00391 About state extension fact sheets

Tapping your feet to the ceremony just won't do. — Eugene Hutz

Every state in the U.S. has an “Extension” program, usually linked with the leading agricultural research university in the state. These state university extension departments are useful sources of information. They often have local offices at the county level which offer free expert advice on issues like gardening, building, cooking, and home economics topics.

They publish fact sheets on a wide range of topics. Most of these are available online as well as from local and state offices. However, their documents must be read with a certain amount of discretion. Because large universities published these fact sheets, they often recommend the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and fungicides. Ignore any anti-permacultural recommendations and instead concentrate on useful information like planting dates, pruning techniques, food preservation and processing, pest identification, etc.

Extension publications do discuss organic options. The rise of interest in organic production makes such publications more important to extension departments.

Don’t hesitate to call your local extension office with questions about gardening, food processing/preserving, or farming. Your extension office is a great source of localized information, such as varieties of fruit trees suitable for your area, first and last freeze dates, etc. Many extension offices will do pressure tests for canning equipment and calibrate gauges.

Extension offices located in urban counties and cities have information specialized for city situations.