Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is our state agency providing programs, tools, and resources on a local and statewide level to teach people improved agriculture and food production, advanced health practices, environmental protection, and economic and youth programs. “AgriLife” seems an appropriate word when describing Jamie Sugg, who began his work in Walker County as the agriculture and natural resources county extension agent last December.
A small county (like Madison County), has one agent, and that’s generally going to be an ag agent. Their job is ag and natural resource issues, education, and questions. You get to a little bigger county (like Grimes County), and they will have a second agent, an FCH (Family/Community Health). I generally explain to people that it’s like having an ag teacher and a home economics teacher. In a slightly larger county (like Walker County), there are three agents, with the third being 4-H and Youth Development. Their focus is work with the 4-H program and the kids.
The FCH here is Meredith Cryer. She works with people on canning, on healthy lifestyles and healthy eating. The 4-H and Youth Development agent here is Kristy Titzman.
Absolutely not. In fact, in the spring, Meredith will have a series of classes on canning different types of food. Canning has kind of come full circle. It used to be how everybody survived, then it kind of went away. Now, it seems like more people are trying to homestead and be a little more self-sufficient, so it’s making a comeback.
Well, of course, the local 4-H program. Kristy is the agent, but when there is an activity scheduled, it’s a staff effort with “all hands on deck.”
The Walker County Master Gardeners program is through our office. As a matter of fact, they have a plant sale October 14th.
We have agricultural educational programs. The first Friday in January is a big one at the storm shelter. We’ll bring in speakers on various topics, from pesticide regulations to best management practices for growing hay, cattle management, and other related subjects.
We’re also working on a series of programs for new landowners, that will include things like beekeeping, tax valuations, how to get an ag exemption or a wildlife exemption for their property, and such.
Education topics are constantly changing. We have a committee of locals who help us “keep a pulse” on what’s going on locally and what is needed. Through the extension, if we don’t have the expertise locally, we have a network to get an expert to come in and teach.
We just wrapped up a soil testing drive where people brought in their soil samples, and I took them to the lab at A&M for analysis. In October, we will have a program where Dr. Bobby Lane (retired soil professor from SHSU) will speak on interpreting results and ways to amend your soil. Even if you didn’t submit a sample, anyone is welcome to come to the program to get the soil health knowledge.
I get asked that a lot. When I started to entertain the idea of extension as a career, I went to a county extension agent and asked him the exact same question. He said, “There’s no such thing.” I’ve come to realize that, and that’s what I really like about the job. On days when it’s nasty, cold, or rainy, there’s always paperwork to do. When it’s pretty and the sun is shining, there’s always stuff outside to go check on. We do result demonstrations (where we will plant different varieties of the same plant type and measure and document how much each variety yields), so there are always side projects to maintain and work on. I’ve been returning calls today on garden pests and how to address them. We are here to answer your calls and help, so you never know what question is next.
I drive around here, and I see a lot of pasture weeds, some of which are so easily managed. When I see that, I see space that could be filled with grass. In dry years like this, every bit of grass would help. I know there are some absentee landowners and some folks who don’t have the means to control them, but I see this as a bigger issue here than counties I have been in before. Pasture management is definitely something we can assist with. Send me photos, or snap some weeds off and bring into the office, and I can help you with what to use to deal with them.
I grew up on a ranch in Lampasas, in Central Texas, in the northeast corner of the Hill Country. My dad owned a cattle company. My grandmother also had a ranch. I was born and raised in ag. I raised and showed pigs, so I knew who my county agent was, but I wasn’t entertaining it as a career at that point. That changed in college.
I started in Rusk County as an assistant agent (we don’t have those anymore) in January of 2000. I then went to Nacogdoches County as an ag agent for three years, and then back to Rusk County as an ag agent, before coming here to Walker County in 2022 after Reggie Lepley retired.
I went to Texas A&M and got my bachelor’s degree in ag economics. I went back to get a teaching certification so I could teach ag, and they said, “As long as you’re taking classes, you might as well get a master’s degree. I was a newlywed at the time, and they gave me a paid assistantship, which happened to be with the extension service there on campus. A&M is the headquarters for the extension service, so there is always plenty of office work and special projects. So, when I finished my master’s in ag education, I already had my foot in the door with the extension, and just stuck with it. As for the doctorate in ag education, I love a challenge, and I just took a class or two a semester. I woke up one day…and I was done. I told myself I didn’t want to be limited by my degree or experience when opportunities arise.
In the business I’m in, we preach to people to be lifelong learners. I believe you’ve got to practice what you preach.
My wife Regina works in school administration. Having been in Rusk for nearly 20 years, that’s where my two children were born and raised. After the kids graduated and we became empty nesters, that freed me up to move when this opportunity became available in Walker County. Regina has to finish up this school year in Henderson, then she will be looking for something in this area. She is looking forward to the move, and I am certainly looking forward to getting her here!
My daughter Ashleigh works for the extension office in Brazos County. She got her bachelor’s at A&M in animal science and is working on her master’s in ag education. My son Turner is a music education major at Northwestern State in Nachitoches. He’s a sophomore and is the drum major for the band.
I like to hunt and fish, but the hobby I am probably best known for is trapping hogs on the side. It’s been pretty slow this summer. Its’ been so hot and dry, and there hasn’t been a lot of pig activity. I guess, by default, that makes me a feral hog expert. I often get asked to go to surrounding counties to do programs and talks on feral hog control.
I put out a monthly newsletter via email that has topical articles as well as information on upcoming programs. Anyone can call the office at (936) 435-2426 and ask to be added to the newsletter list. We also have a facebook page at www.facebook.com/WalkerCoTxAgrilife.
Postcards Magazine
936-293-1188
PO Box 690
Huntsville, TX 77342
