Let me give you a brief history of why OSU Extension has a presence in our county. If you have ever visited Ohio State University main campus or watched buckeye football on TV, you may have seen two white buildings located next to the football stadium. In these are student housing and business offices. One is the Lincoln Tower, named after Abraham Lincoln. The other is the Morrill Tower name after Justin Morrill.
During the mid 1800’s, the nation was experiencing an economic time similar to the one we have currently been experiencing. To promote economic recovery, Morrill persuaded Lincoln to pass an act that would grant tracts of land in each state on which states could build universities. This was the 1860 land grant system. For example, there’s an OSU in Ohio, Rutgers in New Jersey, and Cornell in New York. In the 1890’s the land grant act was used to build 17 Historically black colleges and Universities in states where Blacks were excluded from the original land grant university.
In the early 1900’s another act was passes. This stated that land grant universities would be the university for all the citizens of a state, not just the students who attend classes on campus. This was the beginning of the Land-Grant departments of Extension in which the university faculty and staff members were placed into counties to educate residents with research-based information.
At first Extension educators focused on topics related to agriculture. But as social sciences grew, extension began to focus on topics related to home economics. Today, home economics is known as the Family and Consumer Sciences. Topics focus on relationship skills, health and nutrition, and financial management. Economic development is another added area that has been developed to help communities grow through businesses development and retention. The last program area 4-H Youth Development was actually developed here in the state of Ohio. Many people recognize the presence of 4-H in their county, but may not associate it with the land grant university.
4-H Youth development is a part of OSU Extension and is directed by staff hired through the university to serve in the community. 4-H is not a standalone youth development organization, as it funded through USDA, State, and our local current levy funding. As a part of Extension, it thrives when surrounded by the support of the other program areas to help educate the youth in the programming. Ag and Natural Resources can offer programs, information, and research that benefits youth in those projects, offer club educational presentations, and share resources such as the insects from the Entomology lab at the main Columbus campus. Programming in financial literacy, food and nutrition projects, and home care can all be added to with the help of a Family and Consumer Sciences program area. The knowledge of the University is meant to be shared with the people, and to be used to strengthen our communities.
Extension is wonderful resource in our county. Our staff in Van Wert county is a team of individual areas waiting to serve the community. We provide educational services designed to help you strengthen yourself, your family and your community. If you have a backyard pest or weed that you might like to understand how to eliminate our Agricultural Educator is here to help! We hope to strengthen families in our community to build Van Wert into something that we can continue to be proud of.
