Kendrick, J. B. : Vice President - Agriculture and University Services

J . B . KENDRICK . JR Vice President - Agriculture and University Services The next era - an era of limits Publicly supported agricultural sciences have likewise Living in a country with unparalleled production of food grown during this time , albeit not asmuch or as dramatically and fiber , residing in a state that ranks at the top for the as some other segments of our industrial and public assis - diversity , abundance , and richness of agriculture , and tance activities . We have grown in response to an ever - presiding over one of the best and most comprehensive agri - increasing demand for research and education in a wide vari - cultural research and extension organizations anywhere ety of activities associated with agriculture , with the natural should lead to a deep senseof pride and satisfaction . I readily resources on which it depends , and with the people who use admit to the emotion of pride , but the feeling of satisfaction I am not convinced that somehow eludes me . Why ? Because the products of agriculture . In fact , we have grown to the publicly supported research and extension organizations in point where our abilityto support adequatelyby public fund - the United States have realistically prepared for the future . ing all that we are staffed to do is in serious jeopardy . Changes projected for the remainder of this century seem There are many reasons to explain our inaction ; some are to suggest unequivocably that the period of public funding mere excuses , others are real and grounded in the complexity of the many flourishing for expansion or even maintenance of the system we have built . Others are based , in my judg - activities during these past 40to 45 years has ended . We are ment , on a miscalculation of future trends . moving into a new era of self - help and private - sector We have a plethora of studies , reports , conferences , plan - involvement in meeting many of societyâ??s needs . ning documents , and projection guidelines , all of which ad - Rather than despair at this change of direction , we need to to future needs in research and extension dress themselves acknowledge the inevitable and begin to plan realistically . education in the agricultural sciences . There are some who have sounded clear warnings about the future of agricultural We need to think more critically about defining our unique role in the future rather than trying to devise strategies to sciences , but these warnings have gone largelyunheeded . We are , to borrow a phrase , dangerously close to paralysis by preserve all that we now have . What do we do or can we do that private enterprise cannot or will not do ? What must we analysis . Practically all of us who are active today in agriculture or do to preserve and enhance the quality of our critically im - public institutions have lived in an era of unprecedented portant programs and not allow deterioration to infect all growthin our economyas well as increasing public assistance programs because of insufficient support ? Are we willing to make forthright decisions in setting realistic priorities ? in all aspects of our societal needs . Temporary plateaus and minor recessionshave interrupted this steadygrowth , but the If collectively we are unwilling to answer these questions direction of change has remained upward . seriously , we will prove to be unworthy of our stewardshipof same40 - to 45 - year period , Americaâ??s agricul - the publicâ??s agricultural research and extension programs . Duringthis ture has changed dramatically . Production has shown Either decay within the system will destroy its value , or ma - impressivegrowth ; technologicaladvances have been rapidly jor and arbitrary surgery by uninvolved outside sources may cripple it beyond repair . Our choices are not comfortable and widely incorporated into farming operations ; farm size of farming units have has increased while the numbers ones to make , but it is essential that we make them for the decreased ; foreign exports of farm products have become a future effectiveness of publicly supported agricultural pro - significant part of the total agricultural economy ; and the grams in research and extension . Letâ??s not be paralyzed by development of microelectronic technology has been spec - analysis . We know what must be done and we must act tacular . It has been an exciting era to observe and to exper - before others do it for us . ience . 2 CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE , JANUARY.FEBRUARY 1982