Penn State Cooperative Extension
County Facts	CountyStatistics

Facts about Cambria County

Cambria County Cooperative Extension has a rich heritage…The Smith-Lever Act, passed in 1914 established Agricultural Extension in the nation. The purpose was to extend the information and research from Penn State University out to the residents of each county. This paved the way for the first Extension Association to be formed in Cambria County. One year after the passage of the act, the first agricultural agent, H. C. McWilliams, was hired in the county.

Cambria County Cooperative Extension has a vital role in education…The goal of Penn State Cooperative Extension educational programs in Cambria County is to help people improve the quality of their lives. This goal is achieved through the following objectives:

Cambria County Cooperative Extension is shaping the future…Agriculture programs in Cambria County cover four main areas: Farm Management, Dairy, Agronomy, and Horticulture. Programs in these areas are offered year-round. A variety of newsletters are offered to the public including dairy, crops, livestock, and home gardening. Cambria County also supports programs which offer credits toward pesticide applicators' licenses.

The Family Living program in Cambria County focuses our educational programming on parenting, child development, nutrition, family financial management, food preservation, food safety, and child care training. We use a variety of methods to reach our clientele including public meetings, educational programs to existing groups, newsletters, learn-at-home series, and news column articles. A number of Train-the-Trainer programs, including Master Preserver and Helping Families Make Ends Meet, help us multiply our programs by reaching out to additional residents of the county.

4-H and Youth Development programs teach 1,827 youth in Cambria County. Cambria County supports a wide variety of youth programs such as: horse and pony, clothing, dairy, beef, sheep, swine, goats, engineering sciences, leadership, natural resources, and plant sciences. Other youth programs supported by the extension office are the 4-H Summer Club, Regional 4-H Camp, Tobacco-Free Youth Coalition, and Public Speaking. Youth development programs take place in individual clubs, schools, and community centers offering all youth enrolled the opportunity to participate in county, regional, and state events.

Volunteer leadership is the backbone of Cooperative Extension programs. The 4-H program alone encompasses 131 volunteer leaders and 27 teen leaders. The overall extension program is supported by community representatives who serve on advisory committees for each program area with the purpose of providing valued input for program planning and community outreach.

Penn State Cooperative Extension in Cambria County is more than you think! Stop by, e-mail, or call! We're anxious to hear from you.

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