Editor's Page

Dear Reader,

Breathes there an Extension Service that hasn't worried about its financial support and the future?

Probably not. That's why Roy Frederick's commentary in this issue may strike a responsive cord with many. However, he makes some positive suggestions about how Extension can work with policymakers to demonstrate our worth and help assure continuing support.

Other articles in this issue of your Journal are also related to support through accountability, reporting, and evaluation. North Carolina reports about a new reporting system, while articles from Ohio and others relate to evaluation and accountability.

Extension relies heavily upon volunteers to meet its mission. How do we recognize those who help us be successful? In many ways, but some ways appear to be more meaningful then others. Find out what long-time Ohio 4-H leaders had to say about recognition.

For those of you concerned with nutrition education, there's a new resource now available from the Agricultural Research Service. A two-disk CD-ROM set continuing three years' microdata from the 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by individuals and the 1994-1996 Diet and Health Knowledge Survey. The set costs $65 and is available from the National Technical Information Service at 705-605-6000 (accession number PB98-50047).

You must like your Journal! The number of manuscripts has been on a constant increase. This means it has taken longer to complete the reviews and other steps necessary for an article to appear in "print." Please be patient. We are increasing the number of reviewers and hope to improve the process in the next few months.

In the meantime, keep those manuscripts coming!

Len Calvert, editor