Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
Background and Rationale for the Pilot Program
Changing demographics, advances in technology, and globalization are fueling societal changes at an alarming rate. At the same time, rapid consolidation in the agricultural sector is further exacerbating the economic decline that has long plagued rural communities. The resulting economic situation in rural Oklahoma is a critical concern for many of our lay leaders and state policy makers. The elected leadership at the state level is clearly looking to Extension to play a substantive role in addressing this issue.
The plight of rural America has begun to capture the attention of lawmakers at the federal level. Language in the Senate version of the new farm bill authorizes programs to address the issue. There is the clear implication that new federal initiatives focused on rural economic development will be funded in the future.
Even before substantive, targeted funding to address the decline of rural communities becomes available, Extension can begin to address the issue on a limited scale. By so doing, we can increase our capacity to do effective community-based programming and at the same time better position ourselves to be competitive for funds when they become available. To that end, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (OCES) has developed the pilot program introduced here.