University of Florida IFAS Extension Records

The University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Extension Records are divided into four Subseries.

Subseries 1: Dean for Extension Administrative Policy Records is further divided into four further subseries chronologically by accession including:

Subseries 1a “1934-1975” contains the administrative files of Marshall O. Watkins, Director/Dean for Extension for the years 1964-1969, and includes administration and extension biennial reports as well as documents regarding Farm Management, the Florida Farm Bureau, the Soil Conservation Service, and efforts to assist low-income groups. Files on various subcommittees usually consist of a statement of purpose, a plan of action (ranging in quality from generalizations about the future of farming to lists of specific objectives), minutes of meetings, narrative reports, and a yearly assessment of progress.

Operation DARE (Developing Agricultural Resources Effectively), begun by Agricultural Provost E. T. York in 1964, inaugurated some organizational realignment within the extension service and a re-evaluation of the technical competency of staff. DARE's stated objective was to delineate emerging trends in agriculture so as to design effective marketing strategies for Florida growers amid intense national and international competition, and to forecast market trends to offset disparities between consumer demand and commodity production. A more important underlying objective of DARE was that of closely synchronizing IFAS and industry policies and goals. A strong effort was undertaken to involve industry in the conceptualization and implementation of the DARE program at every level. DARE consisted of a principal Coordination Committee and subordinate county committees whose responsibility it was to ascertain both the availability of natural resources and labor for farming, and the current adequacy of market outlets.

Several files document the activities of the labor subcommittees and the material and social conditions of rural workers including dilapidated housing, poor health, and inadequate medical facilities as well as family instability.

This subseries is arranged alphabetically by subject, with larger individual files broken down by year.

Subseries 1b “1950-1983” contains the administrative files of Dean Joe N. Busby for the years 1970 to 1976, and those of Dean John Theodore Woeste for the years 1976 to 1979. The subseries includes correspondence and annual reports for the various departments within the IFAS framework, and correspondence between IFAS and federal agencies related to extension services.

Extension activities expanded rapidly in terms of scope and diversity, but were tightly monitored through the DARE program (See Subseries 93b.) The bulk of the files concern DARE's subcommittees, whose work ranged from recreational urban forestry, to wildlife ecology, water resources, and transportation. New programs inaugurated during the 1970s included the Farm to Market Project designed to facilitate sales of agricultural products directly from farmers to consumers--bypassing middleman retail outlets--and the Integrated Pest Management Program. Further, the Rural Development Committee promoted DARE's impetus to organize North Florida growers, pressing for vocational education and cooperation among local farmers.

Also of interest is the Low Energy Technology Program initiated in the 1970s to pursue alternative forms of energy that would better utilize Florida's renewable resources.

The files for this subseries are arranged alphabetically, with larger files broken down by year.

Subseries 1c: “1976-1985” contains the administrative files of Dean John Theodore Woeste for the years 1979 to 1985. It includes records of the various IFAS departments, the Community Resource Development Committee, the Energy Extension Committee, the Marine Advisory Program, and other programs. Most committee files consist of a statement of purpose, a plan of action (ranging in quality from generalizations on the future of farming to specific measures), and a yearly assessment of progress.

For IFAS, the year 1980 marked an important milestone on the road to computer technology. In September the W.W. Kellogg Foundation awarded IFAS over $280,000 to design and implement a computer soft-ware package that would retrieve and disperse information and recommendations related to crop and pest control management. Also during the 1980s, IFAS confronted the exigencies of economic survival as federal support declined. IFAS searched for alternative sources of funds and opted for an integrated approach to extension work that involved agencies outside the agricultural framework in their efforts to assist small (or "family") farms in North and Central Florida.

This subseries is arranged alphabetically, with larger files broken down by year.

Subseries 1d: "1999-2004" contains correspondence from District II Extension Director and Assistant Director for County Relations, Rod Clouser. Most administrative policy records from post 1985 to present have not yet been transferred to the University Archives.

Subseries 2: Florida Cooperative Extension Service is further divided into five subseries that include Annual Reports, Federal, State, and Campus Correspondence, Financial Reports, Minutes (Faculty and Staff), and Mimeograph Work.

Subseries 3: Family Resources (Home Demonstration and 4-H) is further divided into two further subseries that include General Records and Scrapbooks.

Subseries 4: Publications contains various publications produced by the UF IFAS Extension Service.