LIVE OAK, Fla. — When the Suwannee County Extension Office had an opening for a commercial crops agent, it was almost too good to be true for De Broughton.

The Suwannee County native had been interested in joining the UF/IFAS extension office previously, but when the position included her interest it was a no-brainer for Broughton.

“I felt like it just seemed like it was perfect for me, almost just set up for me,” Broughton said Friday as she finished up her second week as the office’s commercial crops agent. “Like, ‘Hey De, come and apply for this job.’ It just seemed ideal for what my interests and my background and my skills are.

“I’m hoping it works out very well and that it’s a smooth transition.”

Helping Broughton in that effort for a smooth transition is her background growing up on a commercial crop farm right here in Suwannee County. Add in her agronomy degree from the University of Florida as well as 11 years of teaching experience and Broughton believes the job is the perfect combination of her skills and experience.

“It’s very specific to commercial crops and that’s exactly what my interests are, that’s what my experience is, that’s what my degree is in,” she said. “So those two kind of fit this field kind of perfectly.”

Even though she believed the job was the almost designed specifically for her, Broughton admitted to being nervous before she started.

Spending the past 11 years as a teacher, first teaching agriculture at the high school before switching to science classes, Broughton wasn’t sure what it would like to be back in an actual field.

But that has quickly become the favorite part of her new job.

“That’s the best part so far,” Broughton said. “It’s been getting out and meeting farmers. And seeing people face to face and getting that hand’s-on exposure. To me, it’s what I look forward to the most.

“It’s funny that I was more concerned about that but I’m trying to find ways to do more of that.”

Broughton hopes to help farmers — those who have agronomic row crops like corn or peanuts, or even wheat and some cereal grains as well as vegetables — in various ways.

It could be a visit to a farmer’s field to help address a concern with a crop — like joining Bob Hochmuth on a farm visit her very first day on the job where they discovered a disease on the crop. It could be through presentations on some of the new technologies that could help farmers be more precise — such as soil moisture probes that will allow farmers to know whether or not their crops need irrigation, or even the use of drones to see stress levels on plants. Or it could come through her position on the Suwannee County Conservation Board, helping farmers navigate the increased scrutiny on water conservation.

Whatever it is, Broughton just wants to provide a helping hand.

“To me that’s the most important thing is making and building those relationships so they can trust that I really want to help them,” she said. “I really do want to help them in whatever way that I can. that’s what I’m here for and that’s what my job is.”