Greene County has a new farm management specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.
Jefferson resident Alexis Stevens previously served as the Boone County Extension Director and she explains why she chose to make the transition to farm management specialist.
“The county directors are really going a lot of different directions. So they’re doing things with the community, and economic development, and 4-H and youth, and human sciences, and the ag. And so being a farm management specialist allows me to focus a little bit more just in ag. But there’s so many aspects of that job that I’ll still be going a lot of different directions.”
Stevens responsibilities as a farm management specialist include leading the Women in Ag program series, farmland leasing, farm succession planning, and the beginning farmers program. She also has an 11-county region, including Greene, Carroll, Crawford, Manona, Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, Guthrie, Calhoun, Sac and Ida counties. Stevens talks about what she is most excited about with her new position.
“I am really looking forward to the opportunity to do some succession planning and transition planning. That is something that’s kind of near and dear to my heart is that next generation of producers and farmers do not need to struggle and worry, and we can let the ones that want to retire, they can retire, and know that it’s safe in the next generation’s hands and everything’s going to be okay.”
Stevens’ main office is with the Greene County Extension Office in Jefferson.