Extension does not always have the clout you give it credit for. A 1999
USDA survey on pest management in agriculture shows that on average
Extension ranks 2nd behind farm supply stores/chemical dealers as the place
farmers go for their information about growing crops. In addition, it is
my experience that Extension, at least in Virginia, is taking a hard look
at and developing more programs in the area of farm profit and how that
affects reduced farmer population and transition to the next generation of
farmers.
At 02:09 PM 5/2/00 -0400, David Stanley wrote:
>I advocate (perhaps futilely) a radical change in the US agricultural
>support programs, from ones that relentlessly promote cheap food (done), to
>ones that promote a stable food supply by preserving farmers. This can only
>be done by changing Extension from an organization obsessed with yield to
>one obsessed with farm profit. This would remove the emphasis on inputs by
>systematically removing those that add unjustified costs and drive down
>farm-gate prices.
Peter L. Warren
Extension Agent, Integrated Pest Management
Virginia Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 30, Orange, VA 22960
phone: (540)672-1361 fax: (540)672-0234
email: plwarren@vt.edu web: http://www.ext.vt.edu/offices/orange
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