Need an Extension? Find the Right Advice for Your Own Backyard

At Home Improvement & Repairs, we try to bring our readers information that is generally applicable to American homeowners, but when it comes to seasonal issues, that is easier said than done. It’s no surprise that the climate differs greatly between northern states like Maine and southern states like Alabama, but there may also be seasonal differences between next-door neighbors like Tennessee and Alabama. Learning how to adapt the management of your property to accommodate the climate in your area can make

your work more productive.

Your local county extension office is a perfect place to find the particular information for

your part of the country. In other words, if you’re a gardener, farmer, or even a lawn-care enthusiast, you should bookmark your local extension office as a valuable source of agricultural information.

Born from the Smith-Lever Act in 1914, the Cooperative Extension System (CES) is a partnership between federal, state and local governments that provides informal education regarding land management, crop information, and more. Your local county extension office partners with universities and local professionals to provide information surrounding a wide variety of topics, from agricultural advice for rural landowners to planting schedules for urban gardeners.

Our magazine is based in Alabama, and I have recently been writing a column for our

local community. When I needed to cover spring lawn-care advice for the folks in our state, I queried the Alabama County Extension Office, which partners with Auburn University, to get all the particulars. I am happy to report that they were easy to work with and provided insightful guidance regarding fertilization, mowing, watering, and weed control advice for our state.

The research-backed information provided by your local extension office is generally provided as a free service. Look up your local branch to get the details you need for the best practices in your area.

-- Matt Weber, editor

Side Note

How to Find Your Extension Office

To find a specific extension office in your area, visit one of the national lists below and click your state. On the state extension website, look for sections like "Find Your Local Office," "County Offices," "Locations," or use a county search tool/map.

Many states also have dedicated county-level directories with addresses, phone numbers, and websites(e.g., Alabama, Georgia, California).

National/State-Level Starting Points

• Extension.org's "Find Extension in Your State": A centralized list linking to each state's Cooperative Extension main site (from which you can navigate to county/local offices). https://extension.org/find-cooperative-extension-in-your-state

• USDA NIFA Land-Grant Colleges and Universities Partner Website Directory (filter by "Extension" type): Links to the main extension websites for each state/territory's land-grant institutions. From there, look for "county offices," "local offices," or a search tool. https://nifa.usda.gov/land-grant-colleges-and-universities-partner-website-directory (select state and type=Extension)

• National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) County Extension Offices List: Provides clickable links by state to find local county extension contacts (originally for pest/gardening questions but covers general extension offices). http://npic.orst.edu/pest/countyext.htm (click your state for a list or directory link)

• University of Arkansas Extension's List of U.S. Extension Offices: A helpful compiled list of links to each state's main extension service (many lead to county finders). https://www.uaex.uada.edu/about-extension/united-states-extension-offices.aspx

• PickYourOwn.org County Extension Agent Offices Guide: Includes a map and state-by-state links to locate local offices. https://www.pickyourown.org/countyextensionagentoffices.htm