New extension agent brings local roots, agricultural passion
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Bill Poteat
Editor Emeritus
Tanner Collier, Burke County’s new extension agent for agriculture and horticulture, is pictured in his office.
The view from Tanner Collier’s office in the Burke County Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension is spellbinding.
The center is on a rise just north of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and that ridgetop looks out over parts of the Broughton Hospital property and the campus of Western Piedmont Community College, then rolls away across the foothills to the towering peaks of Table Rock, Hawksbill, and Mount Mitchell.
The view is one a person could get lost in, particularly on a picture-perfect May morning, but Collier, the new extension agent for agriculture and horticulture in Burke County, is quick to tell you he’d rather be outside than in.
“All my life, I’ve spent as much time outside as I can,” said Collier, sitting proudly at a clean desk below his framed N.C. State University diploma. “I was in Future Farmers of America in high school, and I’ve always wanted to work in cooperative extension.”
Although not a Burke County native, Collier is about as close as you can get, growing up in northwestern Caldwell County near the Burke County line.
Many days of his youth were spent fishing, swimming, and hiking in the Wilson Creek area and in the parks along the Blue Ridge Parkway, such as Price Park and Moses Cone Park.
“I had a really good, really peaceful childhood,” Collier remembered. “I was a good kid. My mom worked in public education, so I knew anything I did would go straight back to her.”
Collier also loved to play baseball, and he was the starting centerfielder for the West Caldwell Warriors, bringing speed and defense to the outfield, and usually hitting leadoff or second.
Following graduation from West Caldwell in 2021, Collier faced a choice between two universities — N.C. State and Mount Olive University, a small private school in far eastern North Carolina.
Collier chose N.C. State because of the strength of its academic programs, its association with N.C. Cooperative Extension, and “because I really wanted to challenge myself.”
Collier earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural science with minors in horticulture and crop science.
“I’m so glad I was able to go there,” he said. “(N.C. State) exceeded my expectations. Provided me with so many learning experiences. It was really my dream school. And it reinforced my desire to work in agriculture.”
Upon his graduation in May of 2025, Cooperative Extension was in the midst of a statewide hiring freeze. With that door closed, Collier returned to his high school alma mater, accepting the position of horticulture and animal science instructor at West Caldwell.
“I loved the kids,” Collier said of his brief time in the classroom. “I was upfront with them in that I wanted them to learn, but I wanted them to have fun while they were learning.”
His time in public education proved short, however, as the Burke County job opened up just a couple of months ago. He applied, was hired, and now stands ready “to help Burke County residents in any way I can.”
Collier can provide expert advice, based on the latest research, to farmers and gardeners across the county and even to homeowners who aren’t sure why their lawns are not thriving or wonder about best ornamentals to plant around the backyard patio.
“I want to work with the Master Gardeners program also,” Collier said. “I’m hoping to teach the course each spring. It’s a 13-week program. And I want to get out into the schools as much as possible.”
Although only a few weeks into his time with Cooperative Extension, Collier said, “I hope this will be my first, last, and only career. I’ll be starting work on my master’s degree in 2027, and I’d like to earn my doctorate also.
“I’m really, really happy to be working in Burke County,” he concluded. “I’m excited about the things we can accomplish. The people of Burke County are great. It’s just like home.”
Tanner Collier’s office telephone number is 828-764-9480. His work email is tanner_collier@ncsu.edu.
