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.

Operating as part of the University's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Extension serves each of the state's 67 counties by providing information and conducting educational programs on issues such as:

• Sustainable Agriculture
• Natural Resource Conservation
• Energy Conservation
• Food Safety
• Child and Family Development
• 4H Youth Development