Hutchinson-area residents have access to University of Minnesota Extension education and information through both the McLeod County Extension Office and the Extension Regional Office.

Since 1909, Extension has been in Minnesota communities, working with individuals, organizations and agencies to put the University’s research and resources to work throughout the entire state.

The McLeod County Extension Office is at the McLeod County Fairgrounds and has local staff with expertise in agriculture, horticulture, 4-H, and nutrition for low-income families and individuals. The McLeod County 4-H program and McLeod County Master Gardener Program are coordinated through the local office, which is the front door to Extension and its programs.

One of 18 centers across the state, the office in Hutchinson houses educators with expertise in the areas of crops, dairy, beef, 4-H youth development, health and nutrition, leadership and civic engagement and family financial management.

The Hutchinson area is not limited to the areas of expertise currently at the McLeod County office or the Regional Center. Since regional extension educators often have regional or statewide responsibilities, citizens across the state benefit from access to more programs and a higher degree of specialization than was previously available.

For more information about University of Minnesota Extension, visit www.extension.umn.edu or call the Regional Office at (320) 234-0431. To reach the McLeod County Extension office, or for more information regarding local agricultural programming, Master Gardeners, or 4-H, call (320) 587-0770.

The University of Minnesota Extension Regional Office in Hutchinson is one of 18 regional centers in the state. The regional center’s educators and staff are: Pam Herrmann, Kim Asche, Cindy Petersen, Jim Paulson, Katie Rasmussen, Grant Crawford, Trish Sheehan, Janel Zimmerman, Dave Nicolai and interim Regional Director Sarah Berg. Margaret Neal will become the new regional director in June 2008.