New crew at SCE meets with community

BERNALILLO – The room was small, but the crowd was big as locals packed the Sandoval County Extension Office in Bernalillo on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to meet with some of the new folks joining the team.

New county program director and 4-H agent Brittany Johnson, new FCS/4-H agent Madeline Gurney, and new agricultural agent Bethany Abrahamson hosted the first of two meet-and-greats to connect with the public.

SCE is an extension of New Mexico State University. They provide New Mexicans with “practical, research-based knowledge and programs to improve their quality of life,” according to their website.

The team specializes in 4-H youth development, organic gardening, sustainable agriculture, food preservation and nutrition education.

Nearly a dozen people packed into the tiny office off of Camino del Pueblo to chat with the county workers about youth programs and agricultural education. Even other Sandoval County Extension (SCE) team members came out for a chat and an afternoon caffeine/sugar fix, including a certified Master Gardner.

“We are really just here to talk to people and answer questions and take suggestions,” Johnson said. “Feedback is so important. And we really are trying to get these kids engaged, you know?”

All three of the new faces have been with SCE for less than a year, and in Abrahamson’s case, it’s been only three weeks.

The event lasted for two hours, from 4-6 p.m. SCE made sure the coffee machine stayed full, and the cupcake table stayed packed and reminded all visitors they can be reached anytime though the website, sandovalextension.nmsu.edu.

The next SCE meet-and-greet event takes place a 4 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Cuba Soil and Water Conservation Office.

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