County extension

[Ky hills]

When I was young our county had one county agent and a secretary headquartered at an office in the basement of the courthouse.
Some years later they built a new building on the outskirts of town, and now have several agents and all kinds of meetings and functions at the building.
A lot of it is either 4H, or stuff to do pertaining to various "apparently ag related community programs" which they have an agent for that.
The trend seems to be hiring young agents that invariably don't stay in any location very long.
For quite a while our years back our agent was one of my retired ag teachers.
When he retired from the county agent position he was replaced by a young guy that was more into horticulture than animal agriculture. I always thought that was a wrong move, but then after a few years they gave him the title of horticulture agent and hired another ag agent that I kind of knew through being friends with some of his family in another county. He was actually raised in a farm and had cattle.
Now both of those agents are gone to other locations and I haven't met the new one.
Unfortunately, a lot the folks in those jobs only have practical experience with livestock or crops through their college, and the college farms are different in some ways than those of actual working farms.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

When I was young I don't remember my pop going to extension agent for anything... maybe there was not one in our area.
I have heard it said many times on CT " ask your extension agent".
When I went by the other day there was no agent present for weed identification so 2 days later I followed up with an email and phone call to ask when an agent would be there and could I get some assistance with pasture management. I have been told there isn't one for our county.
I have not heard back from them.
I am taking 5 soil samples in next week.
It appears that our county extension is more for underprivileged and poor assistance. There is no agricultural posters or information that seen while I was there. But the walls are covered in assistance programs.
However they do have a Master Gardener program.

Each county in Georgia has its own extension agent and office. However, the agent within the office isn't going to be well versed in everything and experience betwen agents/counties is going to vary from a new hire trying to figure out what their responsibilities are to someone who is long in the saddle and can do about anything within the extension service dispite what their area of expertise is.

There will be an agent within your district at least that will be able to assist you.
Contact the following individual. She may noy have the answers for you, but it is her job, and she will know, WHO has the answers for you. Your local extension office should be able to do the same, but i'll emphasize the should as I'm not going to say they can.

Denise D. EversonNORTHEAST DISTRICT EXTENSION DIRECTOR
people

• phoneTel: 706-542-3179
• printFax: 706-542-1612
• [email protected]

 

[Mark Reynolds]

If you farm the way your daddy & granddaddy farmed you will lose your butt.
If you do everything the state/county extension service recommends, you will lose your butt quicker!

Reminds me of the farmer who won the lottery.
When he was asked what he was going to do with his millions,
His reply was:
"I think I'll keep farming until it's gone."

 

[Mark Reynolds]

They are individuals. So some good ones and some who are completely useless. Also there are different programs within extension. So you could go looking for the answer to an ag problem and find the only extension agent in you county to an expert on home canning or 4H. It is what your county will support financially and who you have.

You are 100% correct, but there is more to the story. Extension is a 'network' that may not have the expert right in front of them, but they have direct access to another agent who does have your answer, and they should know or be able to locate within 5 minutes who this person is and how to contact them.

 

[Dave]

You are 100% correct, but there is more to the story. Extension is a 'network' that may not have the expert right in front of them, but they have direct access to another agent who does have your answer, and they should know or be able to locate within 5 minutes who this person is and how to contact them.

Very true. The key is "they should know". They also need the ability and/or desire to focus on this and actually get it done.

 

[Travlr]

Very true. The key is "they should know". They also need the ability and/or desire to focus on this and actually get it done.

That right there...

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Very true. The key is "they should know". They also need the ability and/or desire to focus on this and actually get it done.

Right. Note that I found the district director for NE Georgia over Gilmer and the other counties for @Mountaintown Creek Ranch in case the Gilmer doesn't measure up to the 'should know' level.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

I followed up with an email a few days after I went in person and asked when an agent could be present and I'm still waiting on a response.
The local farmers I talked to just laugh when I mentioned the extension.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I followed up with an email a few days after I went in person and asked when an agent could be present and I'm still waiting on a response.
The local farmers I talked to just laugh when I mentioned the extension.

Contact your NORTHEAST DISTRICT EXTENSION DIRECTOR that I listed above. If that doesn't work, I'll put you in direct contact with the State Grazing Specialist, Phillip Brown, with the NRCS in Georgia. Having just transferred to South Carolina in this position, I'm looking to Phillip for guidance myself. From what I've seen, he WILL get you the assistance you want.

 

[greybeard]

Having just transferred to South Carolina in this position, I'm looking to Phillip for guidance myself. From what I've seen, he WILL get you the assistance you want.

Welp, in nearly 2 pages, across (?) # of states (I didn't count 'em) and (?) # of replies (didn't count those either) , that's (maybe) 1 that will do his job.
Not exactly a glowing review of what is supposed to be the primary govt asset to agriculture.

 

[Travlr]

Welp, in nearly 2 pages, across (?) # of states (I didn't count 'em) and (?) # of replies (didn't count those either) , that's (maybe) 1 that will do his job.
Not exactly a glowing review of what is supposed to be the primary govt asset to agriculture.

I've used more than one EA in two states and I think I said that earlier. Some were less capable, some were less interested, but a couple were very helpful. One was more interested after he was convinced that I wasn't going away and I valued his expertise and would actually use it.

I play poker. A lot of the dealers see people pass through their experience fleetingly and they get an attitude. It's common to card dealers. It's like they don't see their customers as people. Some more... some less. But you can break through that veneer and establish a relationship with some of them and they will do their job. It's just like anything else. There are bad dentists, mechanics, teachers, and bankers. Some are there to make a paycheck, some to screw anyone they can... and some to be competent. The trick is to find the competent ones and let them know they are valued.

The rest can be ignored.

 

[greybeard]

The trick is to find the competent ones and let them know they are valued.

I am not much on kissing anyone's butt, especially a govt employee. If they aren't interested in doing the job they accepted then they can go hump a stump

 

[Travlr]

I am not much on kissing anyone's butt, especially a govt employee. If they aren't interested in doing the job they accepted then they can go hump a stump

I don't know that anyone is kissing anyone else's butt. Dealing with people of various motivations and abilities is part of life. Maybe even a skill. If I need something I find a way to get it. I try to make it easier instead of harder.

 

[Dave]

Because of my job in Washington I knew the state level extension people. Many of them on a first name basis. Retired and moved down here to eastern Oregon. A completely different environment and set of problems. B has a place with sodic soil. That is unheard of in western Washington. I emailed one of my Washington experts. He gave me contact information for both local and state people here in Oregon. I sent them messages. I got one reply from each one. And that reply was "I will get back to you on that". I never heard a thing after that. Second message wasn't even answered. Left me with egg on my face in, I don't know the answer but I know where to find it.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Welp, in nearly 2 pages, across (?) # of states (I didn't count 'em) and (?) # of replies (didn't count those either) , that's (maybe) 1 that will do his job.
Not exactly a glowing review of what is supposed to be the primary govt asset to agriculture.

Extension is state, NRCS is federal. They say it takes one to know one. There are some of us that are worth our weight in gold, and others that aren't worth a plugged nickel. My thought on the matter is that a government employee is a public servant. As such, they need to behave like one. Too many don't.

 

[Brute 23]

I have met some good ones a cpu courses and things. The down side is, they were generally only there a short time before moving on to greener pastures.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The one here is about as useless as tits on a boar. I tried once a few years ago to get an idea what to charge for some custom haying. After talking to him I still didn't know.

LOL - Actually, tits on a boar are VERY useful. They indicate how many teats will be on his offspring. So, very USEFULL.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I am not much on kissing anyone's butt, especially a govt employee. If they aren't interested in doing the job they accepted then they can go hump a stump

I don't want my butt kissed ! That's weird and disgusting!

 

[Dave]

One of my coworkers at the conservation district said that he always wanted to be a county agent and now he is one. In that county you would have had much better luck calling the conservation district than calling either the extension office or the NRCS. But that has changed now. With retirements how knowledgeable the new staff at any of the above is like is questionable.

 

[Travlr]

I think one of the problems with extension agents, and the office in general, is that people have come to learn that those kinds of jobs have little if any oversight and that they can slide right into retirement with full benefits and a pension... without really doing anything except make a show of doing the job. And sometimes not even that. So many of these jobs won't fire anyone for non-performance. It's a problem that's been growing over time. They require a relevant degree to hire, but then the person hired is practically encouraged to not show up. And of course people of low character find out that they can be hired and never have to perform... and they are the ones attracted to the job.

But they still have the education in order to be hired... and if you call them on their sleazy practices without pissing them off they can become useful. Ya just have to let them know you won't be going away. I don't believe there are a lot of people that like doing nothing.