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History of Cooperative Extension
Prior to the Civil War, very few college curriculums addressed the problems of citizens who made their livelihood from agriculture. In 1862, Congress passed the Morrill Act, which provided for a university in every state that would educate citizens in agricultural and mechanical fields. These colleges are known today as "land-grant universities."
Congress soon realized that to be effective, the educational function of land-grant universities must be supplemented with a research capability. Consequently, it passed the Hatch Act in 1887. This act provided for the establishment of facilities where colleges could conduct research into agricultural, mechanical, and related problems faced by rural citizenry. (In Virginia, VCE Master Gardeners sometimes assist with the research done at these research stations.)
Finally, in order to spread the benefits of the land-grant universities throughout each state, Congress passed the Smith Lever Act of 1914. This act provided for the establishment of Cooperative Extension. As a result of the Smith Lever Act, there are now Extension offices in every county in Virginia (sometimes in cities also) that serve to “extend” to the public the information developed on the campuses and research stations of the land-grant universities. In fact, Extension agents are members of the university faculties since their roles are primarily educational.
Mission and Vision of Virginia Cooperative Extension
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