This position is located in West Central Alabama
Regional Extension Agent – SET 3
Program Priority Areas: Commercial Horticulture (75%), and Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests (25%).
Geographic Area: West Alabama region, serving Choctaw, Marengo, Wilcox, Dallas, Perry, Hale, Sumter, Greene, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa counties.
Responsibilities: Programming from these two teams is diverse, covering agricultural production of commercial fruits, vegetables, turf/lawns, ornamental nursery crops, greenhouse crops, and advising management of these plants in residential landscapes and gardens. Both teams promote safe environments through best management practices and the appropriate use of pest management products. Producers need these management tools to support a business profit while consumers need them for their enjoyment of private property.
The REA will utilize all available/emerging technologies in their educational efforts as well as more traditional methods such as newsletters, news articles, workshops/group meetings, demonstrations and farm/home visits. The REA will participate in grant writing and the activities supporting applied research/demonstrations that benefit local clientele. REAs will assist team leaders in project outcome and impact evaluations as assigned. Participating in regional and state horticulture associations, and other groups representing horticulture, is important for all REAs. This develops their reputation as an educational leader with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
The Master Gardener volunteer program is a responsibility within the Home Grounds team. REA’s coordinate volunteer training classes, and work with County Extension Coordinators (CECs) to guide volunteer efforts in public programming. Commercial Horticulture programs support the need for global food security and growing farm profits for both experienced and beginning farmers, along with educational support to the ornamental and landscape industry through the Alabama Green Industry Training Center.
Team Descriptions: Regional Extension Agents (REAs), Urban Regional Extension Agents (UREAs), County Extension Coordinators (CECs), and Specialists form the core of the Commercial Horticulture and Home Grounds Extension teams. This REA will participate as a cohesive team member working with local clientele, advisory groups, volunteers, and other interested parties to determine regional needs for programming. As a team member, the REA will partner with other REA’s and CEC’s to provide educational leadership in planning, implementing, evaluating, and reporting the horticulture programs conducted in the region.
