Farm And Home Management Advisors

Farm and Home Management Advisors

Description

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.

Tasks

Collaborate with producers in order to diagnose and prevent management and production problems.
Conduct classes or deliver lectures on subjects such as nutrition, home management, and farming techniques.
Advise farmers and demonstrate techniques in areas such as feeding and health maintenance of livestock, growing and harvesting practices, and financial planning.
Research information requested by farmers.
Prepare and distribute leaflets, pamphlets, and visual aids for educational and informational purposes.
Collect and evaluate data in order to determine community program needs.
Maintain records of services provided and the effects of advice given.
Schedule and make regular visits to farmers.
Organize, advise, and participate in community activities and organizations such as county and state fair events and 4-H Clubs.
Collaborate with social service and health care professionals in order to advise individuals and families on home management practices such as budget planning, meal preparation, and time management.
Conduct field demonstrations of new products, techniques, or services.
Conduct agricultural research, analyze data, and prepare research reports.
Act as an advocate for farmers or farmers' groups.
Provide direct assistance to farmers by performing activities such as purchasing or selling products and supplies, supervising properties, and collecting soil and herbage samples for testing.
Set and monitor production targets.

Knowledge

Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Food Production: Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Work Activities

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Work Context

Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment: How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?

Interests

Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Work Style

Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Leadership: Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Work Values

Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Related Occupations

Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

Economists

Dietitians and Nutritionists

Dietetic Technicians

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Agricultural Crop and Horticultural Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Animal Husbandry and Animal Care Workers

Lay Titles

4-H Youth Development Specialist

Agent

Agricultural Agent

Agricultural Extension Agent

Agricultural Extension Educator

Agriculture Consultant

Cooperative Extension Agent

County Agent

County Agricultural Agent

County Demonstrator

County Extension Agent

County Home Demonstration Agent

County Home Demonstrator

County Supervisor

Demonstrator

District Extension Service Agent

Energy Audit Advisor

Extension Agent

Extension Educator

Extension Service Advisor

Extension Service Specialist

Extension Service Supervisor

Extension Specialist

Extension Worker

Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent

Family Development Extension Specialist

Family Life Field Specialist

Family Resource Management Extension Specialist

Farm Adviser

Farm Agent

Farm Business Management Agent

Farm Consultant

Farm Demonstrator

Farm Management Adviser

Farm Management Specialist

Farm Management Supervisor

Farm Service Adviser

Farm Service Consultant

Feed Adviser

Feed and Farm Management Adviser

Feed Management Advisor

Four-H Agent

Four-H Club Agent

Future Farmers of America Advisor (FFA Advisor)

Home Advisor

Home Demonstration Agent

Home Economics Expert

Home Economics Extension Worker

Home Economist

Home Management Supervisor

Home Service Adviser

Home Service Consultant

Home Service Director

Home Supervisor

Marine Extension Agent

Natural Resources Extension Educator

Professor

Watershed Management Specialist

Youth Development Extension Agent

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $22.48 hourly, $46,760 annual.

Employment (2008):: 11,060 employees