VALLEY — Colorado State University is a Land Grant University. Colorado State University has three primary functions as a Land Grant University. Formal teaching, or what we often think of as classroom work is the most recognizable function.  Research through campus departments and research centers such as the San Luis Valley Research Center (which many know as the Agricultural Experiment Station) is the second function. The third function of the Land Grant University is the Extension program. The Extension program “extends” the university to local communities.

The Extension program brings education and information to residents and communities of Colorado. In the San Luis Valley Area Extension office, there are educators with expertise in Youth Development, Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Locally these educators offer a wide variety of in-demand programs to meet the needs and improve the lives of Valley residents. Much of the education and information provided by the educators is based on the research of land grant universities.    

Also, to make the education and information available to all people, most of the education programs are no cost or low cost. To help ensure that programs meet local needs, an advisory board of local representatives provides input into programs of the SLV Area Extension office. Local government representatives also provide input.

To bring the Extension role of the Land Grant University to local communities, the university relies on help from local county governments. Colorado State University Extension and the local counties have a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU) that describes how local support and support from the university will take place. 

In the MOU, Colorado State University covers most of the cost of the educator’s salary and benefits. They also provide statewide subject matter specialist and administrative support and fund the EFNEP program and educator. The local counties cover a portion of educator salaries, the cost of operating the office and provide funding for support staff. In the San Luis Valley this division of cost means that Colorado State University covers around 2/3 of the cost of the local program while the six local counties cover around 1/3 of the cost. This allows the local counties to individually incur a much smaller cost than if each county were to fund similar education programs on their own.

The San Luis Valley is a unique program for Extension. In much of Colorado, the Extension program is managed on a one county, one office basis. In the San Luis Valley, there are six counties who are all managed through one office. This allows for a large cost savings for the SLV county governments. 

As you may have read in the newspaper, some of the counties have cut their budget contribution to the SLV Extension program. The reasons for this vary, but the result becomes the same. The SLV Extension office has four professional staff and one support staff. With the budget cuts that were made, the program will lose staff. At the current budget level at least one professional staff position will be lost, and the support staff position may be lost as well. The result may mean that the current program areas of Family and Consumer Sciences, and Agriculture will be lost. The 4-H program would likely change significantly as well. 

Currently, the SLV Area Extension staff, Colorado State University and local county governments are exploring ways to make up for the budget reduction. We are also looking for input and support from the San Luis Valley community as well. Ideas on how to make up the budget shortfall are greatly appreciated. Also, if you feel up to sharing your Extension experiences with your county commissioners and asking them for additional support that would be appreciated as well.

Over the next few weeks you can read about some of the programs the SLV Area Extension program has available and the impacts they have had.

If the SLV Area Extension Office can help you please get in touch with us. For more information about the Colorado State University Extension program, contact the San Luis Valley Area Extension Office at 719-852-7381 or visit http://sanluisvalley.colostate.edu.

Extension programs are available to all without discrimination, Colorado State University Extension, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Colorado counties cooperating.