Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County will plant a dogwood tree at the Ted Blum 4-H Center, Bridgewater in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of Cooperative Extension on Wednesday, May 14 at 7 pm. The public is invited.

This year is the 100th Anniversary of the signing of the Smith-Lever Act, which established the Cooperative Extension Service throughout the United States as a collaborative effort of federal, state and local governments. Each state’s land grant institution, which is Rutgers, The State University in New Jersey , coordinates Cooperative Extension. This nationwide network allows New Jersey residents to benefit from the research and education from Extension all over the country.

RCE of Somerset County is proud of its accomplishments in providing research-based programs in of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Community Health Sciences, and 4-H Youth Development that reach thousands of individuals and families each year. You may have taken a class, read a newsletter, participated in a 4-H club or event or visited the website, somerest.njaes.rutgers.edu, to learn how to choose healthier foods; care for plants and animals; conserve water; save money; or test your soil. If you’ve ever had an agent visit your farm, been to a 4-H or county fair, the L.G. Cook 4-H Camp, or gotten help from a Master Gardener, you know Extension.

On our 100th Anniversary, Rutgers Cooperative Extension will continually focus on the future, finding solutions to the challenges youth and adults will face in the future and sharing them to make life healthier, happier, and more prosperous.