Q & A with Cynthia Fairbanks ’23, ’25

Question: Growing up on a family farm in Berryville, Virginia, and participating in 4-H and FFA clearly shaped your path — how did those early experiences influence your decision to pursue a career in agricultural Extension?

Answer: Growing up involved in 4-H and FFA shaped my path not only to study agriculture but also to pursue a career in it. When my family first bought their farm in January of 2016, I wanted to farm, but I didn’t have the educational resources, and neither did my family. My Baltimore native parents basically said, “We are here to support you with whatever you want to do, but we work full-time, so this will have to be your venture.” I took those words as permission to run with it, and so I did. Within 6 months, I purchased three Angus heifers and rented an Angus bull to breed them. In addition, I accumulated close to 25 Boer goats and started breeding commercial meat goats. I joined FFA to learn more about these animals that I owned, but ended up getting involved in showing livestock and doing livestock judging. Now I didn’t say I was good at it, nor did I pick winning stock, but I sure did have some fun. I showed a Brangus steer in my senior year of high school, which I don’t think the Clarke County Fair had ever seen, but that’s what started my love for eared cattle. 4-H and FFA gave me a backbone of support throughout the biggest learning curve of my life and made me want to work in agricultural education in some form. I really didn’t finalize my intentions of being an ANR Extension Agent until interning for two summers in Extension.

Question: You began your studies in dairy science before transitioning to agricultural economics. What sparked that shift, and how does your economics background support the work you’re doing with farmers today?

Answer: I began in dairy science at Virginia Tech, thinking that I wanted to be a productive livestock veterinarian. I realized very quickly that the science courses were not for me, and I switched over to AgEcon after my first semester. I anticipate that I will use my economics background in a multitude of ways, from promoting agritourism in this region to boost agricultural sales, helping farmers develop business plans to create a solid financial foundation, and helping producers in the area become aware of grants or subsidies that may help boost their operation economically.

Question: You’ve returned home to serve the very region that helped shape you. What does it mean to you, personally and professionally, to give back to the Northern Shenandoah Valley?

Returning to the region that shaped me is such a comforting feeling. I have established relationships in the area that allow me to have resources when I have questions or need support. I also have so many great people I haven’t met yet. This brings the rare opportunity for me to learn and grow in a comfortable environment. It means so much to me personally and professionally that I can be a support to farmers and producers in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and learn directly from the people I am serving!

Question: Your academic background is in agricultural and applied economics, with a strong foundation in data analysis. How do you see data-driven decision-making supporting local farmers as they respond to challenges such as market fluctuations and climate impacts?

Through both my B.S. and M.S. online degrees in agricultural and applied economics, I have developed a solid foundation in economics and data analysis. This shapes the work I will do in my job because if producers in the area are interested in creating a modern outlook on farming by incorporating data analytics into their operation, then I can provide education. This can help farmers predict pricing on their products based on external variables such as weather, supply changes, or climate changes.

Question: As you spend your first year listening and learning from the community, what excites you most about the relationships and programs you hope to build across the five-county region?

I am so excited to understand what is needed programmatically in these 5 counties. Coming from a hands-on animal science background, this gives me a solid foundation to help producers in this region. There is still so much to learn and understand. I look forward to learning from the people I will be serving directly, doing my research, and providing the best programming I can. I hope that over the next few years, people in this region will look to me as a resource and that I can be a great extension agent.

By: Melissa Vidmar
vidmar@vt.edu
February 2026