The Extension system began with President Abraham Lincoln way back in 1862.  He signed 3 acts that changed our country in a profound way.  Those acts were

•Authorizing the formation of the US Department of Agriculture (Now known as the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
•The Homestead Act which encouraged the settlement of public domain lands
•And the Morill act which established what we call a “land grant institution” in every state to help those not born wealthy and elite to be able to earn an education.  It also ensured instruction in agriculture and home economics in higher education, instead of only offering a classical education to students. 


But he had a problem.  How can all these new landowners benefitting from the Homestead Act and the new agriculture students benefitting from the land grant institutions have someone close by to provide education for them to them farm their new land?

By passing more acts!

The Hatch act of 1887 passed during Grover Cleveland’s presidency partnered the newly formed USDA and Land grant colleges by allocating annual federal funding from the USDA to the colleges for research.

The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson provided funds for the USDA and land grant colleges to cooperatively administer agricultural extension education.  The intent of agricultural extension education is to transform the research done by the land grant universities to bring it to our citizens in practical ways.  Since Ezra Cornell founded Cornell University in 1865 as the Land Grant University for New York State, Cornell Cooperative Extension has been operating for over 150 years!


Last modified: Wednesday, 31 December 2025, 4:01 PM