SULLIVAN COUNTY - Each year, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Sullivan County hosts an Agricultural Career Fair to help connect farm businesses with interested and skilled employees looking for work in the agriculture field.

Due to COVID-19, the event was canceled last year, typically hosted at SUNY Sullivan in April. This year, as with so many other shifts in our world, the job seeking has moved heavily digital. CCE Sullivan County seeks to assist this transition with a Virtual Career Fair, with a several week campaign promoting local agricultural jobs to those seeking employment.

Nationwide, we are seeing a severe labor shortage. In the most recent jobs report from the US Department of Labor, in April the country saw an increase in hiring, concentrated in certain sectors like hospitality, while unemployment edged upwards.

There is a confluence of things occurring in the market, including a sudden demand for staff as businesses open all at once, continued complications with childcare options, and benefits that are not traditionally available.

This past year has a lot of people reconsidering their work and life. Disruptions in the conventional food supply chain have reminded people of the vital role of local food and buying direct from a farm. There are many opportunities for dynamic and fulfilling work in agriculture, right here in Sullivan County.

Visit the CCE Sullivan County website's Agricultural Career page to find up-to-date job postings from around the county: sullivancce.org/agriculture/agriculture-jobs.

Another resource for farm businesses seeking staffing is the New York Farmland Finder website - traditionally a land link service for farmers seeking land, or landowners seeking a farmer.

NYS Department of Ag & Markets and American Farmland Trust have collaborated to expand the service with a website that is a self-serve location for employers to list their job postings directly to a regional audience. Visit their Farm Jobs website at www.nyfarmlandfinder.org/jobsto list your job posting.

For more information about Sullivan County agricultural careers, contact CCE Sullivan County Agricultural Business Coordinator Ashley Tully at aet92@cornell.edu.