Extension Agent - Small Farms and Ag Bus. Dev. (Lee County)
About The Position
The Lee County Small Farms and Agricultural Business Development Agent will play a pivotal role in strengthening the local agricultural economy by providing resources, education, and direct support to small farms and agricultural businesses. This position focuses on fostering entrepreneurship, enhancing value-added production, supporting food safety compliance, and improving food access. The Agent will collaborate with local stakeholders to promote agricultural education, facilitate farmers' markets, and encourage sustainable economic development within the agricultural sector. Primary Function of Organizational Unit N.C. A&T is a public, land-grant, doctoral research institution and has been the largest historically Black university in the country for the past decade. With an enrollment of 14,311 students in Fall 2024, the university offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 36 master's programs, and 12 doctoral programs. It is America's top producer of Black graduates in Engineering and Agricultural Science bachelor's programs, as well as a top five producer in numerous additional disciplines, including Liberal Arts and Communications/Journalism. It also ranks no. 3 in master's degrees awarded to Black graduates in Engineering Technologies and Related Fields, no. 4 in master's degrees in Engineering, and no. 11 best business school for women in the nation. Nationally recognized for its leadership and excellence in STEM education and research, N.C. A&T is classified as "R2-High Research Activity" in the Carnegie Classifications and is poised to achieve "R1-Very High Research Activity" status. It also holds Carnegie's earned credential in Community Engagement and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation. With an annual economic impact of $2.4 billion, N.C. A&T plays a vital role as a higher-education economic driver in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region and across a state that is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the second straight year as "best for business" by the CNBC financial network. The Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is an educational outreach organization within the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Cooperative Extension at A&T provides researched-based educational information, programming and technical assistance to limited-resource audiences that address a diverse range of issues in four programmatic areas - Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, Community and Rural Development, and 4-H Youth Development. Together with its partners - North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, state and county governments, a dynamic and resourceful system is formed. In addition to campus operations, The Cooperative Extension Program has professionally staffed offices in almost half of the 100 counties in North Carolina and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 overall or a 3.0 in the major field of study (based on a 4.0 scale), or completion of a Master's degree
- a personal automobile and valid driver's license
- computer literacy
- strong oral and written communication skills
- the ability to plan, implement, market, and evaluate educational programs
- willingness to work as a team member and support a total Extension program
- the ability to handle multiple demands and set priorities.
Nice To Haves
- For all Agent positions, a Master's degree is preferred.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Industry
Educational Services
Number of Employees
1,001-5,000 employees
