The Invading Sea: UF/IFAS Extension provides practical solutions to range of problems facing Floridians
From Apalachicola to Key West, and from the Indian River Lagoon to the Nature Coast, Florida’s Extension Service quietly delivers one of the best returns on investment in all our 67 counties. For an average of 3 cents a day per Florida taxpayer, Extension strengthens families, protects natural resources, supports agriculture, develops youth, and builds healthier, more resilient communities — not duplicating but complementing and supporting the work of counties, cities and state agencies.
Most Floridians know the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension for its century-long partnership with agriculture. What you might not know is Extension also reaches into neighborhoods, classrooms, senior centers, coastal communities and suburban backyards, helping solve real-world problems with practical, local solutions. We meet community challenges locally, whether on the farm, in the city or the suburbs.
Our broad range of workshops and programs include our Florida Master Gardener Volunteer and Florida-Friendly Landscaping programs, better fishing through Return ’Em Right and Florida-Friendly Fishing, and preparing tomorrow’s leaders through our 4-H programs that develop youth into productive and responsible citizens.
Our work has impact:
In Orange County, a single parent who attended a First-Time Homebuyer Workshop learned to budget and manage money and, building on her new skills, reduced her debt by 30% and boosted her credit score. As a result, she is now a proud homeowner, as are hundreds who have attended these workshops. She learned how at Extension.
We help our senior citizens age independently and gracefully through programs available from UF/IFAS and FAMU Extension services. These programs focus on heart health, sleep, stress and chronic disease management, and healthy lifestyle practices.