problems. According to UC ANR, today there are 170 UC cooperative advisors who live, work, and conduct research in all 58 of California's counties. As part of cooperative extension, there are also 120 campus or county-based specialists and 350 community educators. It has rural roots, but as the nation has grown and communities have changed, cooperative extension has evolved, adapting programs to meet the needs of rural and non-rural audiences. All of Cooperative Extension's activities are grounded in university research and developed in partnership with local communities. After a century of service, UC Cooperative Extension continues to deliver practical, trusted, science-based solutions to Californians. Today, the University of California Cooperative Extension is a vibrant entity with a profound impact on California's agriculture, environment, and communities. It operates through a network of local offices, offering research-based education in areas like water conservation, food safety, and climate-smart agriculture. The Extension is about fostering resilient communities. Through 4-H youth programs, nutrition education, and community health initiatives, UCCE has become a cornerstone of community support across the state. As we look to the future, UCCE continues to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change, food security, and the evolving needs of California's diverse population. By leveraging technology and fostering partnerships, UCCE remains committed to its mission of enhancing the well-being of all Californians through education and innovation. I'll leave off on this final note, which is a quote from Stanton Calvert, Vice Chancellor for the Governmental Affairs at Texas A&M University, which just so happens to be my alma mater. Quote, The land-grant legacy was born out of the conviction that knowledge created for the adventure it provides to the discoverer advances the discipline and is good. But knowledge created, transmitted, and applied to solve real problems transforms lives and society and thus serves the greater good. We have a few upcoming events. The UCCE Rice team will be holding a propanil stewardship meeting. And this will take place in two locations on two different dates, but it'll be the same meeting. And the first will be March 17th in Woodland at the Yolo County Farm Bureau office. And the second date will be March 18th in Richvale at the Community Church. We'll have the agenda and all other information up on our resources, so for more information about these and other upcoming events, feel free to check out our resources, which include the UC Rice blog and the UC Agronomy Rice website. In terms of other resources you may want to take advantage of, you can also look at our Thanks for listening. We're also experimenting with polls on Spotify, so if you're listening on Spotify, you may have an option to answer some of those questions, and we might be able to talk about that on air. You can also email us with any comments, questions, or concerns at thoughtsonrice at ucdavis.edu. Spring has sprung for those of us here in the Sac Valley, and rice season is right around the corner. Remember, like the growers like to say, Have a rice life. Mention of an agrochemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is the law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general purposes only. The University of California name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner, and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.