Lina Quesada working with extension agents

Extension Outreach and Engagement Platform

Engaging with stakeholders to translate plant science into solutions for applied field issues.

Collaboration from Field to Lab

Alongside NC State Extension, the Extension Outreach and Engagement
platform is focused on connecting the science conducted in N.C. PSI to address on-farm challenges. The platform supports effective, bilateral communication between applied expertise in the field and research-based information generated by N.C. PSI. North Carolina’s vast Extension network is crucial to the success of N.C. PSI, both in identifying emerging issues and transferring groundbreaking research, tools and technology back into the hands of North Carolinians.

Labs Rats to Field Mice: N.C. PSI’s Inaugural Backroad Tour

22 N.C. PSI faculty were brought out to the fields of North Carolina to meet with growers from Vick Family Farms, processors from Nash Produce and commodity board leaders representing cotton, peanuts, soybeans and sweetpotatoes. The faculty represented nine departments across three colleges at NC State.

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Extension Agent Network

NC State Extension agent were selected to beta-test N.C. PSI-developed technologies in the field to accelerate seamless adoption on farms.

Learn about this novel program

N.C. PSI Extension Faculty

We have a diverse group of N.C. PSI-affiliated faculty with Extension positions who hail from multiple colleges, departments and specialties.

Meet the specialists

Off-Campus Research

We put research to work on farm fields and research stations to refine solutions to real-world challenges.

Explore our statewide research stations

N.C. PSI in the Field

The Extension Outreach & Engagement Platform seeks to engage with stakeholders in a variety of meaningful ways.

N.C. PSI faculty from various departments and colleges representing N.C. PSI at the Sweetpotato Field Day

Rachel Vann and Celeste Brogdon attending the N.C. PSI Field Day

Undergraduate student Duncan McSorley presenting his work on the Plant Aid Project at the Tomato Field Day at the Mountain Research Station

Rachel Vann meeting with Extension Specialists in the midwest

N.C. PSI welcomes the Franklin County Extension team to the NC State Plant Sciences Building

Rachel Vann

Extension Outreach and Engagement Platform Director

Vann is an assistant professor and soybean Extension specialist at NC State. As Platform Director, she will strengthen communication with internal and external stakeholders, creating open dialogue and feedback opportunities to bridge the gap between research and field applications.

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Rachel Vann, Extension Outreach and Engagement Platform Director, shares her vision for N.C. PSI.

The mission of NC State Extension is getting a huge boost from N.C. PSI.

Discover How

N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative Launches Extension Agent Network

12 NC State Extension agents were selected from a competitive pool to beta-test N.C. PSI technology in the field.

Open Sesame Seeds

Planting a new crop like sesame can be risky for farmers. In this episode of Farms, Food and You, Extension Specialist David Suchoff highlights efforts to cover the start-up costs for North Carolina farmers.

The ‘Spider Sniffer’: When Farmers and Faculty Unite

For Lina Quesada-Ocampo, incorporating farmers into the scientific process is essential for success.