Careers in Sustainable Agriculture

The University of Kentucky’s Sustainable Ag undergraduate program has enough history and has produced enough graduates to learn that our program prepares students for a broad range of careers. Almost all graduates have found work in the area of sustainable agriculture shortly after graduating. The careers selected by SAG graduates documents the success of the SAG program and curriculum, and the ambitions and interests of our students. The fact that SAG students have a strong and diverse science foundation and also leave the program with practical experience in farming (production and marketing) opens up a broad range of career choices, including farming and allied business, non-profit organizations, government organizations, and graduate school.  

Recent SAG graduates are now working in: agriculture (farming, extension and crop consulting); non-profit/community ventures; and, in graduate school.

Here are some specific examples:

Extension:  working as a county extension agent, focusing on horticulture

                   Extension associate helping to manage sustainable ag and beginning farmer projects

Non-Profit: integrating community gardening into a social services agency for women

Farming:    certified crop advisor for large cropping operation in central Kentucky

                   family farming operation in western Kentucky

Grad School: Ag Engineering – dairy systems environmental management

                        Nutrition sciences