The Agricultural Economics Department at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, is seeking a motivated Agriculture Extension Associate in Lexington, KY. This role supports specialty crop producers through workshops, webinars, technical assistance, and data-driven resources — contributing to the Center for Crop Diversification’s programs in direct-to-consumer sales, local food systems, and CSA innovation.
Application Deadline: July 1, 2026 — Early applications strongly encouraged. Interviews may be scheduled before the closing date.
About Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment
Institution: University of Kentucky — Lexington, KY, USA
Department: Agricultural Economics — farm-to-fork food systems and economic development
Program Focus: Center for Crop Diversification, Market Ready Programming, CSA Innovation
Mission: The University of, for, and with Kentucky — serving communities statewide
Culture: Collaborative, community-driven team valuing growth, recognition, and professional development
Career Opportunity & Why University of Kentucky
Strategic Role: Directly support Kentucky’s specialty crop producers and local food economy
Mentoring: Formal mentoring program and dedicated staff development fund for skill building
Benefits: Exceptional university benefits package with staff recognition programs
Impact: Work at the intersection of farm economics, food access, and sustainable agriculture
Position Overview
The Agriculture Extension Associate at the University of Kentucky plays a hands-on role in supporting specialty crop producers across Kentucky through workshops, webinars, training sessions, and technical outreach. Based in Lexington, this position contributes directly to the Center for Crop Diversification — managing enterprise budgets, price reporting, data management, and impact tracking across direct-to-consumer and intermediary sales channels. The role also drives Market Ready programming and CSA innovation projects, collaborating with university, farm, Extension, wellness, and national partners to strengthen Kentucky’s local food systems from the ground up.
Why This Role Matters: As Agriculture Extension Associate at UK, you directly strengthen Kentucky’s local food economy by supporting real farmers with real tools and data. You will lead workshops and webinars that reach specialty crop producers statewide, manage impactful programs for direct-to-consumer food systems and CSA innovation, work within one of America’s most respected land-grant university agriculture colleges, and build a meaningful career at the intersection of food systems, economics, and community development.
Key Responsibilities
Specialty Crop Producer Support & Outreach
- Support specialty crop producers through targeted workshops, webinars, training sessions, and one-on-one technical assistance
- Develop and distribute outreach materials and data-driven resources that help producers make informed business decisions
- Contribute to Center for Crop Diversification programs addressing both direct-to-consumer and intermediary agricultural sales channels
- Build strong working relationships with farmers, cooperatives, and producer networks across Kentucky
Data Management & Program Coordination
- Manage and maintain accurate price reporting systems, enterprise budgets, and data management tools for producers
- Track program impact and outcomes to support evidence-based Extension programming and grant reporting requirements
- Coordinate project logistics across multiple programs simultaneously while meeting deadlines and quality standards
- Maintain data systems that support producers in measuring profitability and market performance across sales channels
Market Ready & CSA Innovation Programming
- Support Market Ready programming that prepares specialty crop producers to access new and expanded sales markets
- Drive CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) innovation projects in collaboration with university, farm, and wellness partners
- Collaborate with national partners to bring best practices and emerging food systems research to Kentucky producers
- Identify and respond to evolving producer needs in direct marketing, food safety compliance, and consumer engagement
Collaborative Team & Extension Programming
- Work comfortably within a collaborative team environment across university departments, Extension offices, and community partners
- Contribute to ongoing Extension programming that serves the agricultural community from farm to fork statewide
- Support the Agricultural Economics department’s broader mission around environmental, food system, and economic development goals
- Engage with university, farm, and national stakeholders to coordinate programming, resources, and shared outcomes
Qualifications & Requirements
Experience Requirements
- Demonstrated experience in local food systems, direct-to-consumer agricultural sales, and/or Extension programming
- Background working with specialty crop producers, farmers markets, CSAs, or farm-to-institution programs is highly valued
- Experience with data management, enterprise budgeting, or agricultural price reporting is a strong advantage
Essential Skills
- Strong comfort working within a collaborative, cross-functional team environment involving multiple institutional partners
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for producer-facing training, outreach materials, and stakeholder reporting
- Ability to manage multiple projects and programming priorities simultaneously with strong organisational skills
- Analytical capability to work with production data, impact metrics, and enterprise-level farm financial information
- Genuine commitment to supporting Kentucky’s farming communities and local food economy through practical Extension work
Why Join the University of Kentucky?
- Exceptional university benefits package covering health, retirement, and employee wellbeing programs
- Formal mentoring programme to support your professional development from day one
- Access to a dedicated staff development fund for continued learning and career skill building
- Staff recognition programmes that celebrate your contributions to the university and community mission
- A shared commitment to making UK the University of, for, and with Kentucky — serving people, not just institutions
- Tobacco and drug-free campus environment committed to equal opportunity for all employees
About University of Kentucky — Martin-Gatton CAFE
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky is a nationally recognised land-grant college dedicated to exploring the full farm-to-fork food system, environmental and natural resource management, and local and international economic development. The Agricultural Economics department drives applied research and Extension programming that delivers real, measurable impact for Kentucky farmers, rural communities, and food system stakeholders across the state and beyond.
Career Excellence: Join a world-class land-grant university and build a meaningful career in food systems, specialty crop extension, and agricultural economic development.
Who Should Apply?
- Extension Professionals: With hands-on programming experience in local food, specialty crops, or agricultural economics
- Agricultural Economists: Seeking an applied, community-facing role supporting Kentucky’s farm-to-fork food systems
- Food Systems Practitioners: With experience in direct-to-consumer sales, CSA programs, or farm market development
- University Researchers: Wanting to translate food systems knowledge into practical, producer-facing Extension impact
- Agriculture Graduates: With data management skills and a passion for supporting specialty crop producers and rural communities
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