I’m always on the hunt for free learning resources. While I’ve known about the existence of County Extension Offices, I never really understood what they were all about. They are jam-packed with tons of information, programs, and more, all of which are relevant to the preparedness-oriented person. As we go through these areas of knowledge, remember that it’s all available to you at no cost.
What’s a County Extension Office?
Each county in the United States has an Extension Office. County Extension agents work with universities to assist residents with questions regarding a wide range of topics, such as agriculture, family living, health, and so much more.
Master Gardeners
County Extension Offices are where you’ll find the Master Gardener program. These are volunteers who have gone through extensive education and training. They then turn around and share that knowledge through programs and events in their county. They can be a tremendous resource for learning how to get your garden producing well season after season.
Financial Education
Personally, I rank financial preparedness as one of the top areas people need to master. Many people are financially illiterate to one degree or another. What might be surprising to many is that County Extension Offices offer help in educating citizens about financial literacy. They offer programs on building and maintaining credit, establishing a workable budget, and related topics.
Healthy Living
County Extension Offices offer a range of classes and information related to health and wellness. Not only will they help you learn food preservation techniques like canning, they can help you test your pressure canner’s gauge to ensure it’s calibrated properly.
They have solid information on how our nutrition needs change as we age and how to account for it. Their agents can also help you find food pantries and similar resources if you’re ever in need.
Mental health is just as vital as physical health. County Extension Offices have a class called Mental Health First Aid, where participants learn how to identify various mental health issues and determine what to do about them.
4-H
Another key element is that County Extension Offices help manage the 4-H program. This is the largest youth development organization in the United States. The four Hs stand for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. When they think of 4-H, many people think of showing animals at county fairs. While that’s certainly part of it, 4-H also offers a range of other opportunities, such as STEM, civic engagement, and fitness. 4-H teaches kids practical skills.
Other Programs
In addition to these standard areas of knowledge, each County Extension Office will usually develop its own programs and classes. Take a deep dive into your county’s Extension Office website to find out what they have available.
Additionally, they will work with you to set up a program. If you have a group that wants to learn, say, household budgeting, provide a location to the County Extension Office, and they will provide an instructor. Pro tip: Most public libraries have meeting rooms that are free to use.
As a bonus, many of the County Extension websites have a ton of informative articles on top of listings of the programs they offer. These articles are a great way to get some foundational knowledge on various topics. You can contact the County Extension Office directly for more information on a given topic.
This page has a list of all 50 states. Click on yours to get to the state’s list of Extension Offices. This site has a list of all of the universities that are working with Extension Offices throughout the country.
