‘A special place in my heart’

Kathy Rohrig logged off her computer for the final time Monday as agricultural programs coordinator for Adair County ISU Extension and Outreach.

Rohrig said it’s with “bittersweet” emotions that she retires following a 23-year career with the organization doing a variety of things.

“I have truly loved working in Extension but it also feels like it’s the right time,” Rohrig said. “In choosing a time to leave, most of the trainings are done and it seemed like a good time to step away before we were hot into county fair because I couldn’t in good conscience leave right before fair.”

Rohrig, a Jesup native who lives with her husband Brian near Orient, began working with Adair County Extension in 1998 as the Neely-Kinyon coordinator. She worked heavily with and for educational opportunities brought about through the Neely-Kinyon Memorial Research Farm just south of Greenfield, which was started in 1994 by a donated 160-acre farm from Wayne and Margaret Neely.

As her role progressed, Rohrig began overseeing all of the certification courses Extension offers. She also eventually would take over facilitating the program Speak Out for Agriculture (SOFA), which is a multi-faceted opportunity for area youth to grow in the knowledge and experiences of agriculture, particularly ones beyond family farm ag production.

SOFA goes on a two-day trip each year out of state and a planning team, which Rohrig oversees, takes care of all of the behind-the-scenes aspects of that trip and other SOFA functions.

Just a few examples of certification courses that Rohrig has overseen include pesticide applicator trainings, manure applicator trainings and Annie’s Project, which was a program for women in agriculture that was offered in Adair County in 2021.

“The best parts of working in Extension are the people you work for or work with,” Rohrig said. “Adair County has great people. I had the opportunity to work with a lot of adults through the training programs but also with youth.”

A few of the people on the Adair County Extension Council, like Matt Mensing or Greg Lilly, are people who Rohrig remembers as 4-Hers in the county.

“To watch kids grow up is exciting. That’s so rewarding to see,” Rohrig said. “It’s so exciting to see the impact that Extension and 4-H have in kids, not only younger ones but as young adults growing into leadership roles and accepting those.”

Rohrig said the list of people to thank for her time with Extension is long. It starts with former co-workers like Deb Hall and Donna Wallace, goes to regional Extension director Kerry Aistrope, an “always supportive” Extension Council, and finally the people of Adair County she’s worked with over time.

In retirement Rohrig plans to spend time with her family, including her grandchildren who are very involved in activities around the area.

“4-H has always had a special place in my heart and it always will,” Rohrig said. “Being able to help kids see their potential and encourage them not to give up, the best advice I could give to a 4-Her is to stay in it through high school. Don’t drop out in junior high. The magic begins once you get into high school. Life seems to get too busy but it’s definitely worth hanging in there.”