To Educate a People

There's an Oriental proverb that captures the essence of a futures perspective for Extension:To plant a seed is to think a year ahead.To plant a tree is to think 10 years ahead.To educate a people is to think 100 years ahead.This speaks directly to Extension's history as well as to its future.Extension is rooted in agriculture and has contributed to creating the most productive agricultural system in the world.From these roots, Extension has created programs serving youth, homemakers, and communities.As the economy of the United States has become less agricultural, so has Extension programming.