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2. CARET believes that Extension must be inextricably linked to the agricultural 

 science and education efforts of our land-grant universities. In order to remain competitive, we, 

 the users, depend heavily on Extension because the transfer of technology takes place through 

 this mechanism. Without the education and training we receive through our Extension Service, 

 we could be cut off from the advances being made through the research done on our own or 

 neighboring land-grant campuses. We, in CARET, would be very concerned if Extension were 

 seen as part of any farm program or regulatory effort The whole community, the young, the 

 senior, the rural, the urban, and local government feed upon the knowledge and resources flowing 

 from our land-grant institutions. 



3. A strong research effort provides the foundation for any scientific and technological 

 advances. We, in CARET, would urge a balance between basic, applied, and mission-linked 

 research so that needs of all kinds can be met Because of the diverse needs of our society, we 

 would urge that multi-disciplinary research efforts be increased. Knowledge gained from basic 

 research is distributed quickly and widely, but it is the competitive application of applied research 

 that gives me the cutting edge in global competition. 



4. Well-educated people guarantee the continuation of new knowledge and progress. 

 It is, therefore, important to CARET that the higher education programs housed widiin USDA 

 be strengthened. These federal dollars are multiplied many times by state and private dollars 

 while securing high quality talent for the future. This partnership of leveraging support allows 

 entry into the higher education system of the land-grants by individuals regardless of economic 

 or social status. 



5. Finally, in order for any of these agricultural research and education efforts to be 

 effective, they must respond to the needs of the American people. We need to continually 

 strengthen the partnership between the user and the researcher so that the right questions are 

 asked and the right problems are worked on for solutions. Many of us in CARET have served 

 in priority sessions and on fiituring panels for research, education, and extension. We need to 

 maintain effective advisory boards, which include the participation of both the research and 

 education community as well as the private citizen from rural and urban areas with a wide variety 

 of agricultural groups who are traditional and non-traditional users of the land-grant system. By 

 taking a more comprehensive approach to our communities, we can address many issues and 

 problems that face producers and consumers. Creating effective dialogue between such diversity 

 ensures that I, as a producer, will know what the public wants and how to deliver safe and 

 nutritious products while being sensitive to the impact on my community and my environment 



1 want to express my deep appreciation for this opportunity to share grassroots thoughts 

 with this committee about what we feel is vital to our complex communities. I would welcome 

 questions or comments. 



