There was an opening in Montgomery County in upstate New York for an Assistant County Agricultural Agent position with Cornell Cooperative Extension. The office was about six miles from Johnstown where I lived, so that was a big incentive to consider applying for the job.

Not everyone understands what Cooperative Extension is, means or does. So here's a bit of history.

Remember "Honest Abe?" Well, at least you do from the history books. In 1862, President Lincoln set up the Morill Act, which essentially purchased and set aside a plot of land in every state in the United States to found a university dedicated to agriculture and mechanical arts. They were to be called Land Grant Colleges. For example, in New York State Cornell is the Land Grant College. In Oregon it is Oregon State University. In New Mexico it is New Mexico State University. In California it is the University of California at Davis. You get the picture.

There were three basic things that these universities must do.

First: Provide resident instruction, which means teaching students on campus.

Second: Do basic research. Find answers and solutions to unsolved problems.

Third: Extend the teaching and research beyond the university to all the people in each state.

Thus Cooperative Extension was born. The word Cooperative indicates that there is cooperation between the university and federal, state and county governments to fund the programs.

The word Extension indicates that the University research and teaching is extended beyond the University out to all the people in the state.

Cooperative Extension Agents, representing the University, are hired to help bring about change by providing new ideas and programs that will benefit and improve the lives of the people they serve. They carry these programs out in many ways: mass media, which includes newspaper releases, radio, and television programs; newsletters; seminars; one-on-one counseling on the farm, in the office, or over the telephone; field demonstration; research trials; and the list goes on.

Three weeks after the job position was announced, I went for an interview. I got the job.