FIVE YEAKS OF FACT ORGANIZATION, WESTERN STATES 3 



facts exist relating to the econoniic aspects of farming. Imt they 

 liave been develoi)ecl by various organizations and l)y agencies of 

 the State and Federal CJovernnients. Before such facts can be par- 

 ticularly useful as a basis for extension program development they 

 must be gathered together, coordinated, and studied. Often a special 

 line of investigation must be undertaken and new facts developed 

 before a safe or correct interj)retation can be given. During the last 

 five years the cooperative extension .service in the AVestern States 

 has functioned as an organization agency in this fact-determining 

 procedure. Two general niclhods have been followed: 



(1) One or more persons have been emi)loyed by either the exten- 

 sion service or the experiment station, who have devoted their time 

 exclusively to the assembling and organization of these basic facts. 



(2) Committees composed of representatives from both the State 

 experiment station ami the extension service have been api)ointed, 

 usually on an enterprise or conmiodity basis, to assemble and pul)lish 

 all the facts available relating to that })ai-ticular enter])rise. These 

 committees also have included in their membership the county exten- 

 sion agents, farmers, and sometimes representatives of commercial, 

 banking, manufacturing, and transportation interests. After the 

 facts have been assembled, organized, and published the second phase 

 of the procedure has been their interpretation. This interpretation 

 has been accomplished in group meetings, at which representatives 

 of the State experiment station and the extension service met with 

 a number of producers, analyzed carefully the facts presented, and 

 usually recommended a ])roduclion program. Such meetings have 

 been held on both the enterprise and the area basis; that is, confer- 

 ences have been held concerning such subjects as aj^ples, wheat, 

 poultry, and dairying, or to consider the facts relating to such areas 

 as the Arkansas Valley in Colorado, or the Columbia Kiver liasin. or 

 single counties. 



In fact-determined programs the imj)rovcni('nl of enterprise proc- 

 esses is no less im[)ortant than formerly. Now. however, these l)e- 

 come the project phases to be considered in relation to the whole 

 enterprise rather than as a unit of prime importance in themselves. 



In the.se fact-determined i)rograms extensi(jn woikers and faiiu 

 peo|)lc' seem to have found a sounder basis for projt'<'ting a scheme 

 of extension activities. With the economic facts bearing on a farm 

 enterprise oi- agricultural aica thoroughly undei-stood. farm organ- 

 izations aixl extension woikers shoidd be in position to think out a 

 long-time con>tructi\e e\teii>ion |>rogram. 



STATE AND COUNTY CONFERENCES 



I'^act organization as a basis for program development had its lirst 

 important development in ( )regoii in 1!>>J'J. A number of fact-organi- 

 zation committees were ap|»ointe(| by the extension service on an 

 enteipi'ise basis. Reports of the.-e ci.mmittees wei'e formidated :;nd 

 adopted at a Stati* economic conference. 'I'hese were i»ubli>het| as 

 a single repoit and ha\e I'uinislied a general backtrionnd for finthei- 

 fact organization (»n a county, i-egional. and enterprise i)asis. .Nine- 

 teen counties in Oregon Inne held one-day or two-day fact-oiL'aniza- 

 tion confereiTce-:. (lie co|U>ir(. pt>opl»> and local farmers paI•ti<•ipatinL^ 



