A Local Returns to Serve Her Community
The Northern Shenandoah Valley welcomes a familiar face to its agricultural community. Cynthia Fairbanks, a Clarke County native who grew up on her family's farm in Berryville, has returned home to serve as the new agricultural extension agent based in Warren County. Moreover, her role extends across the entire five-county region, filling a critical position that has remained vacant since the passing of Corey Childs.
On her very first day, Cynthia joins host Janet Michael and fellow agent Karen Poff on The Valley Today to introduce herself to the community. Despite having been on the job for less than eight hours, she radiates enthusiasm for the work ahead.
From 4-H Member to Extension Professional
Cynthia's journey to this position began in her own backyard. Growing up, she actively participated in 4-H and FFA, showing steers, goats, and pigs while her family operated a small cow-calf operation. Additionally, she raised meat goats throughout high school to sell.
This early passion for livestock led her to Virginia Tech, where she initially pursued dairy science. However, she soon discovered that her interests lay more in the business side of agriculture than the science side. Consequently, she transitioned to agricultural economics, ultimately earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees in the field.
"I really enjoyed the business side of education more than the science side," Cynthia explains during the conversation.
The Internship That Changed Everything
During her undergraduate years, Cynthia interned with the Frederick County Extension Office for two summers. This experience proved transformative. She worked alongside various agents, including Karen, gaining exposure to everything from financial programming to master gardener initiatives.
"I was not aware of all the different opportunities while I was in 4-H myself," Cynthia admits. "It truly was a learning curve getting to see all of the different opportunities."
That internship solidified her career path. When the Warren County position opened, she didn't hesitate. In fact, she and her fiancé moved from Bedford County, putting a new house under contract in just four days.
Filling a Critical Gap
Cynthia brings something unique to the table: expertise in agricultural economics. As Karen points out, the region hasn't had a farm business management specialist since Bill Whittle retired. While Cynthia serves primarily as an animal science agent, her current knowledge of agricultural economics addresses a significant need in the farming community.
Furthermore, her master's work focused on incorporating data into farming practices. Her final project involved forecasting Virginia corn prices over five years in relation to climate change. This technical expertise, combined with her coding skills, positions her to help farmers make data-driven decisions about their operations.
"Being able to take previous data and kind of forecast what that's gonna look like" represents just one of the valuable services she can provide, Cynthia notes.
Building Relationships and Assessing Needs
Rather than immediately launching new programs, Cynthia plans to spend her first year listening. She intends to attend events, shadow other agents like Elizabeth Baldwin in Page County, and most importantly, survey the community to understand what farmers and producers actually need.
"I don't wanna spend a lot of time on something that really isn't going to be quite effective to my audience in this area," she explained. "I wanna be as effective as possible by really getting the resources directly from the people that I'm going to be helping."
Nevertheless, she's already brainstorming ideas. During her first day, she discussed implementing an embryology program with the local 4-H agent, drawing on her recent experience hatching chicks.
The Advantage of Local Roots
Being from the area gives Cynthia a distinct advantage. She already has established relationships throughout the five counties she serves. This familiarity with the region's agricultural landscape will help her hit the ground running.
"There's a lot of perks with that," Cynthia acknowledged. "Getting to already have some relationships developed in these five counties that I'll be serving... will really help with this position."
Janet emphasizes another benefit: "It's going to be great that you came into this, not necessarily knowing all of the extension things, so you're gonna be in a much better position to be explaining to people, oh no, but we also do this."
Training and Professional Development
Despite her impressive credentials, Cynthia faces a steep learning curve. In March, she'll attend a two-day agricultural agent onboarding at Virginia Tech, where she'll meet her cohort of new agents. Additionally, she'll participate in bimonthly training sessions at various agricultural research and extension centers across Virginia.
These training opportunities excite Karen, who noted that agents get to visit facilities specializing in everything from fruit research to seafood production. "When you're in school, it's a lot of book work and not as much getting to see, touch, feel, and taste what practical applications are like," she observed.
Continuing Essential Programs
While Cynthia develops new initiatives, she'll also help maintain existing programs. These include pesticide recertification courses and spring drinking water clinics. Furthermore, she'll assist with general agricultural questions, even filling in for master gardeners during their off-season.
As Karen reminded listeners, extension agents embrace the philosophy of "I don't know, but I'll find out." This approach proves essential because agricultural science constantly evolves. Karen recalled how recommendations about salmonella in eggs changed dramatically during her tenure, teaching her to preface answers with "from what we know today."
An Open Door Policy
Cynthia encourages community members to reach out through multiple channels. They can call the Front Royal office at 540-635-4549, email her at cynthia2000@vt.edu, or follow the Northern Shenandoah Valley Agriculture Natural Resources Facebook page. The office maintains regular hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Warren County Government Center.
"I am here to stay and I'm very excited to be here," Cynthia declared, music to Karen's ears after years of position turnover.
Looking Ahead
As Cynthia settles into her new role, she represents a new generation of extension agents—one that combines traditional agricultural knowledge with modern data analytics and business acumen. Her local roots, combined with her fresh perspective and technical skills, position her to serve the Northern Shenandoah Valley's agricultural community for years to come.
For farmers and producers throughout the region, her arrival signals renewed capacity and fresh opportunities. Whether they need help with farm business planning, livestock management, or simply identifying a mysterious bug, Fairbanks stands ready to serve as their connection to Virginia Tech's vast research resources.
Indeed, extension's mission continues: bringing university research to the people who need it most, one farmer, one question, and one community at a time.
