Expanded Extension Opportunities in Bioenergy Development and Education.

Bioenergy project development and education has resulted in new opportunities for extension professionals to engage with their clientele and communities. Traditional roles of extension educators have been to provide knowledge transfer of technology or research developed at the university to local clientele. There are many examples of dissemination of product or technology evaluation that could be cited as examples. At Penn State, one example would be the evaluation of canola varieties forbiodiesel feedstock production. Use of this data led to the marketing of variety of canola by a local seed producer. Another key and new role is the translation of university knowledge to the local level. One example of this has been a biodiesel demonstration project, where principles of biodiesel use were applied to adopt B20 as a biodiesel as a fuel for university farms and other equipment on campus, with fuel and equipment management techniques adjusted to maximize performance, leading to biodiesel adoption by the community. Another emerging role is that of a catalyst. In this role, extension educators, can bring community leaders together to consider potential bioenergy technologies. One Pennsylvania educator has helped to organize community leaders to develop a biomass based district heating project for a small town. Another potential role is that of a convener. In the convener role, educators bring together individuals, resources, and organizations to help develop a plan or project. In one example educators developed an oilseed production project by brining together a seed company, a biodiesel plant, county commissioners, and several funding agencies. By considering a broader potential roles, extension professionals can create more impact for individuals and communities and develop more support for local extension programs.