4-H and the bears have been a snoozin’ since fall when the previous 4-H agent headed off on grand globe-trotting adventures (which… how cool is that?!), but January 1st didn’t just ring in a new year, it rang in a new 4-H Agent!

I’m Rebekah Davis, Jackson County’s shiny new 4-H agent! I was born and raised here in WNC, though not in Jackson County. Buncombe is my home stomping ground, Madison my familial one, and Haywood and Macon also housed and raised me. So… A little bit all over the place. I have a BS in Zoology from North Carolina State University, and they were nice enough to let me go back for my Master of Animal Science degree (which I will hopefully be completing this semester), and then to hire me, too. Between degrees I did a number of odd jobs that gave me pretty wild qualifications. For almost three years I worked in livestock and hydroponic agrotourism and informal education, and shuffled in on either end of that I was involved in youth programming and teen volunteer management, formal education, outdoor education, and… well, I think that’s it… It’s a wacky mix, I know, but it has solidified for me exactly where I need to be, here!

The mountains are my home, and helping the youth of WNC grow in all of the wonderful ways 4-H offers is something I have always been passionate about. Opportunities are not to be overlooked and 4-H is a great way to help lift youth closer to the opportunities they want, no matter what they may be looking for.

If you’re looking for me out in the wild, I can frequently be found poking around looking for wildlife (salamanders especially), browsing book stores, being indecisive in craft stores, chasing waterfalls, and generally asking if I can pet animals with questionable pet-ability (like owls, hellbenders, and snakes, oh my!). And, of course, at 4-H activities! Now, there aren’t too many in January/February, but there is more to come!

• Youth Livestock Group: Meets every 2nd & 4th Thursdays at Jackson County Extension Office (though this is subject to change, give us a ring if you’re interested in coming by!) and is open to all ages (5-18). Learn about livestock showing, keeping, and all things in between.

• Interest Meetings: For presentation club and outdoor club will be in February. Peek on our website jackson.ces.ncsu.edu under ‘4-H Calendar’ or our social media to find out more.

• Meet me!: I am working to organize a meet and greet so I can meet everyone, let you meet me, and discuss this next season in Jackson 4-H.

I am so happy to be here in Jackson County and I hope that we can all grow together through this year and many more to come!

Rebekah Davis

Extension Agent

4-H Youth Development

rebekah_davis@ncsu.edu

(828) 586-4009