University of Maine Cooperative Extension - Penobscot County

The mission of University of Maine Cooperative Extension is to help Maine people improve their lives through an educational process that uses research-based knowledge focused on issues and needs.

Extension’s roots go back to agricultural clubs and societies, which sprang up after the American Revolution in the early 1800s. In 1819, a pioneer agriculture journal entitled American Farmer encouraged farmers to report on their achievements and their methods of solving problems. The Smith Lever Act formalized extension in 1914, establishing USDA's partnership with land-grant universities to apply research and provide education in agriculture. Congress created the extension system to address exclusively rural, agricultural issues. At that time, more than 50 percent of the U.S. population lived in rural areas, and 30 percent of the workforce was engaged in farming. Extension's engagement with rural America helped make possible the American agricultural revolution, which dramatically increased farm productivity, allowing fewer farmers to produce more food.

Welcome to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension! 

Extension is proud to be a part of UMaine’s Land Grant mission and that we are the largest outreach component of UMaine—we reach more Maine people than any other entity within the seven campus University of Maine System! Extension is located across the state in 16 county offices, research farms, 4-H camps, and online. Our work is focused in two areas of excellence: the Maine Food System and 4-H. We are the only entity in our state that touches every aspect of the Maine Food System, where policy, research, production, process, commerce, nutrition, and food security and safety are integral and interrelated. This work is crucial to supporting, sustaining, and growing the food-based economy across Maine. Our 4-H program is the state’s most successful out-of-school youth education program, investing in Maine’s young people to reach their full potential.