[jojo]

Promoting agricultural products is not the mission of the extension service. They are an "extension" of a university and their mission is to provide research-based information in the areas of agriculture and family and consumer sciences. (Granted, in today's politicized and often polarized environment, nutrition information can be controversial). The mission has expanded from the original which was mainly to aid farmers to include home horticulture. The extension service also coordinates 4-H clubs The extension service is funded by tax dollars - usually a combination of federal (USDA), state, and local which is managed by county commissioners. I worked briefly in extension in Ohio and was considered a faculty member of The Ohio State University.