(NCCOP), a two-year NC State Extension/NC FarmLink initiative funded by USDA–NRCS. Our work has two aims: first, to help producers and landowners understand and adopt NRCS conservation practices; second, to open clear conservation career pathways for youth.

For producers, we host field days, demonstrations, and farm tours, and we are creating practical educational materials—a mobile producer app, an educational video series for vegetable, livestock, and forestry operations, and a graduate-level research paper that identifies barriers and solutions to accessing NRCS programs.

For youth, we speak at events statewide, are developing a career-pathways mobile app, and provide scholarships to opportunities such as Resource Conservation Workshops and the Juntos Summer Institute.

We partner with organizations across North Carolina to connect people with the right contacts, tools, and next steps to improve conservation state-wide.