NEAFCSMontana2016

Lisa Terry, 4-H & FCS

MEAFCS President

MSU Extension Agent

Stillwater County

PO Box 807

Columbus, MT 59019

406-322-8035

406-290-4460

lterry@montana.edu

   As we move into the fall season here in the Mountain West, I am reminded of the changes that happen to each of us in life. My first employment opportunity with Extension Services began more than two decades ago and found me working deep within the Ouachita Mountains, located in central Arkansas. With broadleaf trees predominant, our highways were lined with yellow, orange and blazing red foliage come fall. Here in Montana we now are seeing the first tinge of changing color among the Aspen growth dotting the countryside.

   As will be reflected in this year’s NEAFCS Annual Session, change is part of the growth and advancement process of our work force. When I began my role in Extension, the home economist was just beginning the transition into Family Consumer Science. The formative years of our occupation, at the turn of the twentieth century, were comprised of in-depth knowledge of foods and farm life, combined with hands-on work in kitchens throughout the various counties. Gradually the Extension Agent’s role became accepted at the local level and our expertise was solidified as research based information, in a myriad of FCS related topics, and was disseminated through our offices. We became members of the faculty bringing the university to the people.

   As technology changes and advances, as more and more of our constituents log into cyberspace, and as each generation of youth flow freely and independently with new and somewhat raw technology, we as staff of the Land Grant Universities must adjust to the changes. Never before have we been able to discover, connect and engage as we are now able with the advancement in technologies. And not merely adjust, we have the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve, making technology work for us.

Rather than see change as yet another hurdle, we may leverage new opportunities. Each county seat and each population center, the rural family included, have for years relied on our faculty, training and expertise to help them transition through changes in family life and the workplace environment. As the culture around us transitions to more single parent homes, and even within two parent households where both parents are working, time constraints may make it difficult for families to stay engaged and connected.  We want them to discover that this is the “niche we fill. It may seem daunting, but we are the profession many look to for answers. And without prejudice, I might add that Extension faculty fulfill our obligations as well as any professional organization!

   As we gather in Big Sky next week, I want us to reflect on the rich heritage of our occupation and the various roles we fill within our counties. In addition, I encourage each member to embrace the rapidly changing world in which we find ourselves living and working, taking encouragement in the fact that we are supported by some of the brightest researchers located in the Land Grant Universities. That most agents throughout the country feel the same about their university system as I do Montana State, speaks to the pride we share in who we are and what we accomplish in the field. Not only is change “in the air”, it is an opportunity to be mastered.