The Carbon County Extension Association, the county support organization for Penn State Extension in Carbon County, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.

Penn State was chosen by the Department of Agriculture to be the land grant university for Pennsylvania. The extension is the informal educational arm of the land grant universities.The primary purpose has been to pass along agricultural and home economics advances in technology to rural to urban communities.The extension was established in Carbon County in 1917 with the establishment of the Carbon County Farm Bureau, which became the Agricultural Extension Association of Carbon County in 1924.The first county extension agent was Nicholas M. Rahn, who began working in Carbon County on July 1, 1927.One of the goals of the Farm Bureau was to bring agricultural experiment stations to the county to determine whether or not they will apply under local soil and climate conditions.This is still important part, but today, workers in agriculture also explore farmland preservation, waste disposal, water quality and pesticide safety.While the early emphasis of home economics was on food preservation, it has evolved to tackle family issues including diet, health, child care and economics.A third important aspect of the extension has been youth work. This began in 1918 with the forming of the pig club to instruct boys and girls in the feeding and management of pigs. This was the precursor to 4-H in Carbon County.Although the 4-H cloverleaf emblem was first used in 1909 in Iowa, it was not referred to in Pennsylvania until much later in the 1920s. The four H's stand for Head, Heart, Health and Hands.Today, 4-H encompasses a variety of subjects including: agriculture, home economics, forestry, wildlife, leadership skills and most of its members are not from farms.The Carbon County Extension will have a 100th Anniversary Proclamation and Ice Cream Social at 10:30 a.m. on June 22 at the Carbon County Courthouse Annex, 2 Hazard Square, Jim Thorpe. There will be displays of past memorabilia and free ice cream from Penn State Creamery.Then on June 24, the Carbon County Extension will have a table at the Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the park in downtown Lehighton.A service to celebrate the 100th anniversary will be held in November at Mahoning Valley Ambulance, 902 Mill Road, Lehighton. Date and time will be announced.A commemorative booklet is being developed for the program for past agents and support staff to attend.The public is welcome to join the group for the special occasions.For more information, contact the extension office at 570-325-2788.