Lincoln, Neb. —
Katja Koehler-Cole received the Achievement Award from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents during the 2024 Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference in Dallas, Texas, on July 16. The Achievement Award is given to members with less than 10 years of service and selected by their peers for outstanding education programs in Extension. Individuals selected represent the top one percent of the membership.
Koehler-Cole’s program focuses on agroecosystem management using biological interactions between crops and other living organisms to support healthy soils. She has led and co-led ten soil health educational events reaching 658 people and has received $425,000 in federal funding to start an Extension organic crop program with an inaugural conference attended by 50 people. Koehler-Cole is the Nebraska SARE co-coordinator -- awarding 12 grants for sustainable agriculture education events in Nebraska and 15 travel grants for educators.