University of Idaho reaches Idahoans statewide through our land-grant mission of teaching, research, and extension. With a dozen research & extension centers plus offices in 42 Idaho counties and on 3 Indian reservations, University of Idaho Extension for a century has brought unbiased, locally relevant, research-based programs to help us stay globally competitive while also addressing local needs.
Idaho’s people benefit when University of Idaho Extension helps them better understand their own finances, improve their diets, and increase exercise to reduce illness, improve work productivity, and enhance their quality of life. The Idaho plate method for example, helps diabetics self-manage their disease, and it is influencing nutrition education nationally. Estimates are each $1 invested in health care education saves nearly $9 in medical costs.
Idaho benefits when farmers and ranchers learn ways to increase productivity and ensure a safe, reliable food supply while reducing environmental impacts. Idaho’s growers work closely with UI researchers and UI Extension faculty to guide today’s most critical research.
One example: Treasure Valley onion growers save some 800 million gallons of irrigation water (2,500 acre feet) each year as a result of new drip irrigation methods. Growers who can work closely with research and extension faculty to stay competitive help make Idaho agriculture the state’s No. 1 industry, generating some $20 billion in total annual wages and sales.
Idaho benefits when young people participate in University of Idaho Extension
4-H programs to develop confidence, leadership, and life skills with the help of 4,000 volunteers each year. 4-H programs help some 36,000 Idaho youth—both rural and in cities—expand their scientific literacy and leadership skills, preparing a stronger workforce for Idaho’s future. National and Idaho research show youth who participate in 4-H are 50 percent less likely than other youth to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as smoking, drugs, and drinking.
In addition, University of Idaho Extension finds funding for and delivers educational programs focused on community development, water quality, and environmental improvements across the Gem state.
Abe’s promise. University of Idaho Extension fulfills a national promise made in an 1862 law signed by President Abraham Lincoln to extend the benefits of scientific research and education to “the people” by creation of the nation’s land-grant university system. His vision: Education belongs to all our nation’s people—not just the rich or elite.
Partners. The University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences maintains our statewide system of vital R&E centers, home to research specific to Idaho’s varied climates and regions. Some 135 University of Idaho Extension professionals work at the county, tribal, and state levels with public and private groups to increase the working knowledge and prosperity of families and communities statewide.
Extension partners with the university’s research and academic faculty, staff, and students to bring the latest and best to our citizens where they live. These cooperative partnerships greatly expand the reach and effectiveness of University of Idaho Extension.
For more information about how University of Idaho Extension can serve you or help you expand and volunteer your talents to serve Idaho, please contact extension faculty in your county.