San Mateo-San Francisco Counties Cooperative Extension is a partnership between the county and state governments; the University of California, Davis; and the Department of Agriculture. It provides education and information to the public about nutrition, agriculture, landscape horticulture, urban forestry, floral and nursery crop production, and natural resources and livestock. It also runs a master gardener helpline (650-726-9059, ext. 107) on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The Cooperative Extension was created in 1914 by a Congressional bill. The bill funds state universities to pass on practical tips from its research to the public.