New ANR Agent Brings Experience To The Job
Kyle Jeffreys had a busy first week on the job as the Extension Service’s new ANR agent for Yalobusha County.
New ANR Agent Brings Experience To The Job
By David Howell
Editor
COFFEEVILLE – After almost a year vacancy, the Yalo-busha County Extension Service announced the hiring of a new Ag and Natural Resources (ANR) agent last week. Kyle Jeffreys started on Jan. 4 and is excited to transition into a new career that will build on his diverse background.
As a lifelong resident of Yalobusha County, Jeffreys understands the strong role the Extension Service has played in so many of the county’s ag-related success stories through the partnership the agency has with the 4-H clubs, forest landowners, livestock producers, gardeners, row crop farmers and countless others.
“I am looking forward to working to keep everything going strong,” Jeffreys told the Herald.
The new agent’s January start date coincides with planning events for 2016 and he is already busy coordinating meetings for the Yalobusha Cattleman’s Association, Yalobusha Forestry Association and organized a meeting on Jan. 19 for farmers interested in vegetable production. His duties will also include working with 4-H livestock, agriculture and shooting sports in the county.
“I showed growing up. We had a big group of kids and it was a great experience,” Jeffreys recalled about his involvement as a 4-H participant. At 35, Jeffreys’ time as a 4-H participant dates back to the early days of former longtime county agent, Steve Cummings.
“I think he is going to be great, he grew up showing horses, pigs and cows,” Cummings recalls. “He was always very competitive and a winner. He knows what 4-H is all about and how important it can be.”
Cummings also pointed to Jeffreys’ past involvement with the county’s Farm Bureau, serving as the Young Farmer chairman of the county’s Farm Bureau Federation.
“He has been involved in a lot of things over the years and he knows all of the farmers,” Cummings added.
Background
Jeffreys earned his degree from Mississippi State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and has worked in landscaping and small-scale agriculture for most of his adult life, often while working a full-time job. Most recently he worked at Winchester in Oxford for two years.
“Kyle brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this position and we are excited to have him as part of our Extension family,” Extension Service Regional Extension Coordinator Dr. Linda Mitchell told the Herald. “I believe the folks in Yalobusha County will find him easy to communicate with and eager to help them with their questions and needs.”
Prior to working Win-chester, Jeffreys worked four years for Carother’s Construction. Although his primary duty at Carothers was warehouse manager, he had multiple roles that included farming sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Jeffreys has also farmed with his dad in the family farm’s truck patch growing vegetables, pumpkins and even turf grass.
“I am excited about the recent interest in specialty crops,” Jeffreys said. “I think we are going to see more acreage in our county shift to specialty crops in the future.”
Early Indoctrination Into the Maroon World
Jeffreys is married to Lauren Jeffreys, an Ole Miss graduate. They have two sons, Levi, 5, and Luke, 18 months.
He is familiar with the family rivalry between Ole Miss and the Bulldogs, as his parents, William and Bettie Jeffreys are Ole Miss graduates. His twin brothers, Adam and Andrew Jeffreys, are also Ole Miss graduates.
Cummings jokes that he helped indoctrinate Kyle as a Bulldog fan, explaining that shortly after he moved to the county and started meeting people, he became friends with the Jeffreys family and Kyle would come visit.
“He was only two or three years old, but I would put a Bulldog jersey on him and give him a cowbell and take his picture,” Cummings recalled, adding that he enjoyed sharing those pictures with Kyle’s parents and rubbing it in.
“We converted him into a good Bulldog fan early on,” Cummings said.
As for the younger twin brothers, Cummings said they didn’t get to come visit him for the maroon indoctrination.
