WSU - Building Prosperity in Our Community: Helping to Make
Stevens County the Best Place to
Live, Raise a Family, and Own a Business

By Al Kowitz, WSU Stevens County Extension Director

When folks discover that I am the local "Extension Agent" they are often in the dark on what Extension is about. Often we are thought of as "agricultural extension," that is, exclusively helping farmers and ranchers produce crops and livestock. Agriculture is important in our county for a number of reasons. However, WSU Stevens County Extension is much more that agriculture. I want to describe in the next few paragraphs how I look at Extension, that is, helping to build prosperity in Stevens County.

Prosperity is often thought of as increasing and compounding wealth within a community. However, I think prosperity involves more than the simple creation of wealth. A vision of prosperity must consider how to build a community that best serves its citizens. For me, prosperity is creating an environment that is the best place to live, raise a family and own a business. I hope that members of our community will take time to consider the meaning of this definition and what it implies for community and economic development. One thing is certain: A prosperous community does not happen by accident. It takes a common vision and focused energy of its citizens. In the next four sections I will describe four simple strategies for building prosperity and ways that Extension is working to implement these strategies.

Visit the pages listed to the right to find out what has happened around the county to build prosperity - and what can come in the future.

Al Kowitz, Extension Director
Debra Kollock, Learning Center Coordinator
Peter Griessmann, Educator, Forestry
Jeanette Cornwall, 4-H Program Assistant
Terry Swagerty, Small Farms Assistant
Shannon Gordon, Administrative Assistant
Ivy Nelson, Administrative Assistant

Safeguard and invest in our assets

Cultivate
Innovation and Economic Diversity

Build a Good People Climate