Austin Brown began his career with North Carolina Cooperative Extension in 2016 when he was hired as the Camden County Agriculture Agent. He has served Camden County in this role since, and has also taken on administrative responsibilities being named the County Extension Director in February of 2020. Austin consistently strives to keep his work at the forefront of emerging issues in the agricultural community. In his role Austin works closely with the farmers of Camden County, other Extension personnel, and the agriculture community at large to meet needs and provide impactful programs.
Austin annually hosts crop production meetings that focus on corn, soybean, wheat, and Irish potato production, which are all vital to the agriculture industry in Camden County. These meetings help farmers stay up to date on new farming practices, pest control measures, and research being conducted by Extension specialists and agents. He also teaches pesticide safety education classes, conducts on-farm research with Camden County farmers, writes the Camden Crop News newsletter series, and provides on-farm diagnostic support to promote the profitability and sustainability of Camden farms.
Austin’s work with the Northeast Ag Expo team, which includes Extension personnel from Camden, Currituck, Chowan, Gates, Pasquotank, and Perquimans Counties, has helped to reach over 1,981 farmers and industry personnel with the two field days that they organize annually. These field days are held in February and July for the farmers and agriculture industry of the region, and showcase crop research implemented by Extension personnel.
In addition to agricultural responsibilities, Austin oversees staff development and the entire Extension program in Camden as the County Extension Director. Along with Extension staff, he helps to support youth programs and community events. Austin is dedicated to this community, the farmers, and our agricultural future which will enable Camden County’s agribusiness to continue to thrive.