During mid-late September, Dr. Troy Rowan and I set out on a week-long trip around West Tennessee. As state beef specialists based out of Knoxville, it is rare for us to get over that way for any appreciable amount of time. We decided to make the most of our trip by lining up several Master Beef Producer meetings, farm visits, and field days. The week was filled with the essence of Extension work: gathering feedback from producers and county agents, providing educational programs, and facilitating discussion about how to improve the livelihood and profitability of farmers.

UT Extension’s mission is to “help Tennesseans improve their quality of life and solve problems through the application of research and evidence-based knowledge about agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, and community development.” You may have seen the trademark phrase “Real. Life. Solutions.” We cannot provide those solutions without directly interfacing with the clientele that we serve.

So, we set out on a Monday to travel to a Master Beef Producer meeting that comprised participants from three counties. On Tuesday, a few county agents brought together some local row crop and cattle producers for an informal discussion about issues they face and ideas they have. This particular meeting resulted in several ideas for on-farm research and fostered discussion about genetics, forages, nutrition, and even farm financial planning. Over the rest of the trip, we had the opportunity to visit with several commercial cattle and seedstock producers who kindly showcased their operations. Another Master Beef Producer meeting for each of us on Thursday night, and Friday we rounded out our trip in Spring Hill. The Beef and Forage Field Day at the Middle Tennessee REC gave us the opportunity to highlight ongoing research and Extension programming and visit with many producers, agents, and stakeholders.

Driving home Friday evening, I was exhausted… “peopled out” as I like to call it, due to my introverted nature. But as I reflected on the time that I’d spent over the week making connections and learning more about West Tennessee, I was reminded of how much I love this job. I am lucky to be able to get out from behind my desk, see more of the state, meet friendly people, and check out some great cattle and pastures. I am always grateful to make connections across Tennessee and find new ways to serve producers through my Extension programming.

To satisfy my own curiosity, I roughed out some stats from our trip: 5 days, 850 (give or take) miles, visits in 10+ counties, and upwards of 200 contacts. I’m happy to be back at my desk for a brief time, sorting through emails and taking care of tasks that weren’t prioritized while traveling. But I can honestly say, the week in West Tennessee was one of my favorite weeks on the job so far. I look forward to more of those types of interactions as I continue my career as a specialist.

This article isn’t about nutrition; rather, it’s about the day-to-day work of Extension and what that means to me. Whether it’s delivering a Master Beef program, visiting a farm, fielding nutrition questions, or clocking windshield time, I truly wouldn’t want to have another job.