Education North Carolina Cooperative Extension: Yancey County Center The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is an educational partnership helping people put research-based knowledge to work for economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and improved quality of life. North Carolina Cooperative Extension is associated with the College of Agriculture and Life Science at North Carolina State University and the School of Agriculture at North Carolina A&T State University. The staff members are part of the outreach teaching faculty of N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University, reaching millions of people each year in the communities where they live. Strategic priorities are:
To strengthen the economy through profitable, sustainable and safe food, forest and green industry systems. Extension agents work to support existing agriculture and to help farmers develop alternative enterprises. Production of greenhouse and forest products, ornamentals, and vegetables grown on black plastic are gaining popularity, while tobacco continues to be an important crop. One popular specialty crop in the county is shiitake mushrooms. Annual workshops bring together diverse groups of all ages and backgrounds to learn how to grow and market mushrooms.
To protect the environment and natural resources. The Toecane Beekeepers Association actively promotes the growth of the area honey industry through education and technological innovation. The association boasts over 80
members from Mitchell and Yancey counties. Monthly educational meetings are held to inform local growers on beekeeping issues. The staff continues to assist farmers and homeowners in making safe fertilizer and pesticide choices and recommends rates of application for optimum plant and soil health and crop production. Recommendations are made for the lowest-risk, yet most effective, treatment choice, but may be as simple as recommending alternate plant varieties that resist known pests.
To empower youth and families to lead healthier lives and become community leaders. Yancey County has an active Extension and Community Association (ECA). Members are involved in activities from the community to the state level. Most important is a county council project of making and selling a quilt each year to raise scholarship funds to help a high school student entering the field of family and consumer science. Nurturing Parenting programs help parents learn about child development, alternatives to hitting, ways to build self-esteem and self-concept in their children and themselves, ways to increase their empathy, and ways to recognize their child’s feelings as well as their own. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP) is a federally funded nutrition-education program designed to help limited-resource families and youth learn skills to provide sound and affordable diets that contribute to their personal development. The 4-H Youth Development Program in Yancey County assists youth and adults in becoming competent, coping and contributing
members of a global society and in developing essential life skills through planned “learn by doing” experiences. The organization is a partnership that began over 90 years ago when county, state and federal governments agreed that, by joining together, they could ensure that all citizens had access to the wealth of knowledge being generated at public universities. Today, Yancey County is served by Yancey County Cooperative Extension, which acts as a gateway to the resources of N.C. State and N.C. A&T State universities. Staff members utilize a core group of volunteers, known as the Advisory Leadership System, to assist them in determining the most relevant issues affecting individuals, families and communities. Yancey County staff work side-by-side with local officials, lay advisors, volunteers and grassroots organizations to achieve common educational goals.
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