Episode 04 · Guest · Tuesday, October 27, 2026
What Extension Agents Wish Growers Tracked
A county extension agent on what the best-run vegetable farms write down that the rest don't, and how those records turn into better advice.
Guest: A county Cooperative Extension agent (booking now)
“Extension agents visit hundreds of farms a year. They can usually tell within ten minutes whether a farm keeps records. We asked one what gives it away.”
Episode plan
0:00–2:00
Meet the guest
Their county, the crops they see most, and what a typical farm visit looks like.
2:00–8:00
What good records look like
The notes, logs and receipts that let an agent diagnose a problem quickly instead of guessing.
8:00–13:00
Soil tests and spray logs
Why a soil test history and a pesticide application log are the two records agents ask for first.
13:00–18:00
Mistakes they see every year
Problems that trace back to a missing record: wrong fertilizer rates, repeated disease, planting too early.
18:00–22:00
How to use your extension office
Free services most growers never use, and how to show up so the visit pays off.
Key takeaways
- A soil test history and a spray log are the two records agents want first.
- Good records turn a guess into a diagnosis.
- Your county extension office offers free help most growers never use.
Sources we use
- NC State Extension soil testing guidance (NCDA&CS Agronomic Division)
- USDA restricted-use pesticide recordkeeping requirements
Pull your last soil test before the episode, or order one from your county office.
Open the regional growing playbooksAudio and full transcript will be added here when this episode is released.