Organization & History

District Agriculture Extension Boards were developed in 1946 to promote agriculture extension by coordinating agriculture related events. Each RM had an agriculture councillor or member at large providing representation on these extension boards who contributed to coordinating extension events.  However, as the rural population declined and farming technology increased, districts expanded and a need for structure materialized. 

In 1988, the District Agriculture Extension Boards restructured to become the District ADD Boards to act as both policy advisors to the government and to actively deliver programs at the local level serving the needs of local communities. The District ADD Boards were incorporated and established under The Rural Municipality Act, 1989, Section 172 which provided the authority for RM’s to set up committees and boards with legal status. Two people from the RM (one member and one member at large) were appointed to sit on the District ADD Board.  Two from the ADD Board were appointed to sit on the Regional Council, and two from the Regional Council were appointed to sit on the Sub-Council of Regional Councils of ADD Boards (the provincial body).

In March of 1993, Department funding supporting the ADD system was cut resulting in a reduction in programming and restructuring creating a low level of consistency among ADD Boards. Hoping to revitalize the ADD Board shortfalls, in 1999, the Sub-Council incorporated to become the Provincial Council of ADD Boards (PCAB).

The mandate remained the same – to assist in the development and delivery of agriculture related programs – but also to sit as an advisory council to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food on matters relating to agriculture extension.

In 2004, funding supporting Extension Services Branch with SAF was cut resulting in a loss of funding to PCAB and the ADD Boards.  PCAB was forced to become an independent, non-profit organization that transformed from an advisory body to the program delivery organization that exists today while for the ADD Boards, although many are still in existence, their level of activity varies throughout the province.