Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 7, 1995 TAG: 9503070110
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALLISON BLAKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
As directed by legislators, the agency must propose plans for ``significantly increasing'' nongeneral funds - meaning nontax revenues.
But Virginia Tech President Paul Torgersen said that does not necessarily mean the agency will start charging farmers who need help.
``I think there are other possibilities more likely to come to the forefront than charging farmers for direct services,'' said Torgersen, citing among them extension's immensely popular master gardener program, which flourishes in suburban areas.
The program tends ``to service a clientele that more often than not [is] able to pay for the service,'' he said.
The review comes at the behest of the General Assembly, which restored $7.3 million to extension's budget that Gov. George Allen had wanted to cut. Lawmakers also restored $4.9 million to Tech's forestry and agriculture research stations, also administered by the university's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The lobbying to restore extension has been endless in recent years, following deep cuts made during the administration of former Gov. Douglas Wilder. In a recent interview, Torgersen said, ``By this time next year, we want to take, to the extent we can, some of the controversy out of what extension does.''
The community-based education agency, with 107 offices statewide, offers programs including help for rural farmers and nutrition instruction for urban families. Concern has arisen that extension duplicates social service agency work.
In the legislation that restores the latest budget cuts, lawmakers direct extension to give highest priority to agricultural programs. The review will be tied to the university's overall restructuring effort.
``I think there's going to be a hard look taken at extension, but I believe extension can justify its existence,'' said state Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville, a farmer who supported legislation to restore the funding.
The Virginia Farm Bureau just hopes farmers won't have to start paying for services.
``A concern we would have is if all the sudden [extension] started shifting the expense of the program to the farmer, through fees,'' said Alex Hamilton, farm bureau spokesman.
Both he and Marye pointed to the fees charged by extension's soil testing program, to help farmers figure out how to fertilize fields.
``When people started having to pay for it, participation dropped off dramatically,'' Hamilton said.
But Tech administrators say they welcome the chance for the review, which will be launched in the coming weeks. The results are due next fall.
``I welcome the idea of communicating with the executive branch and the legislative branch next fall,'' said Andy Swiger, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
``That's a lot better than suddenly learning at the last minute that you have a huge problem.''
by CNB