GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 2, 2020 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida welcomes new State Conservationist Juan Hernandez. He will oversee programs, operations and staff in 33 field offices, four area offices, a plant material center and the state office in Gainesville. He begins his new position June 8.
“I grew up on a small coffee plantation in the mountains of Puerto Rico where I learned the importance of caring for the land and the natural resources in a way only farming can teach,” he said.
Mr. Hernandez earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico. After graduation he started his career with NRCS in Pennsylvania. Subsequently, he served in positions of increasing responsibility within the agency: Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Arkansas, Utah, Nebraska, and Maine, where he has been state conservationist since March 2009.
“I look forward to meeting and working with our producers, partners and staff in this position while learning about the diverse agriculture of Florida,” he said. He is accompanied by his wife Carmen and their three children: Alejandra, Miguel, and Diego.