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Agriculture/Environmental Consultant

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Explore Being an Agriculture/Environmental Consultant with David Legg

cz:Briefly describe your job. 


Until 2005 I worked for the United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). I was responsible for all agency programs in south Florida, operated ten offices and supervised thirty-seven employees. The agency develops partnerships with local, state and other federal agencies and implements cost share programs to improve the natural resources on private lands. I used my training and expertise to retire early and begin a second career as a consultant.

Since retirement I am an Agriculture/Environmental consultant specializing in Best Management Practice (BMPs) implementation. I am under contract to develop and operate a state cost share program that provides incentive money to improve farm water quality for the nursery industry in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Currently I have in excess of sixty clients.

cz:How long have you been working in this field? 


Thirty–seven years. I began my career in 1969 as a Student Trainee while I was still in college. I retired from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in 2005 but continue to work with agriculture on environmental issues as a consultant.

cz:When and how did you decide to choose this career?


I was raised on a ranch in Okalahoma and I knew that I wanted to work in the agriculture or environmental field but did not have the financial backing to purchase a ranch. I was introduced to USDA-NRCS, then called Soil Conservation Service (SCS), during freshman orientation in college. My college professor had previously worked for USDA-SCS and provided information on the agency. The local field office staff in my home town had been to the ranch that my Dad managed so I knew a little about the type of work that they did. I filled out an application for summer employment and was hired for the summer of 1969. I continued and worked every summer at a different location within the state and in March of 1972 was given notice to report to work at El Reno, OK upon graduation.

cz:What education and training did you receive before entering your field? 


I have a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture with a major in Range Management. Most agriculture and natural resource management degrees qualify for the agency but agronomic and soils courses are required.

cz:How did you begin OR what was your first job in the field? 


My first job was as a Student Trainee at the Poteau Field Office in eastern Oklahoma.

cz:Describe a typical day on the job?


I worked at fourteen locations within Oklahoma and Florida so typical is pretty hard to describe. I was a Student Trainee at four locations for four summers, a soil Conservationists at two locations for three years, a District Conservationist at three locations for thirteen years, an Area Resource Conservationist at two locations for three years, a Range Conservationist at one location for eight years, a Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator a one location for three years and an Assistant State Conservationist at one location for five years.

In my early career I would normally assist with land surveys needed to apply conservation practices to land. Later I provided on farm technical assistance to landowner by planning with the land user conservation practices (Best Management Practices) for their individual farm or ranch. Later I served as District Conservationist with my own Field Office staff and directed the operations of the local in developing an implementing conservation plans.

At one point as Resource Conservation & Development Coordinator I worked in an eleven county area to help coordinate local governments in conservation and environmental efforts.

I later worked up to Area Resource Conservationist and was responsible for training and quality assurance in a ten county area in Oklahoma. In 1989 I transferred to Florida as Area Resource Conservationist to provide similar services to twelve counties is south Florida. In 1990 I began working in the West Palm Beach Field Office to take on the challenges of the Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA) with their BMPs implementation. This involved one-on-one consultation with farmers in determining what practices (BMPs) was best suited for their farms for water quality improvements.

In 2000 I was promoted to Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operation and responsible for the implementation of All USDA-NRCS programs in south Florida. This involved the supervision and management of nine field offices and the supervision of all area office staff including resource conservationists, grazing lands specialists, biologists, soil scientists, engineers, engineering technicians and support staff.

cz:What do you like most about what you do? 


Probably the most gratifying part of the job is to see conservation BMPs being applied to the landscape and knowing that I have a part of making the environment a better place.

cz:What do you like least about your job? 


Managing the budget and dealing with constant program changes delivered from the Washington DC headquarters.

cz:What has been the most rewarding experience so far in your career? 


I really enjoy recruiting and hiring new employees and seeing them develop and begin to be promoted within the agency. When an employee that I recruited or helped to train would be promoted to a level above me it made my day.

cz:What is the biggest challenge for you in this job? 


Trying to get the most job performance out of federal employees while not given enough authority to discipline and reward appropriately.

cz:What would you like to say to someone considering this career? 


It is a great career with a lot of opportunity to change positions within the agency to find the exact niche for your skills. Once in the agency as an employee there are many career paths to consider. The salary is good and there are a lot of on-the-job benefits. If after working for USDA-NRCS one should decide to seek other employment the skills gained by working for the agency will prove valuable in the job market.

cz:What are the most important personal and professional skills necessary to succeed in your field? 


A strong work ethic, people skills, professional training within the agency and flexibility are essential for success. There is constant change and a person must be able to adjust to the changes.

cz:What would a person interested in entering this field have to do to get a good job in it? 


If a person is in high school or college contact the State Office, Human Resource Manager in whatever state they would like to work. In Florida the State Office is in Gainesville. Ask about trainee and intern programs. All vacancies are listed at www.usajobs.gov and on individual state web sites. All states will have the same web address except for the state abbreviation. For instance Florida is www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov

cz:What could someone who is interested in this field do to learn more about it right now? 


Contact your local USDA-NRCS Field Office and ask for an appointment with the District Conservationist. This person can inform you of current job opportunities and discuss the requirements of the job. Search the web for jobs and review the job descriptions. Volunteer at your local USDA-NRCS office to gain job skills and to understand the daily operations of an office.

cz:Is there any general advice you would like to offer to students on making a career choice or on work life itself? 


A person should try to find a career that meets their emotion needs more than just looking at a top salary. Job satisfaction is more important than money. Also, look for flexibility and do not be afraid to take a risk and change positions within a government agency. A position change develops character and increases knowledge. I worked in fourteen positions within one federal agency.

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