Ohio State University Extension is an educational partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the nation’s land-grant universities.

The Morrill Act of 1862 set up the land-grant university system across the country. It was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. The sale proceeds of land given to each state by the federal government were used to start land-grant colleges.

The Ohio State University is a land-grant university and the home of OSU Extension. In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act established the Cooperative Extension Service- a nationwide system of community -based education. President Woodrow Wilson signed the act, which created outreach programs, through the land-grant universities to educate rural Americans about advances in agriculture.

So, what is extension today? Extension is ideas and opportunity. It is a belief that things done with you, by you, and for you will make a lifelong impact.

Extension provides community-based outreach from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at OSU. Extension is a link to OSU no matter where you reside in Ohio.

Here in Wood County, the OSU Extension office is comprised of four program areas. The four program areas include Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development and Community Development.

July 1, 1917, the Wood County Extension office started when Paul Gerlaugh came on board as our first county extension associate in agriculture. He served the county through February 1920, then H.S. Lewis became the agriculture associate in March 1920. R.C. Smith joined Lewis on Dec. 15, 1920, as the first 4-H county extension associate. Thelma Beall rounded out the team when she came on board as the first family and consumer science extension associate on Dec. 8, 1924.

The extension associate title was changed to extension agent July 1, 1994 and changed again to extension educator July 2004, the same title in use today. At the helm now are Nick Eckel, agriculture and natural resources educator, Susan Zies, family and consumer science educator, and Liz Avers, 4-H youth development educator. The Wood County extension director is Holly Ball.

Each program area has seen growth since 1920. The family and consumer science program was formerly known as home economics and was changed to FCS July 1, 1994. Ellen Swallow Richards was the first woman to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology; she is considered the founder of home economics. The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences describes the field as a comprehensive body of knowledge, skills, and research that help people make informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. Joining Zies, in the FCS department are Shannon Smith, program coordinator, Susan Miklovic, program assistant FCS, and Lisa Schlumbohm, SNAP-ED program assistant.

Agriculture has moved from the horse and plow in 1920 to the industrial revolution of utilizing steam tractors for field work and threshing of grain. Mid-1920s was the first introduction of the gasoline tractor.

Now we utilize combines with 30-foot heads for harvesting grain from the fields. Our tractors are designed with Global Positioning Satellite to monitor everything from grain planting to pesticide applications. Drones are also used to monitor crop conditions. Crop management has changed over the years from moldboard plowing, or turning over the soil in the fall, to tillage management. Soil management practices include crop rotation, pest control, compaction issues, and recently soil and water conservation needs. Joining Eckel in the agriculture department is Craig Everett, horticulture program assistant.

The 4-H Youth Development program has experienced growth since the 1920s. Back in late 1919, the first Jersey Calf Club was organized. The club later became the Duke’s Mixture 4-H Club and still operates as the oldest 4-H club in Wood County. In 1924, Wood County’s first 4-H Camp was held near Damascus Bridge along the Maumee River in Henry County. The cost for this first camp was $2 or $1 if the member provided a chicken for food.

Moving ahead to 2002, The new 4-H Milkshake Barn was constructed. Fair-goers, to this day, continue to enjoy old-fashioned hand-dipped milkshakes that are made by 4-H members and volunteers.

Present Day 4-H Camp remains strong as 4-H navigated through the pandemic. 4-H Day Camp took the place of traditional overnight camping allowing 190 4-H members to participate in two, 13-hour day camping experiences held at Camp Palmer. Joining Avers, in the 4-H Youth Development department is Jennifer Morlock, program assistant, and Deb Dewese, office associate.

For more information about the OSU Extension in Wood County, call the team at 419-354-9050 or visit https://wood.osu.edu/ for additional resources and upcoming opportunities.