Aaron Long describes himself as one of the biggest fans of the Mesonet. No, it’s not just because he works there.

“I had that app up every single day,” Long said. “Just looking at everything. What was the total rainfall?”

In July, Long was hired as Oklahoma State University Extension’s new Mesonet agricultural program specialist. But before assuming the title, Long was very familiar with the program. For the past two years, he worked as the irrigation manager for OSU’s campus landscape services department, where the Mesonet app was a mainstay in his daily planning.

“You become very tuned into the weather,” he said.

Long is just like other people in the state who rely on the Mesonet for their work.

Oklahoma Mesonet, a joint project launched by scientists at OSU and the University of Oklahoma, has been helping residents and producers in the state stay informed about weather events and make better agricultural decisions for more than three decades.

As Long steps into his new role, he hopes to further strengthen that connection.

“I care about service,” Long said. “I care about Oklahoma.”

Educating the public

When most producers meet Long, they assume his degree is in meteorology or agronomy.

Instead, Long’s degrees are in agricultural education and leadership, with a focus on conservation and environmental education.

“To teach agriculture, you have to at least take the general ag courses across all disciplines and understand how everything works together as a system,” Long explained. “I’m not just a specialist. I’m a generalist.”

Despite not taking the path many expect, his background will be valuable in his new role as he sets out to educate the public.

“My approach to education is kind of like the old adage, teach a man to fish,” Long said. “But I would rather teach people how to teach other people how to fish. That way, the knowledge can spread to others.”

As he begins crafting his outreach programming, Long hopes to involve county Extension educators, master gardeners, volunteers and community members. A self-described people person, he aims to help people understand that the Mesonet goes beyond just forecasting and provides numerous tools to help producers make decisions.

Some of his favorites to highlight include the Cattle Comfort Index, a metric that helps producers understand whether their cattle are experiencing heat stress and how much water they need, as well as the Drift Risk Advisor, which accounts for wind speed to help producers determine when it is a good time to spray pesticides.

Long will also appear on SUNUP, OSU Agriculture’s farming and ranching TV show, helping viewers better understand the technology the Mesonet offers.

As Long begins heading out across Oklahoma, meeting with producers and helping raise awareness of the Mesonet’s capabilities, he hopes not only to showcase the current climatological data tools available but also to get a pulse on new ideas that could benefit producers.

“With my programming, I want to help people understand how all of this information we’re collecting works together,” Long said. “It can help make better decisions on your farm. It goes beyond, when is it going to rain, or how hot is it going to be today?”

Impacting the state

Growing up, Long assumed OSU Extension was just the place his grandfather would take soil samples every year for testing.

“Like, that was where the soil testing got done. That was it,” Long said with a laugh. “As a kid, that was my full understanding of what Extension was.”

The irony isn’t lost on him now. Long began to understand Extension’s reach as an undergraduate student. He spent a summer with the OSU Extension and Ag Research Cotton Team, an experience he described as “eye-opening.”

A conversation with his advisor, Lauren Cline, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership in OSU’s Ferguson College of Agriculture,  also pushed him toward Extension work. She posed the question: Have you ever thought about being an Extension educator? 

Long had not. But it made him reconsider. After taking Cline’s Intro to Extension course, Long was sold on the career path.

“I think it’s a strength of our program how the faculty engage and invest in their undergraduate students,” Long said. “We have something special here at OSU in the Ferguson College. It’s from the top down at all levels.”

As Long begins his Extension career, he’s excited to serve as a catalyst, working as a middleman between producers, their needs and meteorologists. He ultimately hopes to create a lasting impact on the state.

“It’s such an interesting job. I couldn’t tell you what my typical week looks like, because it’s always different,” Long said. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had working.”

Getting to work at the Mesonet as one of its biggest fans is just a bonus.