By Carolyn Newcomer Ketchel
On April 23, 2026, a passionate group of gardeners and community supporters gathered to “cut the ribbon” on the beautiful Sheila Dunning Agricultural Extension Office. The new office is named for employee Sheila Dunning, a beloved member of the team who passed away unexpectedly.
The new building is located across from the Fort Walton Beach Courthouse Annex Extension. It is visible on the right as you enter the courthouse parking lot driving toward the Rigdon Center Fairgrounds building and is directly behind Ruth’s Farmers Market. The offices are spacious and we invite you to stop in and take a look. There is plenty of parking.
In 2021, as chairman of the County Commissioners, I worked with Rep. Patt Maney and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office to secure additional funding to build a new Okaloosa County Extension Office in the south end of the county. Some of you may remember the dilapidated old building on Hollywood Boulevard that served as the Extension Office. Hurricane Sally finished off what was already a sad building that flooded on a regular basis.
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a federal, state and county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources and life sciences, and to making that knowledge accessible to sustain and enhance the quality of human life.
Many people associate the Extension Office with longtime employee Larry Williams. For many years, Larry wrote an informative column about lawn and pest control that was published in the Northwest Florida Daily News. His knowledge is extensive and his articles were widely appreciated.
However, the Okaloosa Sheila Dunning Agricultural Extension Office offers so much more than lawn care advice. Extension Services offers educational programming and volunteer opportunities in agriculture, coastal sciences, commercial horticulture, family and consumer sciences, residential horticulture, natural resources and 4-H youth development.
How can Extension specifically serve you, the Okaloosa County community, at our new facility, the Sheila Dunning Extension Building in Fort Walton Beach?
- Soil Analyses and Interpretation
° pH testing done in-house (free, plus explanation of results)
° Landscape and vegetable garden testing ($10 per sample, sent to UF, plus explanation of results)
° Lawn testing ($10-$20 per sample, depending on needs, plus explanation of results)
° Producer testing ($10 per sample, plus explanation of results)
° Pasture testing (Bahia, up to $20 per sample depending on needs, plus explanation of results)
° Explanation of results includes a printed analysis accompanied by verbal explanation from an Extension team member, if desired
- Basic water quality analyses (such as salinity, dissolved oxygen, algae identification and nutrient ranges) and interpretation
- Aquatic management, including pond management
- Environmental resilience, including flood preparation and residential strategies
- Living shorelines
- Lawn and garden assistance, including lawn management and maintenance, garden planning and upkeep, planting, pruning, insects and diseases
- VITA program (tax preparation assistance; contact the office for more information)
- Healthy living classes, including Cooking Up Health and the Mediterranean Diet Course, which has been proven to reduce disease
- Food safety education
- Volunteer opportunities through the Master Gardener Volunteer Program, 4-H youth development, coastal science programming and natural resource programming
- Volunteers are especially needed to lead 4-H clubs at the new building
- Master Gardener Volunteer Program classes begin this fall
I have been a fan of the Extension Service long before I became a commissioner. My favorite class was on antique roses. I love roses and learned so much in the class. Did you know antique roses are the varieties that existed before the hybrid roses we commonly see today? They are often found in old cemeteries where they were planted beside loved ones. Some varieties date back to the Roman Empire.
There is so much to learn about our beautiful community. This is the place to volunteer if you share a passion for gardening, learning and the environment. Please call 850-689-5850 with any questions.
It is an honor to serve as your commissioner.
Carolyn Ketchel is an Okaloosa County commissioner representing District 2. She can be reached at CKetchel@myokaloosa.com or 850-651-7105.
Photos:
Pictured: Commissioner Drew Palmer, Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel, Rep. Patt Maney and Chairman Trey Goodwin.
Pictured: Sheila Dunning, Extension Office employee, deceased.
