Extension Expert Earns National Honor for Horticultural Excellence
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Collapse ▲Amanda Bratcher, a budding horticulture agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension’s Lee County Center, was recently honored with the Emerging Horticultural Professional Award as part of the 2025 Great American Gardeners Awards. The award, presented by the American Horticultural Society (AHS), recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in horticultural fields such as plant research, garden stewardship and community outreach.
Since 1953, the AHS awards program has celebrated outstanding achievements in horticulture, highlighting individuals and organizations nationwide. This year, Bratcher was among just seven recipients selected for the prestigious honor.
Amanda Bratcher, horticulture agent for N.C. Cooperative Extension’s Lee County Center, received the 2025 Emerging Horticultural Professional Award.
Bratcher’s contributions to horticulture and her community are extensive. She leads and trains local NC State Extension Master GardenerSM program volunteers, enhances the Pollinator Haven Garden, coordinates the area’s Pollinator Census, and directs a regional Small Farm Boot Camp. She also brings technical expertise and educational enrichment to the Farm to Early Care and Education Project, demonstrating a broad impact on local agriculture and community education.
Bill Stone, director of Extension’s Lee County Center, praised Bratcher’s drive and dedication. “She has a passion for plants and an infectious desire to share this love and knowledge, and I’ve seen her do so with folks from the age of nine to 95,” Stone said.
“Amanda is intellectually curious, innovative, hardworking, driven and determined,” he added. “She is always developing new relationships and going the extra mile for her community, making regular site visits to ensure that local growers receive the technical support they need.”
The award highlighted Bratcher’s leadership, motivation, project management skills and subject matter expertise. Her efforts have boosted awareness and appreciation for the value of horticultural support from state university extension systems, setting a high standard for community engagement and horticultural diplomacy.
Bratcher joined Extension with more than 10 years of experience in public horticulture. She has served as the curator of collections for two botanic gardens, including the Juniper Level Botanic Garden, and is also an alumna of the JC Raulston Arboretum summer internship program, where she volunteered and supported gardening efforts and public programs while a student.
Bratcher earned a Master of Science from the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and also holds a bachelor’s degree in horticultural science, with minors in plant biology and agroecology, from NC State University.
Her recognition by the AHS reinforces the vital role of Extension professionals in bridging research and practical application, benefiting North Carolinians in communities across the state.