Barber County's Farm Bureau and Cooperative Extension Service were 
  organized in 1934. Federal government farm programs were initiated during
  the depression years, and counties were organized to conduct educational
  programs in agriculture, home economics and youth work.
     In March 1934, Verl E. "Mac" McAdams became the first agricultural
  agent in Barber County.
     Home demonstration units were organized throughout the county,
  basically for rural women. They grew so rapidly that in 1938, the women
  asked the county commissioners to provide a home demonstration agent. 
  Miss Marjorie Forbes, the first home demonstration agent, served from
  January 1, 1939 to December 16, 1943.
     4-H Clubs were organized and the young members carried out projects
  in home economics, field crops, gardens, swine, steers, heifers, lambs,
  and dairy heifers. Projects were exhibited at Barber County Fair at
  Hardtner and teh Wichita Fat Stock Show.
     Federal cattle and pig buying programs were a part of the county
  agricultural agent's responsibility at the local level. The shortage of
  grass and feed due to the drought was a real hardship, but people made
  every effort to keep their operations going.
     With improvement in weather and economic conditions, farmers and
  ranchers wre receptive to new ideas in crop production, soil erosion 
  and livestock improvement. Barber County being a major livestock county,
  effort ws made to get ranchers to buy purebred beef bulls for herd
  improvement. Local bull grading demonstrations compared the merits of 
  herd bulls.
     McAdams marked out the first terraces built and the first pasture
  furrowing done in Barber County - both on the Walter R. Lilliquist farm
  in Elm Mills Township. In one year he ran 25 miles of terrace lines; an
  outside contractor built the terraces. Erosion was a problem in 1934 and 
  is today.
     With Barber County's large area in native grass, range management
  was a major importance. With federal support, personnel was furnished
  to educate ranchers to improve the percent of calf crop, pounds of beef
  per acre, concentrating calving period, grazing rates, longevity of cow
  production and improvement of range and water conservation. Aggressive
  ranchers benefited.
     Several ranchers had as much as 1000 acres of prairie dogs, creating
  serious loss and a source for further infestation. Prairie dog control
  and eradication ws started with federal assistance. Poison grain bait
  was scattered on hundreds of acres in western Barber County.
     The extension program continued to expand. Grading and marketing,
  fat lambs was of interest. A wheat variety plot was conducted on the W.D.
  Austin farm in Valley Township. In helping cattlemen select replacement
  breeding cattle, some purebred herds were started and others improved.
                  
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 11 
     Submitted by: V.E. McAdams.