University of new hampshire cooperative extension utilizes smith-lever funds to provide research based information in five programs: 4-H youth development and education; food and agriculture;…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University System of New Hampshire $3,839,888 under the Smith-Lever Extension Funding program (CFDA 10.511) on October 1, 2025, for a period of performance through September 30, 2030.

University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension delivers research-based educational programming across five focus areas: 4-H youth development and education; food and agriculture; natural resources; health and well-being; and community and economic development. Current program activities include workshop series for women farmers and forest managers, a 4-H teen conference, an on-farm peach variety trial, community conversations about affordable housing, master wellness volunteer training, and a podcast about farming in the Northeast. Extension educators implement programs through formal needs assessment and prioritization in collaboration with advisory councils. Measurable outcomes tracked include increases in New Hampshire lakes monitored for water quality through citizen science, landscape practices implemented to reduce non-point source pollution, farms adopting soil moisture monitoring, and 4-H youth participating in teen leadership activities at the New Hampshire State House.

The Smith-Lever funds leverage additional support from the State of New Hampshire through the University System of New Hampshire budget, county funds, and grants and contracts. The funds enable UNH Extension to respond to emerging needs such as flood mitigation and recovery from crop losses.

Work is performed at Lee, New Hampshire 03824.

University of new hampshire cooperative extension utilizes smith-lever funds to provide research based information in five programs: 4-H youth development and education; food and agriculture; natural resources; health and well-being; and community and economic development. Smith-lever funds leverage additional funds from the state of new hampshire through the university system of new hampshire budget, as well as funds from counties, grants and contracts. Smith-lever funds provide UNH extension with the ability to respond to emerging and critical needs like mitigation after flooding and recovering from crop loss due to an unseasonable freeze. Program teams use a formal process of educational needs assessment and prioritization, in collaboration with advisory councils, when planning and evaluating educational programs. UNH extension implements its programs through a variety of methods. Some current program activities include a workshop series for women farmers and forest managers; 4-H teen conference; an on-farm peach variety trial; facilitation of community conversations about affordable housing; master wellness volunteer training; and the development of a podcast about farming in the northeast. Extension educators work with their teammates to develop annual plans of work which include indicators of program outcome and impact. Examples of positive program outcomes are an increase in the number of new hampshire lakes monitored for water quality through a citizen science program; the number of landscape practices implemented to reduce non-point source pollution; the number of farms who adopt soil moisture monitoring; and the number of 4-H youth who participate in teen leadership activities at the new hampshire state house. UNH extension's intended program beneficiaries are people of all ages. Program staff complete annual civil rights training and do their best to identify and reach all people by educational programs. Staff work with partnering organizations, language translators, and community groups to reduce barriers to program participation. Each year, more than 125,000 people are direct beneficiaries of UNH extension programs. A variety of television, social media, and publications produced by UNH extension reach several thousand more people each year.