About Us

UF/IFAS Marion County Extension Service is part of a nationwide network of community educational centers providing non-biased, research-based information to the public. It is based on the Federal Land-Grant concept established in the early 1900's as a means of "extending" university resources to our nation's citizens.

Every state has at least one land-grant university. Florida has two, the University of Florida and A&M University. Locally, Extension is a cooperative partnership between the Marion County Board of County Commissioners and the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Our educational programs are directed at broad national and state concerns, as well as issues specific to Marion County with locally determined - and citizen influenced - priorities.

Our program areas share significant common goals in helping citizens to conserve resources, protect the natural and home environments, and improve the quality of lives.

The Marion County has seven program areas consisting of: 4-H, equine and livestock, small farms and 4-H farm, nutrition and food safety, financial management and housing, urban horticulture, and commercial horticulture. Each program area is headed up by at least one Extension agent.

Due to its size, the 4-H program has two full-time agents. Urban horticulture, which deals with plant care and gardening issues, supports two subsidiary programs. One of these programs, entitled the Master Gardeners, is run by university-trained volunteers under the supervision of the urban horticulture agent. The Master Gardener volunteers aide in answering phone calls, letters, e-mails, office visits, programs and public events. The other subsidiary program under urban horticulture, called Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN), is headed up by a program assistant. FYN provides special educational and outreach activities directed at the community to help residents reduce pollution and enhance their environment by improving home and landscape management.

The agents disseminate information to county residents through both direct and indirect methods. Indirectly, agents disperse information through newsletters, public events, and newspaper articles. Agents directly disperse information to residents by means of phone calls, letters and e-mails, educational programs, office visits, and field calls.