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:
Instruct and advise individuals and families engaged in agriculture, agricultural-related processes, or home management activities. Demonstrate procedures and apply research findings to advance agricultural and home management activities. May develop educational outreach programs. May instruct on either agricultural issues such as agricultural processes and techniques, pest management, and food safety, or on home management issues such as budgeting, nutrition, and child development.
On the job, you would:
Advise farmers and demonstrate techniques in areas such as feeding and health maintenance of livestock, growing and harvesting practices, and financial planning.
Conduct classes or deliver lectures on subjects such as nutrition, home management, and farming techniques.
Collaborate with producers to diagnose and prevent management and production problems.
Education and Training
teaching and course design
Arts and Humanities
English language
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
food production
Business
customer service
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
make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
order or arrange things
Memory
remember words, numbers, pictures, or steps
Attention
do two or more things at the same time
People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
Dependability
Cooperation
Initiative
Adaptability/Flexibility
Integrity
Attention to Detail
You might use software like this on the job:
Geographic information system
ESRI ArcGIS software
Geographic information system GIS software
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Internet browser software
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Web browser software
master's degree or bachelor's degree usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
In the military:
see titles from the Army or Marine Corps.
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