849: Meghan Baker on Navigating Cooperative Extension Programs.

Helping farmers find success.

In This Podcast horticultural professional Megan Baker discusses the intricacies of small farm management and the vital role of Cooperative Extension agents. Megan shares her journey from a childhood fascination with nature to her current role as a small farms extension agent. She describes the key duties of a Cooperative Extension agent, including bringing university research to the local farming community, providing technical assistance, and supporting sustainable and regenerative farming practices.

Megan highlights the role of community partners such as the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project in transforming the agricultural landscape from tobacco to diversified farming. The episode also covers the importance of soil testing, disease and pest identification resources, and the benefits of forest farming. Megan emphasizes her passion for continuous learning and the significance of slow, attentive observation in agriculture. She concludes by encouraging farmers to utilize the resources and expertise provided by Cooperative Extension services..

Our Guest: Meghan Baker is a horticultural professional based in Asheville and currently serves as the Small Farms Extension Agent in Buncombe County for the NC Cooperative Extension Service. Meghan holds a MS degree in Plant & Environmental Studies from Clemson University.

As an outreach educator and technical consultant, she helps farmers navigate production and business challenges with crops ranging from vegetables to herbs to forest products. 

An avid naturalist and outdoor enthusiast, Meghan also holds certifications as a North Carolina Environmental Educator, a Southern Appalachian Naturalist and an Interpretive Guide. A native of Western North Carolina, Meghan is deeply committed to sustaining the agricultural heritage and productive lands in the region.

Meghan's recommended Book - Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains by Timothy Spira.

Visit UrbanFarm.org/CoopAgent for the show notes and links on this episode!

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