Farm and home management advisors conduct agricultural research and apply their findings to improve farming techniques, home management, nutrition practices and more. They teach courses and raise awareness by creating educational materials and meeting with people in the community. They also demonstrate new technologies and methods that help their clients save money or improve the health of their crops and livestock, or their own diet. Depending on their focus, farm and home management advisors spend much of their time visiting either farmers or families. They help farmers purchase and sell products, supervise properties or test soil and crops. Those who serve families and individuals focus on coordinating with social service and healthcare professionals around budgeting, meal preparation, and time management. These advisors may also advocate for farmers and farmers’ groups, and organize community activities or organizations. Farm and home management advisors typically work long hours, usually more than 40 hours a week. Farm or home management advisor positions require either a master’s or bachelor’s degree in an agriculture-related field or consumer and family sciences.
What they do:
Advise, instruct, and assist individuals and families engaged in agriculture, agricultural-related processes, or home economics activities. Demonstrate procedures and apply research findings to solve problems; and instruct and train in product development, sales, and the use of machinery and equipment to promote general welfare. Includes county agricultural agents, feed and farm management advisors, home economists, and extension service advisors.
On the job, you would:
Collect and evaluate data to determine community program needs.
Prepare and distribute leaflets, pamphlets, and visual aids for educational and informational purposes.
Conduct classes or deliver lectures on subjects such as nutrition, home management, and farming techniques.
Education and Training
teaching and course design
Arts and Humanities
English language
Business
customer service
management
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
food production
Basic Skills
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
talking to others
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Verbal
communicate by speaking
listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
Attention
pay attention to something without being distracted
do two or more things at the same time
Math
add, subtract, multiply, or divide
People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
Dependability
Integrity
Adaptability/Flexibility
Independence
Initiative
Cooperation
You might use software like this on the job:
Internet browser software
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Web browser software
Map creation software
ESRI ArcGIS software
Geographic information system GIS software
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
master's degree or bachelor's degree usually needed
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