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Sometimes it feels like our small team is a part of “The Little Engine That Could” from the childhood story about a tiny engine that said, “I think I can” while meeting the challenge of pulling a train up a steep mountain. 

While there are only four staff members assigned to work in the Lowndes County office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, we have the full support of Alabama A&M University and Auburn University researchers, educators and 15 Extension Agents who answer your calls, teach classes and visit your gardens and farms to answer questions. Plus, we collaborate with the Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension System as well as colleges and universities sharing the Extension mission around the country to provide you with research-based information. 

Therefore, just like the “Little Engine,” we think we can help our stakeholders climb whatever mountain they face.

That “mountain” varies from community to community, from person to person. The mountain could be tackling rising food costs while trying to find healthier, tasty recipes to feed a family on a tight budget. That mountain could also be motivating students to learn by engaging in 4-H programs that complement classroom STEM lessons. 

Whatever the challenge, Alabama Extension classes are designed to help stakeholders learn what they want to learn to reach their goals. 

Right now, we are looking for more locations to hold our severe weather preparedness workshops. Our stakeholders expressed a need for help preparing for severe weather, and since late 2023, we have had the privilege of collaborating with groups to help with that preparation.

We partner with the State Emergency Management Agency, the South-Central Alabama Development Commission, Pioneer Electric and Mid-South RC&D teaching residents about putting a plan together, gathering needed emergency supplies, accessing available programming, understanding NOAA Weather radios and much more. These workshops allow residents to ask questions and collect items, including free-NOAA Weather Radios, for their “severe weather bags.” 

If your church would like to host a “Be Ready, Lowndes County!” workshop, please contact Tana Shealey tshealey@auburn.edu or call 334-548-2315.  

We are also preparing a series of free online webinars aimed at helping residents who have heirs’ property. Heirs’ property is defined as property that is shared among heirs that has been passed down, sometimes for generations, without anyone having a clear title. 

Our “Heirs Property Education Series” online workshops will begin in April. The topics include:

Week 1 (4/3/25): Heirs Property Essentials – Navigating family discussions and building consensus around shared landownership.
Week 2 (4/10/25): Legal Strategies and Tax Essentials – Equipping families with actionable legal and financial tools to clear titles and safeguard property.
Week 3 (4/17/25): Proactive Estate Planning – Educating landowners on creating wills and trusts to prevent future issues.
Week 4 (4/24/25): Unlocking Agricultural and Forestry Potential – Highlighting ways to sustainably develop land for farming, forestry, or other entrepreneurial opportunities.

For more information about these free Heirs Property online workshops, contact Dr. Adam Rabinowitz at 334-844-5620 or you may e-mail him at adam.rabinowitz@auburn.edu.

Our office is proud of every moment that we can spend helping our neighbors. Extension has service areas including Animal Science & Forages, Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resources, Family & Child Development, Human Nutrition Diet & Health, Consumer Sciences & Personal Financial Management, Community Resource Development, and 4-H Youth Development.

 Our last assessment in 2018 shows that Alabama Extension has reached 1 in 3 Alabama residents – meaning more than 1.4 million stakeholders were touched by Alabama Extension. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is an equal opportunity educator, employer, and provider. 

Remember, we in the Lowndes County Extension office are parts of the little engine that we can, and we look forward to helping you reach your educational goals and climb your mountains. Visit us at www.aces.edu.

Tana Shealey is Lowndes County Cooperative Extension Director.