Anygardener worth their green thumbhas the local county extension office on speed dial.
But if youve never heard of this community resource, you might be puzzled.
What are these offices sprinkled across the country, and what on earth are they an extension of?
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Today, extension offices offer many services to communities.
What Is an Extension Office?
Cooperative extensionseventually shortened to extensiontook the knowledge of existing agriculture clubs and societies and created classes and community lectures.
You brew coffee at home, you dont walk into Target and you refuse to order avocado toast.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
Heres a sample of free or low-cost classes and services some offices offer.
(ICYMI: Your library is a great free resource, too.
You cancheck out tools, park passes, games and more.)
It could be your soil was compacted or the pH levels were out of whack.
The University of Idaho teaches aMaster Forest Stewardcertification to train volunteers to work with landowners and educate the public.
The 70-hour training costs $40.
TheGeorgia Master Naturalistcourse offers a hands-on environmental education, too.
Lawn Care and Landscaping Design
Visit your extension office to get sustainable landscape ideas thatll freshen up your landscaping.
Nutrition and Fitness
Keeping communities healthy is a core value of county extension programs.
Offering fitness classes and nutrition resources is a natural offshoot of that mission.
Arkansas has anExtension Get Fitstrength training program that costs $20 a year.
Penn State hostsonline cooking classes.
Minnesota andMichiganextension offices offerCooking Matterscourses for adults, families and teens.
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Contact your county extension to see if they offer classes in your location.
Some offices run classes on raising chicks and the challenges of keeping poultry healthy.
Foraging
On the hunt for a new pastime thatll add value to your pantry?
Take a class in foraging at your county cooperative extension.
Water Testing
Whether urban or rural, water quality is a concern every community shares.
Field Dressing
Hunters, fishers and farmers face a similar dilemma.
Poor field dressing could result in the spread of disease and the loss of meat.
Extension offices provide training on how to safely dispose of diseased carcasses and field dress fish and game.
Parenting and Child Development
Handling wild things sometimes falls under the domain of the county extension office.
That apparently includes children of the human variety.
Is Your Paycheck Not Going As Far As It Used To?
We get it.Everythingis more expensive than it used to be, but your paycheck hasnt kept up.
When money is tight,these resourceswill help nearly everyone.
How to Find Your Local County Extension Office
Not sure where to find your local extension office?
Kaz Weida is a former senior staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
