Description
The University of California Cooperative Extension Records for Humboldt County span the years of 1914-2000. Records include
reports and information on wildfire management, the 1955 and 1964 floods, disaster response, farm management, soil and timber
surveys, floriculture, and plant management. A large portion of the records are related to livestock and animal husbandry
in Humboldt County, Del Norte County, the North Coast, and California and include trial reports and reference material on
ranch water quality, pest control, grazing, cattle reproduction and management, horse breeding and management, and dairy management.
This collection also includes reports and information on the work of the Home Demonstration Agents, who later became the 4-H
advisors. Home demonstration and 4-H subjects include: home economics, nutrition education, home gardens, home beautification,
and youth development. The collection includes a wide variety of formats: typed reports, data sets, local newsletters and
press releases, maps, audiovisual material, photographs, slides, scrapbooks, and a variety of publications from the county,
state, and national level. Portions of this collection are currently being processed.
Background
At the turn of the previous century, growing concern over the quality of life for rural Americans prompted President Theodore
Roosevelt to appoint a Commission on Country Life in 1908. One of the direct outcomes of the Commission's recommendations
was the passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914, which established a national extension service to place the knowledge generated
at land-grant universities into the hands of farmers and rural citizens. The Agricultural Extension Service formalized and
built upon existing efforts of land-grant universities to enhance the knowledge of farmers and apply scientific discoveries
for improved agricultural practices.
Restrictions
This collection is intended to support teaching, research, and private study. Copyright belongs to the Regents of the University
of California. Use of the materials beyond that allowed by fair use or by any Creative Commons licenses assigned requires
the written permission of the copyright owner(s). For further information, please contact the University of California, Merced
Library at library@ucmerced.edu.