The North Dakota State University Extension Service has teamed up with 73 other universities to develop eXtension, a Web site devoted to bringing solutions to today’s complex challenges. The information-packed Web site can be accessed at http://www.extension.org/.

eXtension is a portal to the nation’s largest educational and information system, its creators say. It provides reliable answers based on solid research and trustworthy, field-tested data, along with the knowledge of experts from land-grant universities across the nation. It complements and enhances the community-based programming the Extension Service provides.

Topics covered on the eXtension Web site include horticulture, personal finance, parenting, family issues, horses, beef and dairy cattle, entrepreneurship, geospatial technology, dealing with disasters, cotton, diversity, fire ants, wildlife damage and management, and a program that exposes youth to science, engineering and technology. More topics will be added in the coming months.

“I am excited to be involved in developing this resource because it will provide access to timely, unbiased and accurate information for consumers 24/7,” says Debra Pankow, NDSU Extension Service family economics specialist. Pankow chairs the group that gathers information on financial security.

eXtension provides information a number of ways, including articles from resource area experts and answers to frequently asked questions. However, unlike most other Web-based information resources, eXtension also has experts from universities throughout the country ready to answer specific questions within 48 hours. Once answered, the question and answer become part of the frequently answered questions section of a topic.

NDSU Agriculture Communication