DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Alex Deason
Alex Deason
For the past five years, Alex Deason has served as an Extension Agent in Sunflower County, specializing in 4-H, agriculture, and natural resources.
“My duty is to address the needs of Sunflower and Washington counties by providing research-based information and educational programs to better equip and inform residents,” Alex said.
He further explained that he and his team achieve this goal by conducting various workshops held at the office, during field days, at farms and homes for face-to-face visits and sharing information through various types of media, including newspapers and social media.
“I really love that no two days are ever the same,” he said. “There is no typical day for any one of us; we have all learned to prepare for the unexpected.”
Alex goes from traveling to look at a homeowner’s lawn to answering a phone call on cattle nutrition to standing in a corn field monitoring moisture sensors, sometimes all in one day.
“Only people in Extension understand the variability in a day,” Alex said “Extension serves all 82 counties with the purpose of extending knowledge and changing lives. Even though not all counties offer the same programs, we all aid in enhancing and sustaining Mississippi’s agriculture industry, providing health awareness to MS families, molding the next generation of leaders through 4-H, and promoting community growth through education.”
He said that his favorite part of his job is that he can find specialists for almost any topic anyone would want to know something about. For instance, if someone had an inquiry on a rose bush, soybean disease, or wildlife issue he has a wide range of people who can offer their expertise.
“Not only do you have other agents, but you have people on campus or on a research station that can add to the conversation too,” he said. “Also, clients don’t have to sit in a classroom to learn something new; the informal setting allows me to reach across generational gaps to get the same message across.”
Alex grew up knowing about the Extension Service through 4-H. He said he now works with some of the best and brightest youth in the state and helps educate Mississippians so that they are better informed to make decisions that will positively impact their life.
“You must be a diverse educator to cross generational gaps and move knowledge into the lives of everyone. One last, but extremely important, trait that everyone in the county must possess is trustworthiness,” Alex said. “The people out seeking knowledge must be able to trust you and your word. The relationships that you form in the counties help spread your knowledge and soon everyone will know where to find a reliable source of information.”
Editor's note: The Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Spotlight Employee profiles are provided by the Office of Agricultural Communications at Mississippi State. For more information, please click here.
