An earlier version of this article appeared in the Silver City Daily Press “Wishing You Well" column.

Congress passed the Smith–Lever Act in 1914  “…Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to aid in diffusing among the people of the United States useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture and home economics, and to encourage the application of the same, there may be inaugurated in connection with the college or colleges in each state…agricultural extension work which shall be carried on in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture…” This act established the Cooperative Extension Service, a state-by-state national network of educators who extend university-based research and knowledge to the people.  New Mexico’s land grant university is New Mexico State University main campus in Las Cruces.  Each County in New Mexico has an extension office. The Cooperative Extension Service provides the people of New Mexico with practical, research-based knowledge and programs to improve their quality of life.

Grant County’s Extension Service is located at 2610 N Silver St, across from the public swimming pool.  The phone number is 388-1559, email is grant@nmsu.edu.   Program Areas covered in extension include:  Economic Development, Energy and Water, Health and Family Wellbeing, Natural Resources, Yard and Garden, and 4-H Youth Development and Education.
Our publications provide practical, research-based information to help improve your life. They are available in HTML, PDF, and eBook formats for viewing on a wide variety of devices. Printed copies of certain publications may also be available at our office.   NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service how-to guides and circulars cover such topics as gardening, health, clothing and sewing, family resource management, and livestock and range management. You can search our publications at this website: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/howto/howto.html.

Grant County’s office houses the County Director/Home Economist, Judy O’Loughlin; Ag/4-H Agent, Sam Lowry; Admin Assistant, Kristen Fisher; and two ICAN Nutrition Educators, April Teague and Kim Otero-Neal.  4-H is a tradition in this county, and we’re very proud that we have the third highest 4-H enrollment in the state just behind Bernalillo and Dona Ana. 4-H is most well-known for county fair livestock projects and Grant County maintains its strong tradition in these projects.  Over the past decade, shooting sports, (including archery), and rodeo projects have gained a prominent position in the 4-H programs.  Our new agent is a certified shooting sports instructor.  Grant County youth will benefit greatly from his lifelong 4-H experience growing up on his family’s fourth generation farm and ranch in Mesilla.

On-going programs offered at the extension office include Tufts University’s “Strong Women Stay Young” program, a free weights, strength training class for women, offered every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:30 – 10:40 am at the county complex meeting room. We will have a workshop at the very popular “Expanding Your Horizons” held by WNMU later this month with “Microwave Magic," the science behind the Magnetron Tube.  Upcoming offerings include  Joslin Diabetes Center  sessions “On the road Eating well, Living Well and Keep Moving Keep Healthy”, Food Preservation Classes, Parenting classes, beginning backyard gardening workshops, a Master Gardener program and whatever other programs the public would be interested in our office to conduct.
 
The Grant County Extension Association has two active clubs in our community and they support extension’s mission with various community support such as dictionaries for all private school students, “comfort bags” for chemo and radiation patients, as well as volunteers and donations to many community events such as “shop with a cop” and “Love your Library”.

If you have issues with your yard plants, trees or shrubs, we are most willing to make home visits and help diagnose.  We have all the expert advice from Specialists at NMSU and other land grant universities to draw from.

The extension system is highly successful because of the many volunteers who give so generously of their time and talents.  Grant County is very blessed with volunteers.  If you have time and talents you would like to share, please let us know.  The work is very rewarding.  We will be celebrating this one hundred year anniversary of the Smith Lever Act throughout the year.  Please come see us, give us a call, or email us.