Cooperative Extension Systems as Models for Effective Rural Communications

Written By Adam Howell

By: Adam Howell

Edited by: Maddie Miele

In rural America, there is a growing crisis related to the lack of trust in institutions and official sources of information. Research consistently shows that rural residents have a low-level of trust in information conveyed by the government, healthcare officials, the scientific community, or mainstream media. The lack of trust for credible sources of information has serious negative ramifications for the health, safety, and welfare of both rural communities and the nation.3, 4, 6, 13, 14

Fortunately, we may be able to learn valuable lessons on effective rural outreach from the national Cooperative Extension system, a century-old success story in transferring practical knowledge, training, and information from universities to local communities big and small.7, 8

What Happens When Trust Declines Among Rural Citizens?

There are several common characteristics among rural communities that make them less likely to trust authoritative sources of information. Rural communities are isolated from support systems more common to suburban or urban communities. Lack of interaction between rural citizens and official institutions contributes to distrust. Culturally, rural community members often report that authoritative messengers are naive about rural culture or are unprepared to address local concerns, leading to feelings of resentment. The individualistic, conservative, or libertarian cultural inclination of rural regions doesn’t blend well with national guidelines or mandates.3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10

When rural communities disregard official guidance, or science-backed information, it can have far-reaching consequences for both rural citizens, and the rest of the country. For instance, research has consistently shown that rural populations are less likely to accept the scientific consensus on climate change, leading to a disconnect on the need for climate change mitigation and local adaptation.3 Rural areas are much more vulnerable to climate change driven by weather impacts such as droughts, floods, wildfires, and severe storms – the cost of which are borne by all taxpayers. From a public health standpoint, numerous studies have shown that rural areas have much lower rates of vaccination than in other areas of the country.17, 18 Low vaccination rates in rural communities can cause preventable diseases to spread to other areas creating a wider public health crisis. Recently, cases of measles, originating in rural Texas where vaccination rates are lower than the rest of the nation, has grown into the largest outbreak in over 30 years.11, 12

Trust in Practice: The Cooperative Extension Model for Community Messaging

Cooperative Extension organizations exist in every state and help connect communities with the tangible benefits of university research and discovery. The Cooperative Extension System began with a specific focus on agriculture in rural areas but today, extension units provide a wide range of community support services ranging from health and wellness to conservation and educational outreach.7, 8, 13, 14

The overall footprint of the Cooperative Extension System is truly profound – for example, the system comprises over 32,000 professionals and over 1 million volunteers nationally, generates billions of dollars in economic benefits annually, and reaches millions of Americans through programs like 4-H Youth Development or Extension Master Gardener programs.7, 13

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that Cooperative Extension programs enjoy a greater degree of trust in rural communities than other institutions. A regional survey of 900 Inland Pacific Northwest farmers found farmers trust university Extension most for climate-change information.15 A 2023 study published in Applied Economics Teaching Resources reported that, in a survey of 4,000 respondents who used extension programs, the staff and information they provided “highly reliable.”16 These facts speak to the ability of Cooperative Extension programs and staff to build trust.4, 17

Expanding or Replicating the Cooperative Extension Approach

Understanding that Cooperative Extension programs are seen as trusted messengers by rural audiences compared to other sources is only half the battle. Currently, Cooperative Extension programs are limited by their narrow programmatic focus and lack of resources. While Cooperative Extension Programs have expanded their activities since the system’s founding, they are still limited to areas related to agriculture, conservation and environment, health, nutrition and wellness.8, 13, 14

There are several potential approaches where the Cooperative Extension Model could help connect rural communities with beneficial information in a way that builds trust. The role of existing cooperative extension programs could be expanded or a similar, independent institution with a singular focus on educating and informing rural audiences could be established.7, 13, 17

Whether a new type of system is established or existing systems are expanded, it is important that permanent local communications staff be employed. By maintaining positions which are entirely focused on outreach, communications, and information dissemination, programs can remain focused on prioritizing message delivery, performing analysis of message acceptance, and adapting the information channels to fit local audience preferences. It is also important for local extension, or extension-like programs, to take the lead on messaging. Large state, federal, and international institutions or must be willing to let trusted local messengers lead in rural areas and shift to a supportive role.1, 2, 3, 4

It is also important that there be less rigidity in stylistic standards. State and federal agencies along with the scientific community must be willing to support local messengers who adapt communications to local cultures and styles. In many cases, this means storytelling and personal-editorial style communications may be more effective than government bulletins or scientific publications.9, 10, 17

Another pathway to supporting an effective new rural communications strategy would involve providing training and resources for extension educators to receive communications and critical issues training. Extension program specialists and educators are front-line professionals interacting with local communities daily, and as such, they are often asked about critical national issues, even when those topics are outside the scope of their duties.4, 8, 13

Rural communities are often atypical in terms of their consumption of media and communications. The variance in rural media habits combined with a wide geographic dispersal means that low-cost activities related to critical issues should also be considered. These activities can take the form of monthly events, local webinars, digital or printed newsletters, or community blogs and message boards. Informal networks and extension network ambassadors could also be considered as a secondary source of information dissemination.1, 2, 3

These informal communicators could engage in facilitated networking and collaborative approaches where information and messaging efforts are disseminated and feedback is received. Two-way pipelines of communication are also critical, so rural community members feel heard and are active participants in the conversation.4, 6, 10

We know there are approaching challenges that will impact how rural communities interact with information. With the advent of new technologies like artificial intelligence and large language models, the continued evolution of federal government support for rural areas, immigration issues, trade, and many other emergent issues; trust in the veracity of information will be critical for the welfare of rural communities. In the end, no matter what the issue, information will only be as good as the willingness of people to trust it. 

Work Cited

  1. “About 4-H.” n.d. Purdue University – Extension. https://extension.purdue.edu/4-H/about/index.html. 

  2. “Awareness and Usage of Extension and Outreach Programs | Applied Economics Teaching Resources.” n.d. https://www.aetrjournal.org/volumes/volume-5-2023/volume-5-issue-4/research-articles/awareness-and-usage-of-extension-and-outreach-programs.

  3. Borrelli, Kristy, Gabrielle McNally, J. D. Wulfhorst, Sanford Eigenbrode, Georgine Yorgey, Chad Kruger, Laurie Houston, Leigh Bernacchi, and Robert Mahler. 2018. “Farmers’ Trust in Sources of Production and Climate Information and Their Use of Technology.” Journal of Extension 56 (3). https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.56.03.21.

  4. Brown, Virginia, Aaron Golson, Emily Goldstein, Maria Bowie, Diane Bales, and Anna Scheyett. 2024. “Community Perspectives on the Use of Extension Offices for Behavioral Health.” Discover Health Systems 3 (1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44250-023-00059-1.

  5. Hmielowski, Jay D., Eve Heffron, Yanni Ma, and Michael A. Munroe. 2021. “You’ve Lost That Trusting Feeling: Diminishing Trust in The News Media in Rural Versus Urban US Communities.” The Social Science Journal, September, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2021.1969510.

  6. Kearney, Audrey, Lunna Lopes, Irving Washington, Isabelle Valdes, Hagere Yilma, and Liz Hamel. 2025. “Addressing Misinformation in Rural Communities: Snapshot From the KFF Health Misinformation Tracking Poll Pilot.” KFF. August 13, 2025. https://www.kff.org/health-information-trust/addressing-misinformation-in-rural-communities-snapshot-from-the-kff-health-misinformation-tracking-poll-pilot/.

  7. Kirk, James R. G. 2024. “Landscape of Distrust: Political Trust Across America’s Urban-Rural Divide.” American Politics Research 53 (1): 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673×241273220.

  8. Krause, Nicole M. 2023. “Placing ‘Trust’ in Science: The Urban–rural Divide and Americans’ Feelings of Warmth Toward Scientists.” Public Understanding of Science 32 (5): 596–604. https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625221147232.

  9. “Master Gardeners Help Provide Solutions for Gardeners.” 24AD. April 25, 24AD. Accessed September 9, 2025. https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/master-gardeners-help-provide-solutions-gardeners.

  10. Reck, Ava, Lauren Holley, Kyle Bower, Sarah Whitaker, Caroline Hall, Courtney Brown, Alison Berg, et al. 2025. “Building Trust in Rural Communities: Recruitment and Retention Strategies in Developmental Science.” Frontiers in Public Health 13 (May). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1586988.

  11. Seitz, Amanda, and Allen G. Breed. 2024. “North Carolina’s Struggle to Reopen Hospital Could Signal Trouble for Biden | AP News.” AP News. May 20, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/biden-rural-hospitals-closed-emergency-health-trump-51a70f7072d2414ce694ca536da83b80.

  12. “Six Key Findings From Our New Action Over Dialogue Report – Trust for Civic Life.” n.d. https://trustforciviclife.org/six-key-findings-from-our-new-action-over-dialogue-report/.

  13. “The 2025 Measles Outbreak Is Largest in 3 Decades.” 2025. Politico. July 9, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/the-2025-measles-outbreak-is-largest-in-three-decades-00444186.

  14. “Trust Trends: U.S. Adults’ Gradually Declining Trust in Institutions, 2021-2024 | AAMC Center for Health Justice.” n.d. AAMC Center for Health Justice. https://www.aamchealthjustice.org/news/polling/trust-trends.

  15. Wiesinger, Georg. 2007. “The Importance of Social Capital in Rural Development, Networking and Decision-making in Rural Areas.” Revue De Géographie Alpine, no. 95–4 (December): 43–56. https://doi.org/10.4000/rga.354.

  16. Worley, Julian M., William B. Banks, William Secor, Benjamin L. Campbell, and University of Georgia. 2023. “Awareness and Usage of Extension and Outreach Programs.” Research Article. Vol. 5. https://www.aetrjournal.org/UserFiles/file/AETR_2022_054RR%20WORLEY%20FULL%20PDF%20VERSION.pdf.

  17. McKeirnan, Kimberly C., Megan R. Undeberg, Skylar Zelenko, and Ghazal Meratnia. 2024. “A Qualitative Analysis of Rural Community Vaccination Barriers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Vaccines 12 (12): 1442. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12121442. 

  18. Calixte, Cynthia, Nitika Moibi, and Andrea Stephenson Royster. n.d. “Pediatric vaccination rates in rural America.” https://www.ruralhealth.us/getmedia/2a3e75f9-a066-474d-a47e-8503baec5008/2024-NRHA-Rural-Immunizations-policy-brief.pdf. 

Adam Howell