For Lowndes County Extension Agent Reid Nevins, education and agriculture go hand-in-hand. Growing up on a hog farm, Nevins learned at an early age the ups and downs of farming. He takes all these life lessons with him in his own operation and in Extension.

“I just started in the last, actually the last four years with my own operation as far as a row crop on a large scale, so that’s evolving,” Nevins said. “It kind of gives me a little bit better perspective as far as working with our producers here in the county and in this area because, I mean, I can relate to, hey, yeah, this doesn’t work, this does work, you know.”

Nevins and his wife, Kate, were the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award winners in 2013. Today, he continues to work side-by-side with his county Farm Bureau, spreading the voice of agriculture both in local schools and in county board meetings.

“We need to be out there on the forefront telling the farmer’s story and the struggles, the good times, not just the bad times, but the good times, letting the people know what we do…we’re right there,” he said. “We’re working with farmers. We’re working with ag and landowners and then people just from gardeners to like I said, the 4‑H kids that are involved in agriculture.  We’re the ones that are there working with them and keeping those ties, I guess, here and in each county in the state.”

Nevins says he’s honored just to be nominated, never thinking he might win, and the award will definitely go toward helping farmers and ranchers.

“It’s a learning process for me,” Nevins said. “So, that’s what I love about it. And it makes me feel good to help those people, those producers, or those landowners, or homeowners, or residents here in the county.”