Extension

Daniel Adamson draws from his experience as a crop advisor to meet with Oklahoma producers, listen to their challenges and provide valuable feedback. (Photo by Mitchell Alcala, OSU Agriculture)

 

Daniel Adamson joined Oklahoma State University Extension as a soil and water conservation specialist in September 2024. He is also an assistant professor in the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

 

With a background in agronomy and certified crop advising, Adamson focuses on soil health, conservation and sustainability.

 

“I’ve had a chance to see 75% of the state so far, and I’m getting up to speed on how people farm here and what’s important,” he said. “There’s a lot of talk about soil health from academics, federal and state governments, and local conservation groups, but we have to back it all up with science. We want to confirm what people are doing and seeing in the field with good data, and that’s what OSU and my program can offer.”

 

Adamson grew up on a cow-calf ranch in southern Wyoming and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agronomy from the University of Wyoming. He launched his career in crop advising in northern Colorado, inspiring him to pursue a role in Extension.

 

“I was knocking on people’s doors, talking to farmers and recommending things to them – communications skills I hadn’t developed through my master’s degree,” he said. “As a young person, I learned how to sustain a conversation, listen to what they need and provide valuable feedback.”

 

Adamson later returned to the University of Wyoming to receive a doctorate in soil science. Now as an Extension specialist, he’s interested in helping producers adopt practical management practices that improve farm functionality and sustainability.

 

In addition to his primary Extension responsibilities, he hopes to increase land judging participation among 4-H youth and FFA students in Oklahoma. He coaches OSU’s land judging team, known at the collegiate level as soils judging, and is assisting with coordination of the 2025 state and national FFA land judging contests.

 

Adamson has enjoyed working with Master Gardeners groups in several counties since last fall, and he is interested in learning more about urban soils.

 

He also inherited a well-established onsite wastewater management Extension program that collaborates with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to provide continuing education to soil testers, septic pumpers and septic installation professionals. He plans to conduct research in onsite wastewater in the future.