In 2014 our nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of Cooperative Extension. For the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), this is both a year for celebration and for renewal.

As California's land-grant research university, UC, in 1914, was given the task of building the Extension system that the Smith-Lever Act envisioned would propel U.S. agriculture into the modern era. UC ANR embraced that vision with a prophetic belief that scientific knowledge could, indeed, transform California into the world's most successful agricultural producer.

For 100 years, UC Cooperative Extension has served as ANR's “community ambassador,” delivering research and education programs in every California county. During this centennial year, we have much to celebrate, thanks to our storied history and the 1,350 dedicated individuals who make UC Cooperative Extension and all of ANR thrive.

UC ANR researcher checking codling moth trap in a walnut tree at sunrise

Today, we operate nine Research and Extension Centers, 60 county offices and three administrative centers, with more than 11,000 acres, 320 Extension researchers and 650 campus-based academics devoted to sustaining and improving California's agricultural and natural resources.

Through this vast statewide network, ANR delivers practical, science-based information to California growers, ranchers, decision makers and, perhaps most importantly, the people of California.

Through our partnerships with the agricultural community; state, local and federal agencies; and the California State University, we address some of the most pressing problems of our day, including

• researching how to make safe, affordable food available to the world's 7 billion people;

• protecting scarce natural resources;

• building healthy, prosperous communities; and

• educating our future leaders to meet these and tomorrow's challenges.

In many ways ANR functions as UC's 11th campus. We don't grant degrees, but we educate more than 150,000 California young people every year in the California 4-H Youth Development Program. One of the original Cooperative Extension programs, 4-H teaches science, engineering, nutrition, ecology and good citizenship. By participating in 4-H, young people increase their likelihood of graduating from college fivefold.

ANR doesn't operate medical centers, but we work every day to fight childhood obesity and poor nutrition. Our Extension nutrition programs reach more than 222,000 adults and children in 33 counties.

Through UC Cooperative Extension's efforts, over the past three decades California's milk production has increased 44%; its processing tomato yields have increased 69% and almond yields have risen by 122%.

Using ANR-developed technology, California growers save 100,000 acre feet of water a year.

When invasive pests like the Asian citrus psyllid attack crops, ANR fights back with scientific advances in pest management and ongoing research to eradicate the threat.

Even in times of severe budget cutbacks, ANR consistently fulfills its public service responsibilities. The university and ANR have suffered through chronic funding declines that have threatened the quality of our programs and ability to serve the state. Now that California's finances are improving, we must focus on renewal.

Among my highest priorities as vice president is to rebuild the academic footprint of UC Cooperative Extension. To sustain UC's credibility with the people it was created to serve, we must continue to replenish our ranks and revitalize programs trimmed during lean budget years.

We also must forge new public-private partnerships and strengthen the ones we have to attract diversified funding sources to our programs.

And we must build collaborations within the UC campuses to take advantage of the multidisciplinary nature of transformative research.

These are some of the challenges that keep me awake at night. We must accomplish these goals and more if UC Cooperative Extension and all of ANR are to contribute another 100 years to the health and vibrancy of the California we all treasure.

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