Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County is an educational  agency for the residents of Jefferson County. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County educated youth, families, farmers and communities using research based knowledge for practical application and life long learning.

​

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County is part of a nationwide educational system funded by national, state and county organizations. The nationwide network of Cooperative Extension programs began in 1914 as a mean of applying land-grant university research in understandable and useful ways to farmers and rural families. They work with Cooperative Extension offices in the other 56 counties of the state and New York City. Today, Cooperative Extension serves urban, suburban, town and rural areas by offering programs in five broad areas: Agriculture & Food Systems; Children, Youth & Families; Community & Economic Vitality; Environment & Natural Resources; and Nutrition & Health.

​

Their Agriculture & Natural Resources program is the farmers' and agribusinesses' connection to the latest developments and innovative technologies at Cornell University and other research institutions across the country. Cornell Cooperative Extension links the research and extension efforts at Cornell University, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station in Ithaca, and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, New York to provide the knowledge necessary to maximize the value of our agricultural and natural resources to benefit the quality of life for individuals, families and communities. 

​

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County offers agricultural programs and resources targeting diverse audiences in areas of dairy and livestock production; field crops and nutrient management; fruits, grapes and vegetables; land resource management and farm business management, economics and policy. Cornell Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Food Systems programs promote profitability, sustainability, environmental stewardship, a safe, reliable, and healthy food supply, and agricultural tourism. 

​

In addition to a strong Agriculture and Natural Resources program, Cornell Cooperative Extension Family and Youth Development area provides education, support and resources to help build strong, self-reliant families and help children reach their full potential. The Nutrition and Health program area provides education through programs that help families gain nutrition, fitness and consumer awareness. In Jefferson County, the Cooperative Extension has a special focus on military families, with Fort Drum located within the county. The Fort Drum Program area provides assistance and educational programs for military families and federal employees at Fort Drum.

​

Cornell Cooperative Extension, in its first 100 years, expanded its reach by responding to a rapidly changing world, adding new programs, adopting new delivery methods, and adapting its organizational structure for growth. Today, as then, there are new needs to be met, new audiences to be served, new resources and technologies to be applied, new knowledge to be discovered and shared.