Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Those looking for a way to learn about a variety of subjects from the comfort of their own home have the option to do so via a program offered by the Harlan County Cooperative Extension Service, with the Mountain Zoom Series offering online sessions on topics including gardening, community crisis response, and heirloom vegetables.

Harlan County Extension Agent Jeremy Williams explained how the program came about.

“We started this originally when the pandemic started,” Williams said. “Myself and the agents in Wise County, Virginia, and Letcher County, Kentucky, got together and created the Mountain Zoom Series.”

According to Williams, the series began by doing a session every evening.

“We eventually got down to doing them every Tuesday and Thursday,” Williams said.

As the pandemic continued, the extension office continued to offer programs via Zoom online, Williams said. He mentioned the online sessions are simple to access.

“We put the information up on our Facebook pages, and you can click on the Zoom link and tune in live,” Williams said. “We would have anywhere from five to 70 people to show up, depending on the subject.”

Williams said the decision was made to continue with Zoom programs for this winter.

“We’re doing a two-month series on Zoom,” Williams said. “We’ll put the information about the subject we’ll be discussing on our Facebook page every week.”

The series starts on Jan. 12, with Josh Belcher speaking on heirloom vegetables. Darren Morris will take on white oak management on Jan. 19. Dr. Jen Davis will provide forest medicinal information on Jan. 26. Adam Downing will present information concerning Silvo-Pasture procedures on Feb. 2. Gardening will be discussed on Feb. 9, with a presenter yet to be announced. Multiple panelists will be available for a discussion on post-flood recovery on Feb. 16, and Dr. Carolyn Oldham and Nick Roy will tackle a session on community crisis response on Feb. 23.

“We’ll put the link on the Facebook page, and all you have to do is click on the link,” Williams said. “The sessions will be every Thursday starting Jan. 12 until Feb. 23. They’ll start at 6 p.m. and last about an hour.”

The Mountain Zoom Series is free and open to the public.

For more information, go to the Harlan County Cooperative Extension Service’s Facebook page or call 606-573-4464.