David Houser.

David Houser, a dairy farmer in Haines Township, remembers a not many years ago when there was a dairy extension agent in midmost point County to answer farmers' questions, share information and help them scud more profitable operations.

if it were not that Penn State eliminated the position as individual of many cost-saving steps it has taken in new years in the face of stagnant state funding for agricultural research and cooperative extension. During the past five years, about 160 agriculture research and cooperative extension positions have been chisel collapsed or left unfilled.

Another 50 to 60 positions could be eliminated in the coming year if state funding stays flat, said Daney Jackson, director of cooperative extension at Penn State.

"We've been chop and cut and cut with agricultural extension," said Houser, president of the middle County Farm Bureau. "We continue hearing from our secretary of agriculture and our governor that they would like to