What is the Cooperative Extension System?
- The creation of the Cooperative Extension System goes back to 1862 when President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, creating the Land Grand College System. The mission of these colleges was to educate citizens in agriculture, home economics, and mechanical arts. In Connecticut, the Storrs Agricultural College was established in 1871 and would later become the University of Connecticut.
- In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the Smith Lever Act, creating the Agricultural Extension System, to “extend” the efforts of the land grant colleges to working farmers and homemakers, an effort to be shared between the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the land grant colleges. This effort would develop into the Cooperative Extension System of today.
- The Extension System would play important roles during World War I and World War II home front efforts, encouraging farmers to plant more wheat to support the troops, teaching homemakers how to dry and preserve the food that they raised, and organizing the “Women’s Land Army” and “Boys’ Working Reserve”. The extension system was also a sponsor of the popular Victory Garden program.
Made possible by the above legislations, the FAIRFIELD COUNTY EXTENSION CENTER is 1 of 8 Cooperative Extension Centers, located in the state of Connecticut, one present in each county.
A Brief History of the
Bethel/Fairfield County Extension Center
1950 – The Fairfield County Farm Bureau purchases the first parcel of land from Frederick and Ada Weed that, through later Farm Bureau purchases and land donations made by the Weed family, will become the future home of the Fairfield County Extension Center.
1955– The Fairfield County Agricultural Extension Council (FCAEC) is chartered, an organization of volunteers given charge to support and partner with the Extension service and develop the property for UConn Extension programming.
1957 – The current white building located on the East side of the parking lot, is donated, dismantled, and reassembled by Extension volunteers, relocated from its original location at the Shepaug Dam.
1960 – Transfer of land ownership is initiated from the Fairfield County Farm Bureau to FCAEC.
1970 – Construction of the brick building begins following extensive fundraising efforts and a $60,000 Mortgage by FCAEC.
1971 – The brick building is completed, and UConn Cooperative Extension Service staff moves in.
1971 thru present – UConn Extension Programming expanded to include Nutrition Education and Counseling, Urban Agriculture, 4H, Home Horticulture and Master Gardener services.
1978 – The first Master Gardener program is established in the state of Connecticut at the Fairfield County Extension Office in Bethel.
2013 – The UConn Extension Master Gardener Demonstration Garden is initiated at the site, growing over the next 10 years to what you see today, providing organic gardening education to our county residents and sharing the bounty with our area food pantries.