The "cooperative" in Utah State University Cooperative Extension refers to the federal, state and community partnership designed to disseminate applied research to diverse Utah audiences. Our mission is to design, develop and orchestrate programs that meet the needs of Utahns including new immigrants and native populations, minorities and others who are underserved, such as single parent families and the elderly.

Extension's needs assessment research revealed that nutrition and health, food safety, finance, bilingualism, natural resources, literacy, agriculture production, home horticulture, community building, youth development, workforce preparedness and family and marriage education were the state's most crical needs. There is a need to have programs that are designed, developed and orchestrated to meet the needs of Utah’s citizens including new immigrants and native populations, minorities and others that are underserved, single parent families and the elderly.

The need for programs in nutrition and health, food safety, finance, bilingualism, natural resources, literacy, agriculture production, home horticulture, community building, youth development, workforce preparedness, family and marriage are well documented through needs assessments conducted by USU Extension. It is the obligation of USU and Extension in particular, to assure that such programs are developed and provided to Utah’s citizens as a primary provider of services or as part of a collaborative effort.