EXTENSION DIVISION. • 163 



The Specialists have assisted at five conferences this year. Two of 

 these were for Home Demonstration Agents, two were for the housewives 

 of the state, and one for the Home Economics teachers of iVIichigan. 



The enthusiastic and (^irnest sui)i)ort which tlie women of Michigan 

 liave I'ccently given the Home Demonstration Agent work augurs well for 

 tin; new year. There is no longer a (luestion as to whether or not women 

 considei' the work helpful and worth while. They have demonstrated 

 their belief and confidence in the work and in the Extension Department 

 of this College. 



REPORT ON WORK OF HOME DEMONSTRATION AGENTS. 



BY E. V. SMITH. 



« 



July 1, 1918, Michigan had home demonstration agents in 19 counties 

 and 8 cities. Later two more counties and one more city were given 

 agents. Of this number all four cities and twelve of the counties were 

 in the lower peninsula, and eight counties were in the upper peninsula. 

 With two exceptions the money for the support of the agents in the county 

 has been appropriated by the Board of Supervisors, $500, being the 

 approximate money appropriated. 



Three have also had cars provided for their use; the others travel 

 l)y rail, either steam or electric, hired auto, or with the county agricultural 

 agents where meetings can be planned together. 



Until the signing of the armistice all work naturally assumed the form 

 of emergency work, principally conservation and preservation of foods, 

 clothing, health, time and strength. At the same time the educational 

 principles were always stressed. Since November 11, it has been tend- 

 ing toward a more permanent basis and we believe has become a real 

 definite and essential part of the Farm Bureau work. 



The following projects have been carried on by the various agents 

 and will be continued in the counties where Home Demonstration work 

 goes on: Organization, Foods, Clothing, Health, Child Welfare, Home 

 Management, Poultry, and Club Work. 



ORGANIZATION. 



The home demonstration agents have organized their work in nearly all 

 of the counties under the Farm Bureau plan in cooperation with the county 

 agricultural agent. 



The women may become members of the Farm Bureau on an equal 

 basis- with the men. Each county executive committee has at least one 

 woman representing the home economics work and each community a 

 woman representative for each project taken up. 



In counties where there is no definite Farm Bureau, the agents have 

 a representative woman in each community to act as a leader and who 

 will assist in planning meetings, advertising, and preparing for demon- 

 strations, etc. 



FOODS. 



Substitutes. During the war wheat, meat, sugar and fat con- 

 servation was emphasized by means of lectures, demonstrations, ex- 

 tension schools and food study clubs; also by food shows, although 



