To the editor:

Growing up in Salem, Ohio, I was shaped by a caring community — from the teachers at Salem High School to the local Scouting program and the families, farms, and friends who encouraged my love of plants and the outdoors. Though I moved from Salem after high school, I carry these roots with me every day in my work with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, where I serve as a Horticulture and Forestry Agriculture Extension Agent.

Cooperative Extension is a national public service partnership between land-grant universities and local communities — funded through local, state, and federal tax dollars –that provides research-based information and education to farmers, gardeners, and landowners. My compensation is roughly 50% from Montgomery County N.C., 25% from the State of N.C., and 25% from the USDA. In North Carolina, Extension is a cornerstone of community support, helping residents grow food, steward natural resources, and build resilient rural economies. Our office offers residents scientific research-based solutions to modern challenges. If you pay taxes in Ohio, you invest in Ohio State Extension and local agriculture.

While my professional home is now in Montgomery County, North Carolina, I am proud to be a Quaker. As a small way to give back to the community that raised me, I’d like to offer my time and expertise to Columbiana and Carroll County residents who have questions about plants, trees, gardening, or small-scale horticultural production. Whether you’re wondering what’s wrong with a maple tree, how to improve your soil, or what vegetable varieties might thrive in our Ohio climate–I’d be glad to help. Of course, I encourage you to first reach out to your local Extension professionals in Lisbon and Carrollton before calling me!

If you would like to reach out or catch up, you can contact me at 910-576-6011 or owen_washam@ncsu.edu. It’s a small way I can say thank you to Salem for giving me my start and for inspiring a lifelong career in helping people grow. With gratitude,

Owen Washam,

Troy, North Carolina