Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Agriculture Extension and Research Centers

VFBF Policy
We support maintaining strong and strategic staffing levels for all Virginia commodities at the Area Research and Extension Centers as well as in county Extension offices. 

Background
Virginia farmers are concerned with the impact of recent series of budget cuts on Virginia Cooperative Extension and Agriculture Research and Extension Centers. Virginia Cooperative Extension and Agriculture Research and Extension Centers (229 Agency) are considered a separate state agency and not part of the overall Virginia Tech (208 Agency) budget, the budget cuts that every state agency will need to take to eliminate the budget deficit will have a greater impact on them. The 208 Agencies can make-up some of the revenue loss through increases in tuition and fees to students. Tuition and fees can not be used for 229 Agency expenses. Also, the 229 Agency’s budget funds are almost entirely for people and positions and not operations or programs. 

The General Assembly has consistently supported trying to build back the 20% reduction losses sustained by Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Agriculture Extension and Research Centers in 2003-2004 biennium. Approximating ½ of the funds cut during that biennium were restored over the last five years with most of those gains being eliminated by the series of three cuts (5%, 1.5% & 5%) since fall of 2007. Therefore, if state agencies are requested to cut an additional 15% from their budgets then there will likely be layoffs within Virginia Cooperative Extension and/or at the Research Stations. 

As the front door to the land-grant university system, Virginia Cooperative Extension uses objective, research-based educational programs lead to more productive lives, families, communities, and farms and forests while enhancing and preserving the quality of the commonwealth's natural resources. Virginia Cooperative Extension provides every citizen of the state local access to the wealth of knowledge available through our two land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. Recognizing that knowledge is power,

Extension uses the resources of the land-grant university system to deliver educational programs through a network of 107 local, county, and city offices; six 4-H Educational Centers; and 13 Agricultural Research and Extension Centers. Extension is funded through the cooperative efforts of local, state, and federal governments. In addition, over 40,000 citizen volunteers contribute millions of hours every year helping identify and deliver needs-driven educational programs.
                      
Educational and research programs in agriculture and natural resources help sustain the profitability of agricultural and forestry production, while enhancing and protecting the quality of our land and water resources. Programming efforts address a broad range of issues and critical needs associated with 1) the production of livestock, food crops, and forests; 2) financial and business management; 3) soil and water conservation; 4) wise and safe use of pesticides, 5) natural resource management; and 6) rural economic development.

Reasons for Position

1. Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industry have a $79 billion impact on Virginia’s economy with $5 billion directly related to production agriculture and $2.3 billion in forestry output.
2. Educational and research programs in agriculture and natural resources help sustain the profitability of agricultural and forestry production, while enhancing and protecting the quality of our land and water resources.
3. Additional cuts will severely impact the delivery of information by Virginia Cooperative Extension and research conducted at the 13 Virginia Agriculture and Extension Research Centers.