Director of Jefferson Farm & Gardens Extension and Education Center and Field Specialist in Agr

Hiring Department

The University of Missouri (MU) Office of Extension and Engagement

MU Extension’s Agriculture and Environment program

MU Extension’s Agriculture Business and Policy program



Job Description


MU

TITLE:

Assistant/Associate/Full Extension Professional

LOCATION: Columbia, Missouri with additional service across the state as needed.

Overview Of Responsibilities

Jefferson Farm & Gardens is a 67-acre educational farm operated by MU Extension in Columbia, Missouri. It is a public teaching and demonstration site where agriculture, horticulture, food systems, youth education, natural resources, environmental education, and community engagement come together. The site serves youth, families, producers, entrepreneurs, community partners, faculty, staff, and visitors from across Missouri.

This position has two connected responsibilities. First, the person serves as Director of Jefferson Farm & Gardens and is responsible for the daily operation, management, visibility, and long-term success of the site. Second, the person serves as an Extension agricultural business specialist. In that role, the person uses the farm’s high-value crops, gardens, food systems, facilities, and public programs as real examples to help producers, landowners, food-system entrepreneurs, and beginning entrepreneurs learn how agricultural businesses can be planned, launched, managed, marketed, and sustained.

Together, these responsibilities make Jefferson Farm & Gardens both a well-run public education site and a practical place to teach agricultural business development, food systems, Agri-entrepreneurship, producer education, and community engagement.

Director of Jefferson Farm & Gardens

The Director of Jefferson Farm & Gardens leads one of MU Extension’s premier public education and demonstration sites. The director serves as the on-site leader and farm manager. This includes responsibility for the farm, gardens, grounds, facilities, equipment, livestock areas, demonstration spaces, classrooms, and event areas. The director keeps these areas safe, attractive, useful, and ready for public programs.

The director coordinates educational programs, manages facilities and grounds, supports partnerships, oversees public use of the site, and expands learning opportunities that support MU Extension priorities. Group reservations are managed through a campus wide online system, with partial event management support provided by a campus-based team.

A key part of this role is helping Extension specialists, faculty, and program teams use Jefferson Farm & Gardens as a place to teach, demonstrate, host events, conduct applied work, and connect with Missourians.

The director supervises the daily work of farm support staff, including student, volunteer, and seasonal employees. The director also oversees equipment maintenance; coordinates needed goods and services from vendors and contractors and prepares the Jefferson Farm & Gardens operations budget for approval.

Agricultural Business Specialist Emphasis

The academic and program focus of this position is agricultural business, food systems, and Agri-entrepreneurship. The specialist uses Jefferson Farm & Gardens as a living classroom to show how high-value agricultural and food-based enterprises can move from idea to production, business planning, marketing, customer engagement, financial management, and long-term success.

This work connects the crops, gardens, food systems, demonstrations, and events at Jefferson Farm & Gardens to practical business models that beginning farmers, specialty crop producers, small-scale entrepreneurs, food-system entrepreneurs, and community partners can understand and use. The goal is to help people see not only how to grow or produce something, but also…