Federal land grants

Don't Take Land Grants For Granted

The free ride is over. If we want land grant universities to conduct applied research and grower training, we're going to have to pay for it.

EXTENSION is a dodo bird waiting to happen. That's what one of the most revered retired floriculture professors told me at the National Floriculture Forum last month, as we were waiting in line for the food buffet.

Generations of growers have relied on Cooperative Extension Service for help with crops, as organizers of educational and networking events, and for research that would take their industries to the next level. But the level of service and support we've been accustomed to is vanishing in most states.

Extension was established with the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 as a partnership among federal, state and local governments. The network's foundation is the land grant universities created with the Morrill Act of 1862 to establish colleges dedicated to the agricultural and mechanical arts. The three primary functions were teaching, research and extending that knowledge to people in the state. Extension has been the conduit between researchers and growers - sharing knowledge and communicating priorities.

These programs used to be fully funded by state and federal governments. Traditionally, a faculty member with an Extension/research appointment would have a full-time technical assistant on state funds and a travel budget for Extension work. Today, these programs are publicly assisted, not funded, and faculty must secure grants and private dollars to support their programs. At the same time, floriculture is losing its identity as scientific and agricultural departments merge.

In terms of promotion and tenure, academics are no longer rewarded for serving the industry. They are judged by the money they bring in and scholarly work they publish in peer-reviewed academic journals that growers don't read. I was surprised to learn that the articles we publish by academia do not help them advance. For Extension agents, the articles do at least help them quantify their impact. Universities have a different agenda and most of their colleges do not have an industry clientele to serve.

The good news is Extension is strong where the industry is strong in parts of California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York and Ohio. In fact, Cornell University's Long Island Horticulture Research and Extension Center is hiring a floriculture Extension agent to conduct applied research. This person will plan, develop and evaluate environmental stewardship and sustainable horticulture programs.

One state that rallied to keep Extension was Michigan in late 2003. Thousands of residents flooded the governor's office with letters, calls, faxes and e-mails when Michigan State University's (MSU) Extension and Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station were on a $28 million chopping block

More good news: Innovative young faculty are finding ways to serve the industry and generate revenue at the same time. MSU's Floriculture College of Knowledge has enrolled 400 growers and generated $300,000. The University of Georgia (UGA) received $250,000 for underwriting the The Home Depot's Nursery Certification Program content. UGA is also cultivating future floriculture students by working with the state to certify horticulture teachers at the high school level. One way to save your program is to increase enrollment.

Growers are also preserving floriculture programs by endowing chairs at select universities. The newest ones are the Bachman Chair at University of Minnesota, which has a marketing focus, and the Ellison Chair at Texas A&M University. Stay tuned for details on the Allan Armitage Chair at UGA.

As you can see, academia must follow the money. If we want floriculture to have a future, we're going to have to fund it. Support your local land grant university or your alma mater. Help nationally by contributing to Floriculture Industry Research & Scholarship Trust and American Floral Endowment. Support lobbying efforts that communicate the value of our industry at the state and national levels. If not, floriculture programs will become a flightless, extinct dodo bird.

by DELILAH ONOFREY

Ornamentals Group Editor

donofrey@meistermedia.com