Who We Are

The Cooperative Extension Service is nationwide and was established by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. It is a partnership between state land grant universities, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the county governments throughout the nation. All of these groups share in the planning, financing, and operation of Extension programs. In Florida, the Cooperative Extension Service is administered by the University of Florida. The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners provides support for local faculty, staff and facilities. 

The Columbia County Cooperative Extension Service conducts educational programs in agriculture, horticulture, family and consumer sciences, and 4-H youth development. These programs use information based on research conducted at the University of Florida.  Locally based advisory committees assure that programs are designed to meet community needs. Volunteer training is strongly emphasized in our programs to enable us to reach more of the county's population.