The Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Business Management Educator with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will have a two-fold focus involving research and programming in 1) commercial agriculture in Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties, and 2) Farm Business Management on a statewide basis. Commercial agriculture in Maine has a diversity of agricultural enterprises including vegetables, small fruits, apples and other tree fruit, dairy, beef, sheep and other livestock. Programming may include areas such as on-farm climate adaptation, IPM, farm business management, farm machinery and safety, livestock production, horticulture, and related topics. Educational programming will often be done in partnership with county-based colleagues and statewide specialists within Cooperative Extension. In support of Maine’s Farm Business Management challenges, the Educator will provide regional and statewide visionary leadership for research and program initiatives in support of Farm Business Management. The position will conduct applied research and scholarship in collaboration with colleagues within Cooperative Extension, University of Maine, and other relevant entities.

The Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Business Management Educator will provide programming in agriculture in the counties of Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo. The office location will be at either the Knox-Lincoln or Waldo County Extension office, or a local Extension office to be determined prior to start date. Hybrid work options are available upon discussion with the supervisor.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Designs, implements, evaluates, and communicates to stakeholders a Plan of Work that aligns with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension mission and addresses high priority issues in the Maine Food System specifically, sustainable agriculture and Farm Business Management.
• Oversees program development, coordination, teaching and evaluation for sustainable agriculture and Farm Business Management programming. This programming will use sound Extension methods and draws on the research base of the land-grant university and other credible sources of information that will enhance the knowledge and skills of community members, industry partners, and the academic community.
• Collaborates with appropriate statewide Extension Program Leadership Teams.
• Responds to horticulture requests for information and resources for Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo Counties.
• Develops, delivers and evaluates educational programs to address issues related to growing and marketing agricultural products, and to increase client knowledge and their capacity for applied learning.
• Develops, delivers and evaluates educational programs that improve the business skills required for sustainable agricultural businesses; share best practices and principles in this program area with Extension colleagues across the state.
• Develops, delivers and evaluates educational programs for New Farmers, utilizing the So, You Want to Farm in Maine? curriculum.
• Provides home horticulture outreach education with an emphasis on low-input, environmentally friendly practices for citizens in the two counties.
• Designs, implements, evaluates and communicates to clients a Plan of Work that aligns with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension mission and addresses high priority public issues in home horticulture and agriculture in Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo Counties.
• Seeks and acquires external funding to support applied research and scholarly work; effectively manages ongoing grants, contracts, and special funds.
• Builds and sustains relationships and collaborates with community partners, colleagues in Cooperative Extension, faculty and staff from other UMaine academic departments, and faculty and staff throughout regional University systems.
• Engages in applied research and disseminates the results. Partners as necessary and appropriate with fellow staff and colleagues.
• Interprets research findings on agriculture and Farm Business Management to incorporate into work with program teams and advisory groups.
• Designs and delivers workshops, short courses, newsletters, fact sheets, videos, and other electronic media that enhance client knowledge.
• Provides timely and accurate information in response to public requests for information.
• Communicates outcomes, impacts, and public values to a variety of audiences (including legislators, funders, consumers, and other decision makers).
• Compiles and submits reports as requested or required (Civil Rights, Program Impact, and Plan-of-Work).
• Seeks ways to reach underserved and under-represented community members while ensuring compliance with affirmative action, equal opportunity, and civil rights guidelines.
• Hires, trains, and supervises professionals, hourly, and/or student employees as appropriate, including conducting or participating in required performance evaluations, and providing safety and environmental management oversight.
• Assists in obtaining county funds to support the Knox-Lincoln, and Waldo County offices.
• Participates in UMaine Extension Knox-Lincoln, and Waldo County staff and Extension Association meetings as a member of the county staff as appropriate.
• Contributes skills and insights for effective office management in collaboration with co-workers. Serves as county coordinator and executive committee liaison on a rotating basis.
• Utilizes coaching and mentoring methods to create an environment that is anticipatory, supportive, and encourages constructive feedback on performance.
• Develops and maintains professional relationships that reflect courtesy, civility, and mutual respect.
• Commits to organizational improvement by identifying opportunities to improve and recommending possible alternatives.
• Performs other reasonably related duties as assigned.

Complete Job Announcement

The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu.

The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. As a former NSF ADVANCE institution, the University of Maine is committed to diversity in our workforce and to dual-career couples.

UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer here.

Required:

• Master's Degree with a focus in agriculture or closely related discipline.
• Approximately 3-5 years of experience working in agriculture.
• Experience in Farm Business Management programming and research.
• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, teach and evaluate educational programs for adult audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to acquire external funding.
• Demonstrated computer and educational technology skills.
• Ability to creatively solve problems and manage conflicts within groups.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to articulate clear goals.
• Ability to work both independently and as a productive member of a team.
• Evidence of understanding of and work in diversity, equity and inclusion as well as applying cultural competent practices.
• Work schedule flexibility to meet client and student needs.
• Ability to travel both in- and out-of-state, usually requiring a valid driver's license with reimbursement at the contract rate.

Preferred:

• Experience with Cooperative Extension educational program development, delivery and evaluation.
• Experience implementing programming using collaborative adult partnerships.
• Experience working with volunteers.
• Working knowledge of Cooperative Extension agriculture programming.
• Knowledge of or experience in grant writing.
• Knowledge and experience with Institutional Review Boards.
• Demonstrated experience with applied research and community needs assessments.
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse audiences and knowledge of equal opportunity, affirmative action and civil rights policies.
• Demonstrated successful supervisory experience.

1.) a cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position
2.) a resume/curriculum vitae
3.) contact information for three professional references

You will also need to submit the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status forms. Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.

Search Timeline is as follows:
Review of applications to begin: June 12, 2023
Screening interviews to begin no earlier than: June 26, 2023
On-site interviews to begin no earlier than: July 10, 2023
Tentative start date: Septemeber 1, 2023

For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair: Tori Jackson; tori.jackson@maine.edu.

The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5748 Boudreau Hall, Room 101, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207-581-1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).