The Watauga County Cooperative Extension Service has hired a new agriculture agent.

Eddy Labus joined the Cooperative Extension team in November. An Alleghany County resident, Labus has a background in both agriculture and livestock production and will be bringing professional and personal experience to the

His topical responsibilities include livestock, youth livestock, agronomic field crops, burley tobacco and pesticide education.

Labus said he’d been managing a farm in Alleghany County for eight years and previously was a farm agent in Kentucky. He raised beef cattle while in Alleghany and will be helping local producers of beef, sheep, goats, dairy cattle and chickens.

Labus grew up in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. He received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from Berea College.

“I think there’s a diversity of commodities here that are produced,” Labus said of the region.

In Kentucky, Labus worked with tobacco growers and has met a number of local growers already. He’s also attended a Watauga County Cattlemen’s Association meeting and said he’d met the county’s largest beef producers.

He grew up in West Virginia on a small farm, raising vegetables and tobacco. He joined a staff in transition after the retirement of long-time director Sue Counts last month.

“I think it’s a really good office and everybody’s really helpful,” Labus said.

“Right now I’m concentrating on working with livestock groups and trying to put together some classes in January and February for sheep and goat producers.”

Labus said as people seek to become farmers on smaller acreage, sheep were a viable commodity and could be sold in the local market. He’ll also be working in forage and pasture production.

The Cooperative Extension Service is still in the interview process for a new executive director, with 4-H director Karee Mackey serving as interim director.