County extension offices could see mergers, closures

Tucked in the long list of budget amendments released Sunday by the House of Delegates is a proposal to merge 31 cooperative extension offices statewide into 13, including combining five Lynchburg-area offices into two. It also calls for shuttering five offices in urbanized Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.

Under the proposal, which came from the House Appropriations Committee, offices in Campbell and Bedford counties would be combined as well as those in Appomattox, Amherst and Lynchburg. It will be among dozens of measures debated on the House floor today as the General Assembly battles to cut $950 million per year from the proposed state budget.

Closing the five offices would save $1.4 million per year and the consolidation would save about $500,000 per year.

Area extension agents and farmers don’t know what will happen if the amendment passes, but fear popular area programs, like the 4H youth program and those helping backyard gardeners grow their own vegetables could be severely affected or cut altogether.

“Even if my office was in Bedford and they moved me, I’m still not sure how you could keep up the quality of the programs we have now,” said Todd Scott, the agent in Campbell County, where the office handled nearly 500 questions last year and worked with more than 1,000 people through various programs. “Bedford and Campbell are very large agriculture counties. … We really don’t know what the plan is.”

Bedford County’s program answered more than 17,000 requests for information in 2009, said agent Scott Baker.

Ann Dalton, who raises beef cattle, Boer goats and horses on her Evington farm, said she fears merging the Campbell and Bedford programs would reduce resources available to area farmers as well as affect the 4H clubs — a program that teaches kids about agriculture and livestock.

Dalton said the Campbell County office was critical to helping her figure out problems, including managing pastures and identifying livestock health problems. Her son also participates with the county’s 4H club.

“Many residents like myself are in a panic about this,” she wrote in an e-mail.

Del. Watkins Abbitt, I-Appomattox, is a member of the House of Delegates Appropriations committee that proposed merging and eliminating extension offices.

“It’s one of those tough decisions that you don’t like to make, but you have to make them sometimes. Maybe we can alleviate some of it. I hope we can,” he said. “Hopefully, we don’t lose services. The idea is that we try to trim back money and hope we don’t lose services” from the extension offices.

Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, is the chairman of the House Appropriations committee.

Appomattox County extension agent Bruce Jones said his office helps an average of 25 to 30 people per day, who ask for guidance on issues such as cattle health problems or what types of crops will grow well in certain kinds of soil. But Jones said he doesn’t just help area farmers.

“There is a growing movement on locally grown food and with this proposal, it does eliminate the lawn and garden program we provide,” Jones said. “That would be where one of the largest impacts would be.”

James Riley, who is president of the Campbell County Farm Bureau, said by consolidating offices, extension agents won’t be able to develop close relationships and good understanding with local farmers. “It’s a much more personal thing. You have that one-on-one contact,” he said.

“If they close (the Campbell County office), then probably a lot of the farmers are not going to go to Bedford to seek out the extension agents.”

Staff writer Ray Reed contributed to this report.