Roosevelt County officials to consider new home economist

Roosevelt County could possibly have a home economist again, if the commission allows it in their budget for fiscal year 2025.

Several county residents and 4-H members asked the commission at their regular meeting Tuesday to vote in favor of bringing back a family and consumer sciences agent to the Roosevelt County Extension Office.

The last time Roosevelt County had an FCS agent was around 2016 when the county was in a financial crunch and needed to cut funding, according to Roosevelt County Ag Agent, Patrick Kircher.

At that time, the last FCS agent retired, and the county has been without since.

An FCS agent, or home economist, teaches skills like canning, quilting, homesteading, gardening, sewing, baking, etc.

“In the eight years since the loss of that position, the Roosevelt County Extension Office has continued to service the family and consumer science needs of county clientele as best as we can,” Kircher said.

Deveri Mathews with the Extension Association of New Mexico told the commission that the overall state membership for 4-H is 262 members, and 65 of those are in Roosevelt County. This is the largest membership in extension clubs in the state.

“Most of these families have no experience in 4-H and are new to agriculture,” Mathews said. “Having an FCS agent would provide us the resources to have workshops.”

Charlsea Lee, the admin assistant at the extension office, said they have been struggling to meet the needs of their youth due to limited volunteers.

Paula Grady, a 4-H advocate and Roosevelt County resident explained the importance of having an FCS agent to teach these skills.

“We are in a place where we have moms that work. We have dads that work. We have kids that need this kind of education,” Grady said. “We desperately need an FCS agent to help.”

Elsie Matthews, an 11-year-old 4-H member, also got up at the podium to speak to the commission. She said she had attended FCS school recently and was able to make a quilt.

“I have friends that would like to do this too,” Mathews said while showing her quilt off to the commission.

“We don’t have an FCS agent, so they can’t do it unless they travel to another county,” Matthews said.

Commissioner Roy Lee Criswell spoke about the time when his daughter was in 4-H.

“Thankfully we had Connie Moyers back then,” Criswell said. “...Home economists, they do more than just checking pressure cookers and canning.”

Criswell went on to say that the values and morals an FCS agent teaches are important for today’s youth.

Commissioners Rod Savage and Dennis Lopez also spoke in favor of the position.

County Manager Amber Hamilton told the News that the commission will consider the additional funding request for the position during their budget process. Because it’s for FY25, it will be after July 1 of this year.