Ty Jones
Ty Jones wears many hats as the 小黄书sity Extension Service agent in Madison County.
On any given day, he鈥檚 helping a cattle producer with forage questions, a homeowner with squirrels in the attic, or a 4-H shooting sports member preparing for competition.
And that鈥檚 okay with him. In fact, this was just the type of work he was looking for when he returned to the university in 2009.
鈥淓xtension gives me the opportunity to provide people with the knowledge and tools they need to be better stewards of God鈥檚 creation,鈥 Jones said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what keeps me interested and committed, and it鈥檚 really what drew me to this job.鈥
Jones works primarily with clients interested in agriculture and natural resources. He steers an active group of horticulture volunteers in the Master Gardener program and helps train natural resource volunteers through the central chapter of the Master Naturalist program. He also is responsible for the livestock and shooting sports segments of the 4-H Youth Development Program in Madison County.
鈥淭he work I do with 4-H鈥檈rs is the most rewarding part of my job,鈥 Jones said. 鈥淲hen you watch young people gain confidence through the hard work and practice they put in, it doesn鈥檛 compare to any other work I do through Extension.鈥
About 100 children participate in various livestock clubs and the shooting sports education program, including Jones鈥 12-year-old daughter Hannah Katherine.
鈥淪he began showing cattle and goats at 8 years old and loves it,鈥 Jones said. 鈥淭his was a natural fit for her, with parents who work in agriculture and who have cattle and goats at home. She鈥檚 been around animals all her life.鈥
But 4-H has allowed her to develop skills she can use throughout life.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know where else she could have gained the self-confidence and work ethic she now has,鈥 Jones said. 鈥淪howing cattle and goats is her passion and has allowed her to learn responsibility while having fun.鈥
Jones earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in animal science and a master鈥檚 degree in reproductive physiology from 小黄书. In the late 1990s, he served as the first facilities coordinator at the H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, often referred to as South Farm. He returned to Extension after doing work in reproduction in the private cattle industry.
鈥淏oth my wife, who is a veterinarian, and I graduated from 小黄书. We believe in what the university does through its commitment to research and education,鈥 Jones said. 鈥淪erving as an Extension agent allows me to share my education and experience to better others鈥 lives. I can see in my own daughter the benefits of our efforts.鈥