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State Extension Services' Stake in the R.O.P. Programs¹

Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg

Abstract

FROM a very meager beginning in 1953 the Extension Service now is involved in beef cattle R.O.P. programs embracing 7,480 herds and 518,531 cows. Much of the growth has resulted in or has been the result of, depending on one's point of view, the formation of many state beef cattle improvement associations. The situation now leads to the question of what is Extension's place in these activities, what is the proper function of a state organization and how does the breed association program relate to the state organization. One point of view is that there is room only for the breed association program, and the Extension Service should concern itself with general R.O.P. education, and support entirely the breed association programs. Had the breed association programs been here in 1950 one could hardly argue with this philosophy. However, the breed association programs were not present when initially needed and, as a result, strong state R.O.P. programs with the backing of the cooperative Extension Service emerged in about half of the states.

¹ Invited paper presented at the Special Livestock Sessions, 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science, New Brunswick, New Jersey.