Ashley Osborne: Extension Specialist for 4-H Youth Development

Ashley Osborne is the Extension Specialist for 4-H Youth Development and has been for the past 7 years. Prior to that, Ashley was an Extension Associate for Environmental and Natural Resources Issues at the University of Kentucky for 13 years. Her main job as an Extension Specialist is to provide leadership in 4-H agriculture and natural resources programming, and each day is different.

Ashley offers in-service training for 4-H agents and program assistants in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, which can include subjects such as gardening and livestock training or water quality. Ashley also creates or adapts curricula for agents and volunteers to use in their counties, writes grants to secure project funding, and coordinates state-level 4-H programs, such as the Kentucky 4-H Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Academy. Her job allows her to do all this and more with people from all across Kentucky agriculture, from forestry to entomology and everything in between!

Ashley grew up in agriculture, and that cemented a love for it at an early age. Her grandparents owned 5 acres and grew tobacco and a garden. Her first paying job was pulling tobacco plants, and in 7th grade, she attended a 4-H presentation on showing cattle. That catapulted Ashley's love of agriculture to the moon, and she soon met with her county's FFA advisor and began taking agriculture classes.

Ashley went on to receive a BS in agriculture with a minor in agronomy from Eastern KY University; and an MS in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Kentucky. She also has a certificate in environmental education from the Kentucky Environmental Education Council.

"Take the time to really explore all the different career opportunities in agriculture, even if it means just job shadowing and not getting paid. It can really pay off in the long run. Soak up all the information you can in your classes and take advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom to get hands-on experiences."