Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Agriculture Extension topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
AgriLife Extension presents quarterly update on youth programs, stock shows and emerging pests
Summary
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agents reported youth participation, stock-show validation, outreach programs and new agricultural pest concerns at the Sept. 22 Lubbock County Commissioners Court meeting.
Agents from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service gave a quarterly update to Lubbock County Commissioners Court on Sept. 22, summarizing June–September activity that included 4‑H and FFA youth participation, the South Plains Fair, community nutrition and urban youth programs, and emerging pest concerns.
Robert Scott, with AgriLife Extension, said Lubbock County ranks high in livestock validation for steers and swine and that the county’s junior participants won substantial scholarship and prize money at recent major shows. “We validate all our livestock. Lubbock is the number one county for validation in numbers of steers,” Scott said, and later noted that county 4‑H participants “brought in over I think it was 1,500,000 in winnings, from last year from the major stock show.”
Amber Bozeman, Urban Youth Development CEA, described summer programs including an eight-week Cultivate Cook and Create nutrition-and-gardening program at the South Plains Grub Farm with about 50 participants and a Families Reading Everyday (F.R.E.D.) literacy challenge that distributed donated books and tracked reading minutes in partnership with local schools and libraries.
Brent Baugh and Scott described outreach connected to the South Plains Fair; Scott said fairs draw large attendance and provide ag-exposure for urban children. The extension team also highlighted applied research projects that included nematode surveys and vegetable trials.
Emerging pests and plant-health concerns
Scott warned the court about several pests and plant-health issues he said were appearing or approaching the region: the screw-worm fly (which can affect warm-blooded animals, including people), a leaf‑hopper species referred to in the meeting as a cotton jassid that has caused severe losses in other countries, and a recently identified guava nematode that was found in local tomato plants.
Scott said extension staff are monitoring these and working with plant pathologists; he noted a nematode survey of vegetables and engagement with state and federal efforts to detect and respond to pests.
Why it matters
The extension’s programs connect youth development, agricultural research and community health. The agents emphasized workforce and leadership development through the stock‑show pipeline, nutrition and literacy outreach in partnership with schools and community groups, and applied research that informs local producers and gardeners.
Ending
Commissioners thanked the agents and encouraged public attendance at the South Plains Fair and related events. The update served as a quarterly summary without any court action required.
