A24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 12, 1987
Extension Services:
BY LOU ANN GOOD
LANCASTER For 24 years,
Dons Thomas, Lancaster County
Extension Home Economist, has
taught others to cook and sew.
Now, the government is out to stop
her. Why? Government critics
declare that people do not need to
know how to cook and sew to sur
vive. By teaching cooking and
sewing, they maintain, extension
services are supporting hobbies
that waste taxpayers dollars.
The extension services have
long been underfire. In recent
years, major magazines have pub
lished articles accusing extension
services of being one of the biggest
nppoffs using tax dollars. They
say that in 1914 when the exten
sions were established, nearly 35
percent of the nauon’s population
were farmers. Today, only 2.2 per
cent farm.
Advocates of extension services
say they have reflected these voca
tional changes by adapting their
educational services to the social
and economical needs of society
while continuing to provide educa
tional services to the fanner. Their
workshops offer a vital source of
information for such areas as
home, garden and clothing care.
In the late 1960’5, more than
1,800 women enrolled in sewing
workshops. But today, few sew
since more woman are working
outside the home, in addition out
let stores are plentiful and Thomas
asks, “Who can sew what today’s
teens are weanng”?
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Although the government may
mock the extension’s efforts of
leaching crafts, Thomas maintains
their value by saying, “Crafts have
provided creative use of leisure
time and increased income by
stretching families’ dollars in pro
viding gifts and necessities. Crea
tivity contributes to good, mental
health.” She points out that anyone
who can provide the essentials of
life like shelter, food and clothing
has a better outlook on life.
Thomas consoles herself that
ihe pendulum usually swings in the
other direction. “Like phonetics,”
she said, we have a whole genera
tion that grew up not knowing how
to sound out words because educa
tors did not believe it necessary.
Now they see the value and have
made phonetics a part of the school
curriculum Ten to fifteen years
down the road, someone will sug
gest adding cooking and sewing to
basic living skills.
In the meantime, extension ser
vices across the nation arc in a
great state of change. Programs arc
being eliminated. There is a
change of emphasis and admi
nistration. In recent years, Tho
mas’s role has changed from one
of teaching to that of
administration.
For example, complaints that
home economists were teaching
hobbies caused the extension to
shift gears. If they asked qualified
instructors to teach, they could
charge participants a fee and not be
accused of spending taxpayers
Changes On The Horizon
dollars,
On one hand Thomas is alternative to teaching skills previ
alarmed, on the other, she believes ously taught in workshops. A pilot
possible good may result. Corres- correspondent course that Thomas
White Oak Mills Dairy Seminar
Prim . at the White Oak Mills Dairy Seminar held Thursday and Friday are left to
right: John Wagner, president; Glenn Stauffer, sales and service; Don Lloyd, director
of dairy sales and John Middleton, staff nutritionist.
The seminars gave local farmers in Lancaster, Dauphin, Lebanon, Franklin and
Cumberland Counties the opportunity to learn about nutrition, DHIA records and
udder health. The meetings were held at the Clearview Diner, Mt. Joy, and the Light
house Restaurant on Route 11 south of Route 997.
Price
PA 17557
pondent courses and video offer an
offered received more applicants
than she could handle. Still, she
questions whether or not the
(Turn to Page A 34)