Hoefer was a member of the Omega Club (later became a 4-H Club) in Elmira early in the 20th century. He attended Cornell University in 1913-1916, then went to work on school gardens in Troy, NY, during World War I. He became one of the first Club Agents in New York in Rensselaer County in 1919 (called Junior Extension). Hoefer led NY Victory Garden program in WW II and went to Germany to help establish youth programs in 1948.
Hoefer played an instrumental role in the early history of 4-H in New York State, as Assistant State 4-H Club Leader in 1931 and then State 4-H Club Leader from 1943 until his retirement in 1955. At the end of his career, Hoefer stressed programs for older teens and urban youth. The Albert Hoefer Lounge at Warren Hall in National 4-H Center was dedicated in his honor in 1959.
