BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County has a new agriculture agent at the extension office—and for the first time, he is a native son determined to stay. Dan Howard, who accepted the position in May, introduced himself and his plans Thursday during a Kiwanis Club lunch at Giovanni’s in Inez.
“I am a local boy. I’m one of those Howards from Wolf Creek,” Howard said. “Both sides of my family are from here. My dad is from Wolf Creek; my mom is from Tomahawk. She’s a Sites. My wife is from Martin County.”
Howard returned to the county after 15 years in Florida, Missouri and Cincinnati. “My wife made the decision that she wanted to come home,” he said. “When she made that decision, things fell right into place for us. This position opened and I was able to roll right in there. We’re not going anywhere anytime soon. As she said, she’s home and she’s going to stay home.”
The appointment marks a first for the county.
“I was talking to someone the other day and they said, ‘You know, you might be the only person who came from Martin County who actually went and got an agriculture degree,’” Howard said. “It is nice to be back home now and in a job that is 100% my calling. For the last 15 years, I’ve been living the corporate grind, where I would get up Monday morning, get on an airplane and fly to wherever, and then get to come home Friday or Saturday. That’s been my life for years now. It’s nice to have a little bit of my life back and be able to support the community.”
Howard outlined an ambitious series of programs. On Sept. 18, he will host a “Community Appreciation” event from 5 to 6 p.m. to build awareness and drive participation. Earlier that day, from 10 a.m. to noon, he will teach “BBQ Basics,” demonstrating how to season and smoke pulled pork and brisket. The smoked meat will be served during the evening program at $5 a plate, with proceeds benefiting 4-H next year.
He said the fall schedule includes forestry programming and University of Kentucky specialists.
“Apparently, there has never been specialist programming in Martin County,” Howard said. “No UK specialist has ever come to Martin County to host a program, ever.”
Topics will range from turf grass management and composting—Howard has already started piles behind the extension office—to wildlife workshops tied to deer season. A November “Bring Your Own Deer” event will teach sausage-making, while a December wild game dinner will be open to 50 participants. Howard is also preparing a video on deer processing, vacuum sealing and long-term storage.
Howard is reviving the Beekeepers Association, which has not met since 2022. The first meeting is scheduled for Sept. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. and will continue monthly. His goal is to establish a sustainable group with officers and dues-paying members by March, allowing for giveaways such as bees and nucs. A beekeeping program is on the calendar for March 2026.
Looking further ahead, Howard intends to bring a regulated USDA farmers market to Martin County by 2026.
“We’re one of the few counties in the state that doesn’t have one,” he said. “I’ve already got the wheels in motion. In 2026, we will have our first regulated USDA farmer market.”
Such certification will allow the market to accept SNAP, WIC, Medicaid/Medicare and other food vouchers.
“That’s going to be huge for us and I’m really excited,” said Howard.
He is also working with the Martin County Fiscal Court on the “Country Market” under development on Court Street, offering educational programs to help residents navigate consignment sales.
“I’m trying to do everything I can to help people get through the red tape, through the educational programming that we will have,” Howard said.
Interest in local farmer markets, he said, has been strong among buyers but weak among sellers.
“We’ve only had three people show up over three farmer market days,” he said. “People are still growing gardens, but their gardens are for themselves.”
He is pursuing grants to offset permit costs for producers—$40 annually for produce, about $150 for micro-processed goods such as honey, jams and baked items.
Other plans include homesteading workshops, a young farmers association and expanded 4-H programming. Working with 4-H agent Joe Maynard, Howard hopes to introduce country hams for next year’s state fair.
“We already have plans for the state fair next year to have country hams with all the 4-H kids,” he said. “We’re going to do a class and cure the hams and take them to the state fair.”
Howard and Maynard are also discussing the possibility of a county fair with livestock showing.
“I’ve been doing it for years,” he said, noting his experience judging in Lawrence and Carter counties.
“Why not bring that element to Martin County?”
To qualify for the state fair, he explained, children must first compete in a county fair.
A new greenhouse is also on the horizon. After flooding repeatedly, the old structure will be demolished, with a replacement planned for higher ground on the opposite side of the extension office.
“My hope is that we will have an operational greenhouse in spring 2026,” Howard said. “That is the goal.”
Kiwanis president Melissa Phelps welcomed the momentum.
“Having an ag agent has been sorely missed,” she said. “There was a lot going on when Roger [Mollette] was there.”
Howard encouraged the club to take part in the programs and to help him spread the word.
