April 13, 2026 • 23 mins
If you have questions about eating healthier or making your budget dollars stretch further, chances are Extension has solutions that work.
“We cover a really broad spectrum,” Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) director Eve Brantley said. “It's because we serve all of Alabama.”
Service is at the heart of what Brantley does every day.
Named the 1862 Extension director for ACES this past January, she steps into the role with deep, field-tested experience as both a multi‑county Extension agent and an associate director.
In her current role, Brantley guides more than 700 faculty and staff across both Auburn and Alabama A&M campuses and in all 67 Alabama counties.
“We have an army of people,” Brantley said. “Our Extension agents work hard to learn everything about their communities so they can serve as local subject matter experts.”
ACES was formed following the passage of the federal Smith-Lever Act in 1914. It was designed to provide research-based education to rural populations, particularly to combat threats like the boll weevil and to teach home economics.
Today, ACES continues to advance Auburn’s land-grant mission, connecting the university with local communities by sharing practical, researched-based knowledge and information.
“It's not just a one-way street,” Brantley explained. “What makes Extension special is we ask people, ‘what do you need?’ Then, we do research to solve those problems.”
From school classrooms and college campuses to the career field, family life and retirement, ACES provides educational outreach opportunities for every stage of life.
“We're well known for agriculture, forestry and natural resources, but we also have a very large human sciences component, federal nutrition programs and community resource development initiatives,” Brantley said.
Every year, Extension staff coordinate more than 6,000 educational events across Alabama. Extension’s Online Directory provides an interactive opportunity for every Alabamian to access a trusted, reliable source of information.
“We're unique because we have a unified extension system that helps us serve both our urban and rural clientele,” Brantley explained.
Alabama Extension Week runs April 12 – 18. It’s been held for the past four years to draw awareness and visibility to ACES’s programming, people and mission. This year, the focus is on the Auburn and Alabama A&M campuses, aiming to make students more aware of resources offered to them by ACES. Several events and 14 free webinars are planned, with agents sharing practical tips and research-based solutions for gardening, mental health, nutrition, financial planning and more.
“Extension professionals are going to be sharing different examples of what we do,” Brantley said.
At Auburn, a Career Exploration opportunity is planned for Tues., April 14 at 2 p.m. in 203 Upchurch Hall with Home Horticulture Agent Megan Jones. On Wed., April 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., ACES will host Extension on the Green featuring 15 engaging exhibits, free food, trivia and door prizes.
The entire week offers ACES county offices across the state a chance to remind communities that help and expertise are close to home.
“This is a real opportunity to say, ‘yes, Extension does that,’” Brantley said.
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(00:06):
Hey everybody, welcomeback to the Everything Auburn podcast.
We are excited todayto have an exciting guest.
But before we get into that, Carter,how are you doing?
I'm doing wonderful. Welcome back.
Thank you, thank you.
North Alabama says hello.
It's where I've been.
Oh, well, the Rocket City says hey there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice.
A lot of time on the interstate,but we're we're back on the Lovelace
(00:27):
Village on the Plains.
And I couldn't be happier.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
Today on the podcast,we are excited to have doctor
Eve Brantley, the 1862 extensiondirector for the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System.
Thank you.
I appreciatebeing invited to be on this podcast.
Absolutely, absolutely.
Good to have you here.
Well, we wanted to talk,get to know you a little bit better,
know about more what you do,what your team does and just everything.
(00:49):
Extension.
Happy extension week, by the way.
Thank you.
I think it'd be a greatway to start with you.
Started back in January,if I'm not mistaken.
I didJanuary 1st was my first day
as extension director.
Welcome.
Well, if you could just.
Let's let's lead methrough the broken road path.
Whatever you want to say thatled you to here in January,
starting as extension director. Sure.
Well, first, I'm,just really humbled
(01:11):
and honored to have been selectedas extension director.
So, I'm really excited to be hereas extension director
and here on this podcastto share more about extension
and our mission.
So I'll start even further.
Back thenwhen I started with the extension,
which is extensionwas established in 1914.
And I mean, we might laterget into the whole Land Grant mission,
(01:33):
but for those of uswho were at Auburn University,
I mean, we are at the Universityof the people, right?
Land Grant universities,established in 1862
for the sons and daughters of toil.
It was the democratization of education.
How do we make sure thateveryone has access to education?
So here we are,Auburn University,
(01:55):
where the 1862 land grant.
And when I mentioned that, Iso you know, we have sisters
like Universityof Georgia, University of Tennessee,
Mississippi Stateand then we also have
sister organizations are 1890s,the, Alabama A&M
University, Tuskegee University.
So extension put into place in 1914.
(02:16):
Of course, that was not there, but,much, much later. Me neither.
Right.
Much, much later.
You know,and I can tell you more about extension,
but I'll say that I started in mobilein Baldwin County.
Back in 2000.
So, and that's something thatI want folks to understand, that
extension is in every countyin our state.
(02:38):
We're in every county in the nation.
So I startedthere as a multi county agent,
and I can talk more about whatthe different jobs
look like and extension.
And over time just moved to campus,became a state specialist
then went into administration,spent a little time as associate director
and then again,just really honored
to been selected as director.
(02:59):
That's fantastic.
I said beforewe started recording, Carter and Kim
both know I'm a history nerd.
Oh, yeah.
And, specifically, like in grad school,I spent hours in the archives for fun.
Like, I have Auburn history.
And so I was going to bring up the landgrant mission.
And that's one of the reasonswhy I love Auburn
and just land grant institutionso much is because they're.
(03:21):
So mission really is to providefor the people of their state. Yes.
And so that's exactlywhat extension does.
And so the fact that we're partneredalongside one another,
I think it's a shame that alot of people know about it.
And so, yeah, you know, well, I,I love the opportunity to share more.
And when you go look at the sealin front of Langdon Hall,
(03:41):
if you peer closely, you'll step on it.
No, no, don't worry.
Don't get too close.
Yeah.
No, my daughter has graduated fully,and I'm so proud of her.
There you go.
Yeah. War Eagle! Thank you.
Auburn University and the seal.
But the if you look at the sealit says instruction research.
And then extension is that third part.
And that's that's the land grant.
(04:02):
That's what makes us specialis that democratization of education
meant that not only werewe doing the work
in agriculture or mechanical arts,the liberal arts,
but we were makingsure that that information
was being given to folks who needed it,not just research for research
(04:23):
sake, which, you know, it'sresearch is incredibly important.
And I can go backknowing that you're a history nerd.
Yeah, I'll share with you.
I've got some documentsthat were just shared
with me, a 1954 extension, publication.
And I'm soon going to get a 1926 USDAhow to be an extension agent.
So my gosh, I'm so excited. Wow.
So anyway, so I digress,but but yeah, so our
(04:46):
our land grant mission meanswe take that information
and it's not just us a one way street.
But what makes extension special iswe ask people, what do you need
so that we're doing that researchthat is solving problems.
Today's problemswe're looking at on the horizon
what's coming.
(05:08):
And we know what's coming fromnot only our research colleagues,
but from people who are out working,seeing where the concerns are.
What do you need to do to make researchscience based decisions
to improve your quality of life?
And and it's where the people are likeit's every county in the nation, which,
(05:28):
I mean,I don't know, off the top of my head,
but I would be a challenge to sayif there's anything
that's that widespread,including like Dollar General,
like they're making,they're giving us a run for the money.
No. Yeah.
It's it's so accessibleto every single person.
And it's just right there.
Yeah. Yeah it is.
So it andso yeah, we're asking for input
(05:50):
and then that input is broughtnot only back to researchers on campus,
but then we develop programs thatwe mean, we take a lot of time
and effort and understandingmeeting people where they are.
So how do you want the information?
What what's the most useful time of day,or is it a webinar or is it
(06:12):
online resources that you know, aswe are in this digital age,
how can we make sure thatwe're informing our AI tools?
Here's the research that you need.
If you go and typesomething into a search engine.
But sometimes there's problemsthat are so complex and so local,
no clever prompt,and a search engine
is going to help you solve that. Right?
(06:32):
So that'swhere our county offices
are extension agents.
They are there to they're poised.
They're ready.
Give them a call email.
So I know it's going to changecounty by county agent by agent.
But what are some of thoselike most common.
And what are some of the thingsthat they're dealing with. Mostly data.
One of those issuesthings are working on kind of
I know it's yeah,we can spend all day
(06:54):
talking about the range of thingsyou guys can. Yeah.
Right. Carter.
No, I'm glad you said thatbecause it occurs to me
I'm talking about how great we are.
But I'm not telling you what it isthat we do.
That's right. That's what we're here for.
That's what we're here for.
So we have some, ourour big program areas.
I think we're most well knownfor agriculture, forestry,
natural resources.
We also have a very big human sciencesextension component,
(07:18):
federal nutrition programs,and then community resource development.
So again, our,our county extension directors
working in their counties to understandeconomic development,
resource development,probably what we're best known
for that people sayI'm not don't know if I know extension,
but when I ask what about for h people.
Oh yeah, I know for hthat's our positive
(07:41):
development component.
So we serve from the very youngto all stages of life.
So examples and thanks forif you have a question about a tomato,
you know you can call our homehorticulture agents.
And in fact you knowmentioning home horticulture agents are
really bright home horticulture agent.
(08:04):
Megan is going to be, coming to campus.
I think it's, on April 14th.
So tomorrowshe'll be at 2 or 3 Upchurch
Hall to give a presentationon a life in the day of an extension
agent spectacular.
So let's saysomeone calls the county office.
I've got this weirdbug on my tomato plant or my squash.
Looks like. Is that so?
(08:25):
We have Megan and others like herwho are ready to answer the question
for a homeowner on that.
Now we can scale that up big time.
Say you're a row crop farmer,or you're a livestock producer,
and you've got a question aboutwhat's the right variety
or what's going on in my pasture.
I need to make sure my forage.
And for those of youwho didn't grow up in rural areas,
(08:49):
that may not resonate,but what that equals is a lot of savings
and time input,which eventually gets
passed on to the consumer.
The more efficient we are, the morethe more we are able to help farmers
be productive and profitable.
We all like to eat.
So we've got homeowners,we've got farmers.
And then,you know, looking at that
(09:10):
youth development,we work to help youth be beyond ready.
What is the spark?
What is that next step, whether it's,career, college and
listing, what is it that we canhelp youth cultivate within themselves
to be ready that.
(09:31):
You know, I recently had a chanceto be part of the Condoleezza
Rice America 250 event.
And if you were there, you'll recall,she said, that K-through-12
education is key for our nationto really focus on. And that's for eight.
We're really working with those youth.
So we've got youth,we've got farmers, we've got homeowners,
(09:51):
and then we've got familyfinancial management opportunities.
Not everybody knows how to do a budget.
Okay.
We've got folks who are againwaiting on a phone call
ready to answer an email.
Health and wellness and nutrition.
What does it look liketo eat on a balanced budget.
Healthy foodsnourishing your home your families,
(10:12):
your communities.
So I mean there's you're right.
We cover a really broad spectrum, butit's because we serve all of Alabama.
My assumption would be somethingyou hear a lot.
Or people working in stitches.
Oh, I didn't know extension did that.
Yeah, I would imaginethat's a very common thing that you hear
just because itit does really everything.
(10:35):
We're here to help. Yeah.
I want to help you.
Let me know what I can help you.
You know what makes me smile?
I feel like,you maybe saw the banners
that we have on College Streetthat says extension does that,
and that's exactly right.
Every day, everything from tourismto cotton to homeowner education.
Yeah, we we do so much.
But that's reflective of the good workthat's being done at Auburn
(10:58):
University and Alabama A&M Universitythat we need to make sure
that we're pushing out and sharing.
Well, that's a great lead into one of the things
we want to talk aboutis walk us through this partnership
that we have with other universities.
You have in the state. Yeah.
You mentioned other universitiesare neighboring states
and across the country.
What's that kind of partnershiplooks like? Alabama is a great example.
Yeah.
Oh, well,we're unique in the nation
(11:19):
and I think it's one of our strongestpoints that we have a unified
extension system.
Alabama A&M and Auburn Universityare joined in.
That helps us serve, our urban clientele.
And and as well as our rural clientele.
So that partnership means thatI think we're really able
(11:41):
to expand our reach, so that,you know, we're really fortunate
to have that strengthwith the Alabama Cooperative
Extension System.
That's whywe're a system and not a service
as compared to other states.
And having our sisterinstitution, Tuskegee,
just 30 miles down the road from us,brings a huge strength to as we look at,
(12:02):
opportunities to serve in the black beltand to understand our partnerships
and where they have expertise,that we can leverage those strengths.
Again, I mean, if we're keepingcount of how many times
I say serve Alabama,but that that is what we do.
So yeah, it's in.
And then having the systemacross the nation of our lean,
(12:22):
great universities meansthat if we haven't had the question,
someone else probably has.
And then as we're in our southern region,from Texas
A&M to LSU to MississippiState University of Georgia University,
if someone has an answerthat we can again
go to and collaborateand learn more about
answering questions,because at the end of the day,
(12:43):
we're here to help, right?
Yeah.
So I have ithere on my cheat sheet
just to show scope and scale,which is I think it's so incredible
that we have, if I'm reading,I mean, I want to make sure
I got this number right here,700 faculty and staff across Auburn,
Alabama A&M and the state of Alabama.
That's correct.
Yeah.
That is an incredible army ofpeople willing to help and serve Alabama.
(13:05):
It is it is.
So in the way those are broken out isyeah we have an office in every county.
So 67 county extension directorswho then have,
extension agents in thatoffice that are working in
48 human sciences,ag forestry, natural resources, and,
you know, federal nutrition.
So we have these county directorswho were there to really work
(13:29):
and understand their countiesand what those communities need,
partnering with those extension agentswho are the local subject matter experts.
So they're bringing theirthat bridge to campus.
And then on campus,we have extension specialists
who are research facultythat are conducting the applied research,
that then they're helpingto package and create programs
(13:52):
and work with extension agentsand directors to make sure we get.
So yes, we have an army of people,and it's the feedback loop, is it?
I think what separates usfrom from others,
you know, we were there.
We're embedded in communities.
We shop at the same grocery stores,go to the same churches.
(14:12):
Our kids go to school together.
It's so we're they'rehearing and understanding.
So again, that we can bring that back.
Spectacular.
So while we're talking aboutthat, you know, army of people, right.
And all these different communities,let's say I'm insert
whatever county you want in the state.
What's the how do I find my local?
(14:33):
How do I find that person to reach out?
Oh, I found this bug on my tomato plant.
Yeah. Where do I go from there?
How do I ask that person,what is this bug?
And do I need to be worried about it?
No, I appreciate that question, Dalton.
It's very easy.
It is like anything.
We're on the, we're on the internet.
And probably the easiest way to getthere is our acronym.
It's a c ss edu.
(14:56):
So Alabama CooperativeExtension System, our acronym is acs.edu.
And you can go there.
There's a directorythat will take you interactive
to every county in our state.
And and I want to put a plug in.
You know I mentionedonline resources artificial intelligence.
If you are going to a search engineand you have a question,
(15:19):
my recommendation is tag extension.
Oh yeah. So if you say,Auburn Alabama
my grass is turning brown extension,then that's going to take you to research
based informationthat you know you can trust in.
Again, as we are a trusted,reliable source of information.
(15:40):
Don't waste your time.
Don't just go to a random website.
Then it's going to eat all your cookiesand you're going to think,
what just happened?
I'm going to put extension tag extension.
So, I just,you know, want to give
that plug as people are looking,go ahead and add extension in
and it'll make surethat the information you get
has some science to it.
(16:01):
Absolutely.
Well, as we're startingto get towards the end of the podcast,
we have to talk about your degreefrom Auburn. Okay.
And so you're a three timer.
You have a bachelor's from Barry College.
I do a master's from Clemson. Yes.
And you have your doctorate from Auburn?
I do.
So tell us about your journeyof how you got to Auburn, how
you chose Auburn for your doctorate.
(16:22):
Just tell us your Auburn story.
I well, well,I felt so lucky when I got hired in 2000.
July 1st, 2000 was my hire date and,a good friend of mine was a 1942
Auburn Engineering grad. Oh, fantastic.
And he said,you've just started an amazing journey
(16:42):
being able to work for Auburn University.
The pride ofbeing at Auburn was so complete.
But people who I knew that were alumni.
So, I mentioned that I startedwork on the coast
when we moved to campus.
In 2002,I was working in College of Agriculture,
(17:03):
and had close ties with thethe now College of Forestry.
And so I wasI took advantage of the employee
education benefit to go back to schoolwhile I was working,
and it was the best of both worlds.
Little Hannah Montana therebecause I was able
I know the new movie,happy 20th anniversary.
(17:23):
So I was able to beimmersed in extension work
in the College of Agriculture,conducting research
in the College of Forestry,and in working in water.
So that's my specialtyareas, water resources.
And so that journey of,of being able to work in one college,
(17:44):
get a degree from a different collegeand having those experiences, just
I understandI really appreciated
having the opportunityto be an employee of Auburn.
And I'm so proud to bea graduate of Auburn.
And, I'll just say my friendCarrie Bentley,
who was a 1942 graduate,he was so proud
the day that I graduated with my PhDand and just said,
(18:06):
congratulations, you've you've made it.
I hadn't done enough yet.
Yeah, but now I'd made it. Wow.
Yeah. It's fantastic.
Spectacular.
It's it's so interesting.
I mean, if I had a nickelfor every time I say
something to this effect.
But the work that you do,the work that everyone in extension
does, is so is Auburn, the Auburn family,the Creed.
(18:27):
It is, the seal of interest,a great thing manifest in human action.
It's just we're there to helpyou do all that work.
And it's it's incredible toto to to know that we're doing that
and we're there.
We're part we're here to help, you know.
That's right. Well, there's aquote I won't quite get it right,
but there's nothing more inspirationalthan being part
(18:50):
of something that matters.
And that's how I feel about extension.
You know, it'sbeen a career, an extension.
And as we invite people to to interviewwith us to consider career with us,
it's not for everyone.
You have to have a real servant heart.
You have to really have a focus forand need to listen, understand
(19:10):
and then act in.
That actionhas to be based on science
and it's it is being a part of somethingthat is improving
lives around Alabama, whichwhat's a better what's a better mission?
What's a better place to bein that partnership
with Auburn University and Alabama A&M?
So if you want to learn morethis year in Extension week,
(19:33):
not not only going to the internetand looking up acs.edu,
but come see us on the green April 17th.
We will be out on the green.
I I'm pretty sure it starts mid-morning10 a.m. or so and we'll go through lunch.
But we're going to be out therewith different extension
professionals and different examplesof what we do.
(19:53):
Everything from, again,you said from beekeeping,
which is a huge deal,to turfgrass, to understanding.
Again, how do you selecthealthy foods on a budget?
So it's it'sfamilies, farmers communities
and everything in between. Fantastic.
What's wonderfulduring this extension
(20:13):
week, it's been going onfor the last four years.
But if you don't mind, just elaboratea little bit more about
why it's so important and just,you know,
dive a little bit deeperinto what goes on this week, right?
Oh, no, it's it's importantnot only here on campus,
you know,and I mentioned that April
17th on Friday,we're going to have a big event for
students and facultyto get a chance to learn
(20:35):
more about extension.
But the entire week is an opportunitystatewide for our county offices to hold,
to hold events to to remindthe community that they're there.
We do a lot.
And sometimesbecause we can be a humble sort
who we're hereto listen, to, understand, to help.
(20:56):
We don't often I think enough,and I'm trying to do it myself,
make sure we're broadcastingthe work that we do.
So this is a real opportunity to say yes.
Extension does that from again,soil testing to for to master Gardeners
to our our working familiesand consumer sciences.
So yeah it's this is a real chanceeach day of the week for us to
(21:20):
showcase, to highlight,to make sure that we are
as loudly as we can,proclaiming that we're
we're that third part of the landgrant mission
and Auburn Universityand Alabama A&M University,
that research, extension and teaching,we all go together.
And it's a package deal.
That's that's whatbig part of what makes Auburn special?
(21:41):
Absolutely.
And not enoughpeople can learn about it
and hear about it and utilize it.
Thank you for giving me the chanceto come in today and brag on it.
I clearly I love extension.
I believe in it, and I think we modelthe Auburn Creed as you invoke
the oven creed at Auburn family.
That's that's what we're here to doI love it.
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
(22:02):
We appreciate you.
Tell us a bit about your story,but what you do every day,
you clearly do have a passion for it.
I love for it.
And people being passionateabout the work
they do is just infectious.
So we really appreciateall the hard work that goes into it.
And happy extension week.
Yeah thank you.
Happy extension week. Wonderful.
Well, we'll be back againnext month
with a member of the Auburn familyand get in the chat,
(22:22):
learn about what they do.
And until then,if you want to listen to more episodes,
we have more on, on podcast appswherever you listen to us.
Now, there's more.
We got years and years worth of podcast.
You'll hear about Auburnfamily and Auburn members here.
And until then, we'll be back againnext month.
War Eagle! War Eagle! War Eagle!
Hey everybody, welcomeback to the Everything Auburn podcast.
We are excited todayto have an exciting guest.
But before we get into that, Carter,how are you doing?
I'm doing wonderful. Welcome back.
Thank you, thank you.
North Alabama says hello.
It's where I've been.
Oh, well, the Rocket City says hey there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice.
A lot of time on the interstate,but we're we're back on the Lovelace
(00:27):
Village on the Plains.
And I couldn't be happier.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
Today on the podcast,we are excited to have doctor
Eve Brantley, the 1862 extensiondirector for the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System.
Thank you.
I appreciatebeing invited to be on this podcast.
Absolutely, absolutely.
Good to have you here.
Well, we wanted to talk,get to know you a little bit better,
know about more what you do,what your team does and just everything.
(00:49):
Extension.
Happy extension week, by the way.
Thank you.
I think it'd be a greatway to start with you.
Started back in January,if I'm not mistaken.
I didJanuary 1st was my first day
as extension director.
Welcome.
Well, if you could just.
Let's let's lead methrough the broken road path.
Whatever you want to say thatled you to here in January,
starting as extension director. Sure.
Well, first, I'm,just really humbled
(01:11):
and honored to have been selectedas extension director.
So, I'm really excited to be hereas extension director
and here on this podcastto share more about extension
and our mission.
So I'll start even further.
Back thenwhen I started with the extension,
which is extensionwas established in 1914.
And I mean, we might laterget into the whole Land Grant mission,
(01:33):
but for those of uswho were at Auburn University,
I mean, we are at the Universityof the people, right?
Land Grant universities,established in 1862
for the sons and daughters of toil.
It was the democratization of education.
How do we make sure thateveryone has access to education?
So here we are,Auburn University,
(01:55):
where the 1862 land grant.
And when I mentioned that, Iso you know, we have sisters
like Universityof Georgia, University of Tennessee,
Mississippi Stateand then we also have
sister organizations are 1890s,the, Alabama A&M
University, Tuskegee University.
So extension put into place in 1914.
(02:16):
Of course, that was not there, but,much, much later. Me neither.
Right.
Much, much later.
You know,and I can tell you more about extension,
but I'll say that I started in mobilein Baldwin County.
Back in 2000.
So, and that's something thatI want folks to understand, that
extension is in every countyin our state.
(02:38):
We're in every county in the nation.
So I startedthere as a multi county agent,
and I can talk more about whatthe different jobs
look like and extension.
And over time just moved to campus,became a state specialist
then went into administration,spent a little time as associate director
and then again,just really honored
to been selected as director.
(02:59):
That's fantastic.
I said beforewe started recording, Carter and Kim
both know I'm a history nerd.
Oh, yeah.
And, specifically, like in grad school,I spent hours in the archives for fun.
Like, I have Auburn history.
And so I was going to bring up the landgrant mission.
And that's one of the reasonswhy I love Auburn
and just land grant institutionso much is because they're.
(03:21):
So mission really is to providefor the people of their state. Yes.
And so that's exactlywhat extension does.
And so the fact that we're partneredalongside one another,
I think it's a shame that alot of people know about it.
And so, yeah, you know, well, I,I love the opportunity to share more.
And when you go look at the sealin front of Langdon Hall,
(03:41):
if you peer closely, you'll step on it.
No, no, don't worry.
Don't get too close.
Yeah.
No, my daughter has graduated fully,and I'm so proud of her.
There you go.
Yeah. War Eagle! Thank you.
Auburn University and the seal.
But the if you look at the sealit says instruction research.
And then extension is that third part.
And that's that's the land grant.
(04:02):
That's what makes us specialis that democratization of education
meant that not only werewe doing the work
in agriculture or mechanical arts,the liberal arts,
but we were makingsure that that information
was being given to folks who needed it,not just research for research
(04:23):
sake, which, you know, it'sresearch is incredibly important.
And I can go backknowing that you're a history nerd.
Yeah, I'll share with you.
I've got some documentsthat were just shared
with me, a 1954 extension, publication.
And I'm soon going to get a 1926 USDAhow to be an extension agent.
So my gosh, I'm so excited. Wow.
So anyway, so I digress,but but yeah, so our
(04:46):
our land grant mission meanswe take that information
and it's not just us a one way street.
But what makes extension special iswe ask people, what do you need
so that we're doing that researchthat is solving problems.
Today's problemswe're looking at on the horizon
what's coming.
(05:08):
And we know what's coming fromnot only our research colleagues,
but from people who are out working,seeing where the concerns are.
What do you need to do to make researchscience based decisions
to improve your quality of life?
And and it's where the people are likeit's every county in the nation, which,
(05:28):
I mean,I don't know, off the top of my head,
but I would be a challenge to sayif there's anything
that's that widespread,including like Dollar General,
like they're making,they're giving us a run for the money.
No. Yeah.
It's it's so accessibleto every single person.
And it's just right there.
Yeah. Yeah it is.
So it andso yeah, we're asking for input
(05:50):
and then that input is broughtnot only back to researchers on campus,
but then we develop programs thatwe mean, we take a lot of time
and effort and understandingmeeting people where they are.
So how do you want the information?
What what's the most useful time of day,or is it a webinar or is it
(06:12):
online resources that you know, aswe are in this digital age,
how can we make sure thatwe're informing our AI tools?
Here's the research that you need.
If you go and typesomething into a search engine.
But sometimes there's problemsthat are so complex and so local,
no clever prompt,and a search engine
is going to help you solve that. Right?
(06:32):
So that'swhere our county offices
are extension agents.
They are there to they're poised.
They're ready.
Give them a call email.
So I know it's going to changecounty by county agent by agent.
But what are some of thoselike most common.
And what are some of the thingsthat they're dealing with. Mostly data.
One of those issuesthings are working on kind of
I know it's yeah,we can spend all day
(06:54):
talking about the range of thingsyou guys can. Yeah.
Right. Carter.
No, I'm glad you said thatbecause it occurs to me
I'm talking about how great we are.
But I'm not telling you what it isthat we do.
That's right. That's what we're here for.
That's what we're here for.
So we have some, ourour big program areas.
I think we're most well knownfor agriculture, forestry,
natural resources.
We also have a very big human sciencesextension component,
(07:18):
federal nutrition programs,and then community resource development.
So again, our,our county extension directors
working in their counties to understandeconomic development,
resource development,probably what we're best known
for that people sayI'm not don't know if I know extension,
but when I ask what about for h people.
Oh yeah, I know for hthat's our positive
(07:41):
development component.
So we serve from the very youngto all stages of life.
So examples and thanks forif you have a question about a tomato,
you know you can call our homehorticulture agents.
And in fact you knowmentioning home horticulture agents are
really bright home horticulture agent.
(08:04):
Megan is going to be, coming to campus.
I think it's, on April 14th.
So tomorrowshe'll be at 2 or 3 Upchurch
Hall to give a presentationon a life in the day of an extension
agent spectacular.
So let's saysomeone calls the county office.
I've got this weirdbug on my tomato plant or my squash.
Looks like. Is that so?
(08:25):
We have Megan and others like herwho are ready to answer the question
for a homeowner on that.
Now we can scale that up big time.
Say you're a row crop farmer,or you're a livestock producer,
and you've got a question aboutwhat's the right variety
or what's going on in my pasture.
I need to make sure my forage.
And for those of youwho didn't grow up in rural areas,
(08:49):
that may not resonate,but what that equals is a lot of savings
and time input,which eventually gets
passed on to the consumer.
The more efficient we are, the morethe more we are able to help farmers
be productive and profitable.
We all like to eat.
So we've got homeowners,we've got farmers.
And then,you know, looking at that
(09:10):
youth development,we work to help youth be beyond ready.
What is the spark?
What is that next step, whether it's,career, college and
listing, what is it that we canhelp youth cultivate within themselves
to be ready that.
(09:31):
You know, I recently had a chanceto be part of the Condoleezza
Rice America 250 event.
And if you were there, you'll recall,she said, that K-through-12
education is key for our nationto really focus on. And that's for eight.
We're really working with those youth.
So we've got youth,we've got farmers, we've got homeowners,
(09:51):
and then we've got familyfinancial management opportunities.
Not everybody knows how to do a budget.
Okay.
We've got folks who are againwaiting on a phone call
ready to answer an email.
Health and wellness and nutrition.
What does it look liketo eat on a balanced budget.
Healthy foodsnourishing your home your families,
(10:12):
your communities.
So I mean there's you're right.
We cover a really broad spectrum, butit's because we serve all of Alabama.
My assumption would be somethingyou hear a lot.
Or people working in stitches.
Oh, I didn't know extension did that.
Yeah, I would imaginethat's a very common thing that you hear
just because itit does really everything.
(10:35):
We're here to help. Yeah.
I want to help you.
Let me know what I can help you.
You know what makes me smile?
I feel like,you maybe saw the banners
that we have on College Streetthat says extension does that,
and that's exactly right.
Every day, everything from tourismto cotton to homeowner education.
Yeah, we we do so much.
But that's reflective of the good workthat's being done at Auburn
(10:58):
University and Alabama A&M Universitythat we need to make sure
that we're pushing out and sharing.
Well, that's a great lead into one of the things
we want to talk aboutis walk us through this partnership
that we have with other universities.
You have in the state. Yeah.
You mentioned other universitiesare neighboring states
and across the country.
What's that kind of partnershiplooks like? Alabama is a great example.
Yeah.
Oh, well,we're unique in the nation
(11:19):
and I think it's one of our strongestpoints that we have a unified
extension system.
Alabama A&M and Auburn Universityare joined in.
That helps us serve, our urban clientele.
And and as well as our rural clientele.
So that partnership means thatI think we're really able
(11:41):
to expand our reach, so that,you know, we're really fortunate
to have that strengthwith the Alabama Cooperative
Extension System.
That's whywe're a system and not a service
as compared to other states.
And having our sisterinstitution, Tuskegee,
just 30 miles down the road from us,brings a huge strength to as we look at,
(12:02):
opportunities to serve in the black beltand to understand our partnerships
and where they have expertise,that we can leverage those strengths.
Again, I mean, if we're keepingcount of how many times
I say serve Alabama,but that that is what we do.
So yeah, it's in.
And then having the systemacross the nation of our lean,
(12:22):
great universities meansthat if we haven't had the question,
someone else probably has.
And then as we're in our southern region,from Texas
A&M to LSU to MississippiState University of Georgia University,
if someone has an answerthat we can again
go to and collaborateand learn more about
answering questions,because at the end of the day,
(12:43):
we're here to help, right?
Yeah.
So I have ithere on my cheat sheet
just to show scope and scale,which is I think it's so incredible
that we have, if I'm reading,I mean, I want to make sure
I got this number right here,700 faculty and staff across Auburn,
Alabama A&M and the state of Alabama.
That's correct.
Yeah.
That is an incredible army ofpeople willing to help and serve Alabama.
(13:05):
It is it is.
So in the way those are broken out isyeah we have an office in every county.
So 67 county extension directorswho then have,
extension agents in thatoffice that are working in
48 human sciences,ag forestry, natural resources, and,
you know, federal nutrition.
So we have these county directorswho were there to really work
(13:29):
and understand their countiesand what those communities need,
partnering with those extension agentswho are the local subject matter experts.
So they're bringing theirthat bridge to campus.
And then on campus,we have extension specialists
who are research facultythat are conducting the applied research,
that then they're helpingto package and create programs
(13:52):
and work with extension agentsand directors to make sure we get.
So yes, we have an army of people,and it's the feedback loop, is it?
I think what separates usfrom from others,
you know, we were there.
We're embedded in communities.
We shop at the same grocery stores,go to the same churches.
(14:12):
Our kids go to school together.
It's so we're they'rehearing and understanding.
So again, that we can bring that back.
Spectacular.
So while we're talking aboutthat, you know, army of people, right.
And all these different communities,let's say I'm insert
whatever county you want in the state.
What's the how do I find my local?
(14:33):
How do I find that person to reach out?
Oh, I found this bug on my tomato plant.
Yeah. Where do I go from there?
How do I ask that person,what is this bug?
And do I need to be worried about it?
No, I appreciate that question, Dalton.
It's very easy.
It is like anything.
We're on the, we're on the internet.
And probably the easiest way to getthere is our acronym.
It's a c ss edu.
(14:56):
So Alabama CooperativeExtension System, our acronym is acs.edu.
And you can go there.
There's a directorythat will take you interactive
to every county in our state.
And and I want to put a plug in.
You know I mentionedonline resources artificial intelligence.
If you are going to a search engineand you have a question,
(15:19):
my recommendation is tag extension.
Oh yeah. So if you say,Auburn Alabama
my grass is turning brown extension,then that's going to take you to research
based informationthat you know you can trust in.
Again, as we are a trusted,reliable source of information.
(15:40):
Don't waste your time.
Don't just go to a random website.
Then it's going to eat all your cookiesand you're going to think,
what just happened?
I'm going to put extension tag extension.
So, I just,you know, want to give
that plug as people are looking,go ahead and add extension in
and it'll make surethat the information you get
has some science to it.
(16:01):
Absolutely.
Well, as we're startingto get towards the end of the podcast,
we have to talk about your degreefrom Auburn. Okay.
And so you're a three timer.
You have a bachelor's from Barry College.
I do a master's from Clemson. Yes.
And you have your doctorate from Auburn?
I do.
So tell us about your journeyof how you got to Auburn, how
you chose Auburn for your doctorate.
(16:22):
Just tell us your Auburn story.
I well, well,I felt so lucky when I got hired in 2000.
July 1st, 2000 was my hire date and,a good friend of mine was a 1942
Auburn Engineering grad. Oh, fantastic.
And he said,you've just started an amazing journey
(16:42):
being able to work for Auburn University.
The pride ofbeing at Auburn was so complete.
But people who I knew that were alumni.
So, I mentioned that I startedwork on the coast
when we moved to campus.
In 2002,I was working in College of Agriculture,
(17:03):
and had close ties with thethe now College of Forestry.
And so I wasI took advantage of the employee
education benefit to go back to schoolwhile I was working,
and it was the best of both worlds.
Little Hannah Montana therebecause I was able
I know the new movie,happy 20th anniversary.
(17:23):
So I was able to beimmersed in extension work
in the College of Agriculture,conducting research
in the College of Forestry,and in working in water.
So that's my specialtyareas, water resources.
And so that journey of,of being able to work in one college,
(17:44):
get a degree from a different collegeand having those experiences, just
I understandI really appreciated
having the opportunityto be an employee of Auburn.
And I'm so proud to bea graduate of Auburn.
And, I'll just say my friendCarrie Bentley,
who was a 1942 graduate,he was so proud
the day that I graduated with my PhDand and just said,
(18:06):
congratulations, you've you've made it.
I hadn't done enough yet.
Yeah, but now I'd made it. Wow.
Yeah. It's fantastic.
Spectacular.
It's it's so interesting.
I mean, if I had a nickelfor every time I say
something to this effect.
But the work that you do,the work that everyone in extension
does, is so is Auburn, the Auburn family,the Creed.
(18:27):
It is, the seal of interest,a great thing manifest in human action.
It's just we're there to helpyou do all that work.
And it's it's incredible toto to to know that we're doing that
and we're there.
We're part we're here to help, you know.
That's right. Well, there's aquote I won't quite get it right,
but there's nothing more inspirationalthan being part
(18:50):
of something that matters.
And that's how I feel about extension.
You know, it'sbeen a career, an extension.
And as we invite people to to interviewwith us to consider career with us,
it's not for everyone.
You have to have a real servant heart.
You have to really have a focus forand need to listen, understand
(19:10):
and then act in.
That actionhas to be based on science
and it's it is being a part of somethingthat is improving
lives around Alabama, whichwhat's a better what's a better mission?
What's a better place to bein that partnership
with Auburn University and Alabama A&M?
So if you want to learn morethis year in Extension week,
(19:33):
not not only going to the internetand looking up acs.edu,
but come see us on the green April 17th.
We will be out on the green.
I I'm pretty sure it starts mid-morning10 a.m. or so and we'll go through lunch.
But we're going to be out therewith different extension
professionals and different examplesof what we do.
(19:53):
Everything from, again,you said from beekeeping,
which is a huge deal,to turfgrass, to understanding.
Again, how do you selecthealthy foods on a budget?
So it's it'sfamilies, farmers communities
and everything in between. Fantastic.
What's wonderfulduring this extension
(20:13):
week, it's been going onfor the last four years.
But if you don't mind, just elaboratea little bit more about
why it's so important and just,you know,
dive a little bit deeperinto what goes on this week, right?
Oh, no, it's it's importantnot only here on campus,
you know,and I mentioned that April
17th on Friday,we're going to have a big event for
students and facultyto get a chance to learn
(20:35):
more about extension.
But the entire week is an opportunitystatewide for our county offices to hold,
to hold events to to remindthe community that they're there.
We do a lot.
And sometimesbecause we can be a humble sort
who we're hereto listen, to, understand, to help.
(20:56):
We don't often I think enough,and I'm trying to do it myself,
make sure we're broadcastingthe work that we do.
So this is a real opportunity to say yes.
Extension does that from again,soil testing to for to master Gardeners
to our our working familiesand consumer sciences.
So yeah it's this is a real chanceeach day of the week for us to
(21:20):
showcase, to highlight,to make sure that we are
as loudly as we can,proclaiming that we're
we're that third part of the landgrant mission
and Auburn Universityand Alabama A&M University,
that research, extension and teaching,we all go together.
And it's a package deal.
That's that's whatbig part of what makes Auburn special?
(21:41):
Absolutely.
And not enoughpeople can learn about it
and hear about it and utilize it.
Thank you for giving me the chanceto come in today and brag on it.
I clearly I love extension.
I believe in it, and I think we modelthe Auburn Creed as you invoke
the oven creed at Auburn family.
That's that's what we're here to doI love it.
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
(22:02):
We appreciate you.
Tell us a bit about your story,but what you do every day,
you clearly do have a passion for it.
I love for it.
And people being passionateabout the work
they do is just infectious.
So we really appreciateall the hard work that goes into it.
And happy extension week.
Yeah thank you.
Happy extension week. Wonderful.
Well, we'll be back againnext month
with a member of the Auburn familyand get in the chat,
(22:22):
learn about what they do.
And until then,if you want to listen to more episodes,
we have more on, on podcast appswherever you listen to us.
Now, there's more.
We got years and years worth of podcast.
You'll hear about Auburnfamily and Auburn members here.
And until then, we'll be back againnext month.
War Eagle! War Eagle! War Eagle!
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