"Everything Extension"

If you have questions about eating healthier or making your budget dollars stretch further, chances are Extension has solutions that work.“We cover a really broad spectrum,” Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) director Eve Brantley said. “It's because we serve all of Alabama.”Service is at the heart of what Brantley does every day.  Named the 1862 Extension director for ACES this past January, she steps into the role with deep, field-tested experience as both a multi‑county Extension agent and an associate director.In her current role, Brantley guides more than 700 faculty and staff across both Auburn and Alabama A&M campuses and in all 67 Alabama counties.“We have an army of people,” Brantley said.  “Our Extension agents work hard to learn everything about their communities so they can serve as local subject matter experts.”ACES was formed following the passage of the federal Smith-Lever Act in 1914. It was designed to provide research-based education to rural populations, particularly to combat threats like the boll weevil and to teach home economics.Today, ACES continues to advance Auburn’s land-grant mission, connecting the university with local communities by sharing practical, researched-based knowledge and information.“It's not just a one-way street,” Brantley explained. “What makes Extension special is we ask people, ‘what do you need?’  Then, we do research to solve those problems.”From school classrooms and college campuses to the career field, family life and retirement, ACES provides educational outreach opportunities for every stage of life.“We're well known for agriculture, forestry and natural resources, but we also have a very large human sciences component, federal nutrition programs and community resource development initiatives,” Brantley said.Every year, Extension staff coordinate more than 6,000 educational events across Alabama.  Extension’s Online Directory provides an interactive opportunity for every Alabamian to access a trusted, reliable source of information. “We're unique because we have a unified extension system that helps us serve both our urban and rural clientele,” Brantley explained.Alabama Extension Week runs April 12 – 18.  It’s been held for the past four years to draw awareness and visibility to ACES’s programming, people and mission. This year, the focus is on the Auburn and Alabama A&M campuses, aiming to make students more aware of resources offered to them by ACES. Several events and 14 free webinars are planned, with agents sharing practical tips and research-based solutions for gardening, mental health, nutrition, financial planning and more.“Extension professionals are going to be sharing different examples of what we do,” Brantley said.At Auburn, a Career Exploration opportunity is planned for Tues., April 14 at 2 p.m. in 203 Upchurch Hall with Home Horticulture Agent Megan Jones. On Wed., April 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., ACES will host Extension on the Green featuring 15 engaging exhibits, free food, trivia and door prizes.The entire week offers ACES county offices across the state a chance to remind communities that help and expertise are close to home.“This is a real opportunity to say, ‘yes, Extension does that,’” Brantley said. Check out our Everything Auburn Podcast Hub!