Blount County Extension Office

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About Blount County

Blount County is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains on the Cumberland Plateau, and was created by the Territorial Legislature in 1818. Oneonta is the county seat, with a population of approximately 6,000.  Blount County is part of the Birmingham Metropolitan Area, and has more than 51,000 residents - 92.1% white, 1.2% Black, 5.5% Hispanic, and 2.7% other.

The major agricultural product is poultry, and it is home to a Tyson Poultry processing plant.  Other agricultural products include timber, cattle, fruits and vegetables.  Over a ten-year period, the fastest growing industry was construction, which increased at an annual rate of 11.8%.

Blount County is known as "The Covered Bridge Capitol of Alabama."  Of the eleven covered bridges in Alabama, three are in Blount County.  Of all covered bridges in the United States, the Horton Mill Bridge in Blount County is the highest above water.

Dan Porch is Coordinator of the Blount County Extension Office, Paula Mayo is Administrative Associate, Nancy Graves is Regional Extension Agent (REA) for 4-H, Ruth Brock is Regional Extension Agent (REA) for Consumer Science and Personal Financial Management and Wendy Ulrich is Agent Assistant for programs .  Nine Regional Agents who are housed in other counties serve Blount County.

Extension programs are open to the public, and are usually presented with little or no cost to participants, according to materials needed.  Programs presented in Blount County in 2005 include The Master Gardener Program, Diabetic Cooking School, Update on Medicare Part "D," Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP), Nutrition Programs, 4-H Horse Club, Vegetable Production Regional Meeting, and the Junior Leadership Program.  Agents also participate in many county-wide events to promote and enhance economic development, such as the annual Special Day at the Farmers Market, and the County Fair.