WANT TO know how to save your house plant? Or are you looking for a way to find locally sourced products? Maybe you’ve just bought a few chickens and need to know the best food to feed them. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the information available at your local Coffee County UT Extension office.
Staffed with a crew of experts in everything from soil, water conservation, crop management, pest control, family care, and more, they are ready and welcome to help the residents of Coffee County in any way they can.
At the helm of the Coffee County office is Amy Willis Prince. A Coffee County native, Prince recently took the reins of director in February. Prince knows all too well the benefits the extension has to offer. In her new position as director, she wants to show her community what they have been missing.
AN EARLY START
Growing up with a father who was a farmer, a mother who was a teacher, and a long lineage of farmers, Prince said it was almost impossible not to be involved with agriculture in some way.
“I was introduced to 4-H at a young age, and I loved it from the beginning,” said Prince. “My main project was food nutrition, which was great because I loved to cook. While I could do things I loved, I was also building some of those skills that I would need in adulthood.”
Prince added that with her involvement with 4-H, a youth organization part of the extension, she could take advantage of several opportunities.
“I was able to get scholarships because of the 4-H activities I participated in,” she said. “In college, I worked in the state 4-H office while I was majoring in ag-business at the University of Tennessee. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do at the time, but my dad is a farmer, and my mom’s a teacher, so the extension just blends those two things right.
Upon graduating, she worked as a program assistant for the UT Extension program. She made the move in 2006 to Rutherford County to work full time as a UT Extension agent for the next 16 years.
“The great thing about the extension is that you can do so many different things in a day,” said Prince. “I go from teaching about cooking and talking about chickens to answering questions about house plants. There is never a dull moment and always so much to learn.”
Loving her job in Rutherford County, she long desired to return to her home county. In 2023 she finally got the opportunity to officially move back home and take the director position for the Coffee County Extension office.
“Extension jobs don’t come open often. When the previous director announced his retirement, I knew it was my opportunity to come home,” she said. “So being able to actually make that a reality is a dream come true. It is great to be back home. I love Coffee County. I’ve been wanting to come home, and I’m so excited to serve my community and provide education and programming. There’s so much potential, and I’m excited to make some new partnerships and provide new programming.”
Knowing the true benefits of the extension and the wide variety of education it provides, she wants to revamp the image of the extension and show the community all it has to offer.
“Historically, the extension and the 4-H program in Coffee County has been really strong,” explained Prince. “There are so many people in our community who were a part of programs, such as 4-H — people like Sheriff Chad Partin, along with other business owners and government officials. We have good support, but I think some things have been lost in translation a little bit. As people get further away from agriculture, they tend to forget about all that the extension offers. There are so many things that we do that are not for just a farmer. While we absolutely support our farmers, there is the master gardener program and family and parenting programs. We want people to understand that the extension is here for everyone. We do all the things, and we’re a great resource.” GN
