Who we are
Follow any road in Tennessee and you'll find people whose lives have been influenced by Extension's educational programs. Extension agents live and work in every county in the state. Agents are the two-way link between Tennesseans, both urban and rural, and university specialists, scientists and researchers. Education is Extension's goal.
- Approximately 16,000 professional Extension agents across America,
- 400 agents live and work in Tennessee,
- agents initiate, create and conduct educational programs.
Each county office of Extension is staffed with agents who are college graduates in agriculture and/or family and consumer sciences. These highly trained professionals are able to provide information on a variety of subjects, including but not limited to:
- animal health
- family money management
- gardening
- landscaping
- nutrition
- 4-H youth development
Our Mission
UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. It is a statewide educational organization that brings research-based information about agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and resource development to the people of Tennessee where they live and work.
Most Tennesseans have contact with UT Extension through their local county Extension agents found in each of the 95 counties. Extension agents are supported by:
- area and state faculty
- educational and research resources of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
- 74 land-grant universities, and
- 3,150 county units throughout the nation.
The stated mission of the system is to help people improve their lives through an educational process that uses scientific knowledge to address issues and needs