The activities of Extension Agents during the wars established precedence for the role of Extension as a resource for community coordination during emergencies. The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) was established in 1993 to create and share disaster related materials and expertise. Natural disasters, ranging from droughts, floods, and fires to earthquakes and tornadoes, are all potential threats to the nation’s farmlands. Extension agents routinely assist USDA emergency teams in assessing damage prior to state and national disaster declarations.
A helicopter carrying OSU researchers near Mount St Helens.
Extension and the Agricultural Research Stations are also on the front line of defending against threats to food security. Most commonly, these threats include natural pests such as weeds, insects, diseases, or invasive species; however, following the September 11, 2001 attacks, these threats also include “agro-security” protection against potentially man-made threats.
