The UC Cooperative Extension office in Humboldt County, opened on July 1, 1913, was the first in the state, according to a story in yesterday's Eureka Times-Standard. By October of that year, California's first 4-H club was established in Humboldt County.
It seems the county's first farm advisor, Andy Christianson, set the standard of hard work and dedication for his sucessors statewide. The story noted that a local historian came accross Christianson's travel schedule for May 1914.
"Christiansen was scheduled for 16 straight days of travel visiting farms and ranches from Capetown to Garberville to Arcata to Weitchpec and beyond. It appears Christiansen had a day off around the middle of the month, followed by 11 more days of nonstop travel," the story said.
Humboldt County UCCE director Alan Bower marked the 95th anniversary of the program at a recent meeting of the county Board of Supervisors.
He explained that the primary mission of UCCE is to bring knowledge and information to rural areas through the pipeline of the university. Today, four advisors in Humboldt County's UCCE program provide information to the public in forestry, marine science, plant science, livestock and natural resources.