Statement by Commissioner Adam H. Putnam Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Cooperative Extension Service

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Tallahassee, FL – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam issued this statement today, after a celebration at the University of Florida in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which created the Cooperative Extension Service:

“Over the past century, local extension offices across Florida have given advice on everything from gardening and lawn maintenance to large-scale agriculture and environmental protection,” Commissioner Putnam said. “This year, we celebrate the unique partnership that has helped Florida’s communities benefit from the research of its world-class land grant institutions.”

Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act on May 8, 1914, creating the Cooperative Extension Service, which partners with more than 100 universities across the country to offer almost 3,000 local extension offices. In Florida, there is an extension office in all 67 counties through a partnership with the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.