Standing by success: MU Extension plans for the future

Chad Higgins, Interim University of Missouri Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement
·4 min read

Seven years ago, University of Missouri Extension leaders traveled the state on a 38-stop listening tour. We asked our “campus” of more than 6 million Missourians in 114 counties and St. Louis how the university could better serve you.

What we learned is how important it is to work with you as true partners, improving lives and communities while making progress in the areas of economic opportunity, educational access and excellence, and health and well-being. Agricultural growth and stewardship became the fourth of these grand challenges, as they came to be known, honoring the Cooperative Extension roots in all that we do.

Since then, we have worked to uphold the partnership pact we made with Missourians in many new ways. They include working together to make broadband more accessible in far-reaching corners of the state and destigmatizing substance-use disorder by helping employers support workers in recovery through the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative. Thinking innovatively, we’ve brought first-responder training and health screenings to rural counties in high-tech mobile vans.

Now, we’re working toward the #2xAg2030 goal of doubling the value of Missouri agriculture by 2030 while sustaining our state’s natural resources.

Most importantly, I want you to know that these initiatives don’t complete our journey together. There is much more to come. To celebrate our progress so far, I invite you to join me for Mizzou Day — the opening day of the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia on Thursday, Aug. 10.

This event marks much success in the agricultural spaces we cherish. At any point during the fair, pay a visit to the Mizzou Central and 4-H buildings for a glimpse of the university’s work and impact in your community. Then, don your black and gold and join us on Sept. 16 for Ag Day at MU as we celebrate our state’s leading industry and cheer on the Tigers as they take on Kansas State University at Faurot Field.

Serving Missouri beyond its borders

Although there is much to highlight, here are some of the ways MU Extension continues to work with and for Missourians: · Partnerships with state and agriculture industry leaders have fostered initiatives like the Missouri Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Innovation Center that help producers explore and capitalize on successful value-added agricultural opportunities; · Support for the Missouri Office of Broadband Development initiatives has helped state efforts to secure $1.7 billion in federal funding to expand broadband access across Missouri; · Working alongside employers, adult learners and researchers, we launched the MU Career Accelerator. This joint initiative with the MU Office of the Provost helps adult and non-traditional learners gain advanced skills and certification in areas such as digital technology and supply chain and construction management where employers require advanced knowledge from workers; and

· The MU Health Outreach, Policy and Education (HOPE) office, a partnership between MU Extension and the MU School of Medicine, is working to solve rural health challenges, a top goal of MU’s NextGen Precision Health initiative. Show-Me Strong Farm Families and tele-mental health initiatives address the rural mental health crisis.

With the unwavering support of our many committed stakeholders, the university is in a strong position to fulfill our land-grant mission. We are hiring more field faculty to deliver Mizzou’s research-based programs, knowledge and resources. These include:

· Abundant agricultural resources and expertise to help farmers grow their success;

· 4-H clubs and programs that help shape our next generation of leaders;

· Small business, community and leadership development expertise boosting civic engagement and economic potential in both rural and urban areas;

· Nutrition education, food safety, community gardening and affordable cooking classes;

· Chronic disease and diabetes prevention and management and fall prevention programs; and

· Master gardener and naturalist volunteer programs to beautify communities and protect natural resources.

While our grand challenges remain lofty, this work is emblematic of the achievements that benchmark our progress as we push forward toward attaining these goals hand-in-hand with Missourians.

With that, I hope to see you at the State Fair and at the Sept. 16 Ag Day in Columbia. Join us in celebrating our progress as we look to the future of our state’s flagship economy — a victory upheld only by the success of our relationship with you.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Standing by success: MU Extension plans for the future