The Colorado State University Extension Program was created 100 years ago when Congress authorized land grant Universities to provide research based information to agents in communities across the state. While you may think farming, agriculture and 4-H when you think about a CSU Extension, the Summit County Extension Office is about as far away from farming as you can get.
Dan Schroder, extension agent and director of the Summit County office, said it is unique in the extension system – thanks to only 23 days of frost free growing.
"In Summit County, we really try to embrace the traditional sort of stereotypical agrarian approach to extension," said Schroder. "But we also recognize that we live in a very progressive environment and the agricultural side of extension isn't as prominent as it maybe in other counties throughout this state."
Being in a mountain resort community, with four ski resorts and no large-scale agricultural impacts, Schroder's focus is really on forest health, and wildfire mitigation and prevention.
"What I do is primarily natural resource and forest health education. So I reach out to the community at large and work with them about the environment we live in, which is a primarily lodge pole pine ecosystem."
"To provide information and education, and encourage research-based knowledge affecting individuals, youth, families, agricultural enterprises, and communities of Colorado." -Extension Mission.
Fire is a large part of the Summit County ecology, Schroder said. It's his job to remind the public that they live in an environment prone to wildfire.
To that end, Schroder and the CSU Extension Office operate the Summit County Community Chipping Program. It's for residents of Summit County who have created a defensible space around their property; his office will come to the home, chip the slash, and haul it away as a free service.
While the extension differs from others around the state, Schroder said it still provides a basic community connection to Colorado State University.
"That's the research base of all we do, so ultimately I'm not out here preaching something that isn't scientifically backed. We take the research based information from the university and share it out," he said.
Despite a core focus on forest health and wildfire mitigation, Schroder said he still has people come into his office for simple gardening, or wildlife questions too.
"Any question that people have and are interesting in learning the answers, they come to the Extension Offices across the state, and we can help them find the answers."
