Travis Birdsell has called Ashe County home most of his life, and enjoys working with people and the land. Travis is excited about the opportunity to serve Ashe County residents as the new Cooperative Extension Agent in Agriculture. His focus will be Christmas trees and nursery, home horticulture, and local foods. “Farming and agriculture are challenging,” Travis said. “I hope that I can help find solutions to those challenges for tree growers and all the citizens of Ashe as part of the team at Cooperative Extension.” He grew up with a family that raised and exhibited livestock, and once old enough, he was able to help on the family’s small Christmas tree farm. Travis attended North Carolina State University, after working for a landscape contractor in the county for a few years, where he earned a degree in horticulture with a minor in poultry science. He moved back to Ashe County, after college, where he worked as a Registered Landscape Contractor and landscape designer, while continuing to work with local tree growers during harvest season and on tree lots. Since the beginning of this year, Travis has been working with Ashe Outreach Ministries to develop a new program called Out Grow Hunger. He and his wife Maggi live in Jefferson, and during the summer months they enjoy gardening and sharing the fruits of their labor with others in the community. “We are excited to have Travis join us, and we look forward to working with him,” said Carolyn Shepherd, Ashe County Extension director.