DR. DAMON ABDI EXTENDING HELP: HOW UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICES HELP THE GREEN INDUSTRY

Damon Abdi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Landscape Horticulture, LSU Ag Center

What exactly is extension? Many of us have heard about the term and likely even utilize this useful, university-based service across various aspects of our lives.

Dating back to 1914, the passage of the Smith-Lever Act established a nationwide Cooperative Extension Service with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and land-grant universities to provide education and outreach to farmers. This service has helped guide Americans through troubling times by increasing farm yields during World War I and II, nutrition and home economic education during the Great Depression and empowering fewer farmers to feed a growing population as demographics shifted over the last century. Today, extension services encompass an expanding range of resources with individuals across the country (such as myself) directly assisting the green industry.

“What does this assistance look like? How can I use extension resources to better my business?” Let’s look into how extension resources provide value.

In my position as an assistant professor of Landscape Horticulture with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, I spend most of my time leading outreach and education events for landscape contractors, nursery growers, architects and allied trades of the green industry. The tasks look quite different from day to day, where in a given week this may include writing, teaching certification classes and workshops, speaking to public groups and working with industry members to provide assistance across any challenges they encounter. As part of a team, I have the privilege of working with extension agents and support staff throughout the state of Louisiana (and beyond) to link university services to real-world solutions that the public can use.

Across the parishes of Louisiana (or counties across the U.S.), dedicated extension offices are open to the public and cater to the needs of the region. At the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station, we engage with our green industry and community members by providing personalized resources focused on ornamental horticulture. Visitors come with questions and oftentimes samples (soils, plant materials and pests), and we seek to provide an answer—or at least direct them to the specialist or service for the next step. Need a soil test? We have pre-addressed boxes and sample kits to send off your soil. We’ll provide advice for every step, from collecting the sample to understanding the results and recommendations. Pesky insects, weeds or plant pathogens? Bring a bagged sample and we’ll take a look or send it off to our diagnostic labs and subject specialists. This comes with a small fee to conduct the tests; however, there is a wealth of free resources that are available (publications, printouts and plant suggestions for all your needs). Extension agents will provide personalized support, fielding phone calls from people from all over their area to gather information on top problems and provide sustainable solutions to address them. In some cases, agents will even make in-person visits to make firsthand observations on a site.

So, what can you do? Regardless of what state you are in, reach out to your local extension office and find your points of contact. This will help you become aware of upcoming events in your area (whether that is continuing education or public engagement) and provide a connection to university research and resources. If you are experiencing an issue in the landscape, it is likely others are as well. By working with your extension specialists, you can reciprocally assist each other in identifying and addressing issues you (or your clients) face in the field.

CONTACT

Damon Abdi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Landscape Horticulture at LSU Ag Center

Email: dabdi@agcenter.lsu.edu