Nelson County Cooperative Extension introduces associate agent, outlines outreach and classes

Erin Harris, Nelson County 4‑H agent and unit coordinator, introduced Kim Bryant, the county’s new associate extension agent, and said the office has resumed a fuller schedule after staff leave and onboarding.

Kim Bryant said she began Nov. 11 and described outreach and training activities held or hosted by the extension office: a fruit school for 28 Southern Virginia food growers, a grape disease-management workshop for 12 growers, a propagation class for 12 master gardeners, an orchard meeting at Carter Mountain Orchard attended by 33 participants, and completion of the Virginia Master Gardener Academy. Bryant said the office launched a monthly email newsletter in January and that the mailing list now reaches more than 800 people; staff are also collecting physical addresses to mail information to residents who are not online. The extension office has started demonstration container vegetable plantings at the extension center to show gardening options for limited space.

Bryant said the office is collaborating with local groups including the Nelson‑Amherst Bee Producers, Nelson Beekeepers, the Gladstone Community Center, Blue Ridge Medical Center, 4‑H and FFA. “There’s much to learn and to do at Extension,” she said, and thanked the board for its support.

Why this matters: the extension office provides agricultural and horticultural education and community outreach across Nelson County; the new associate agent summarized work to expand programming, in-person demonstrations and non-digital outreach.