Chris Narayanan to Serve West Tennessee Farms and Families
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Producers and farmers in West Tennessee can now benefit from the expertise and guidance of a new member of University of Tennessee Extension. As of July 1, Christopher R. Narayanan has been hired as a UT Extension area farm management specialist and will serve West Tennessee families as they work to make their farms, families and communities stronger.
A proud Texas Aggie, Narayanan studied at Texas A&M University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and a master’s degree in rangeland ecology and management. As a student, He competed on the Texas A&M rodeo team and helped fund his own education by working as a ranch hand and commodity broker’s assistant. Narayanan also holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Upon completing service to our country in the U.S. Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Reserve, Narayanan joined the private sector working for agriculture consulting firms, brokerages, and agribusinesses. With career experience that spans from Wall Street investment banks to hedge funds to agribusiness giants like Deere & Company, Narayanan is known as an industry expert. His previous work as a commodities analyst and investment banker has led to being a frequently sought-after voice in the industry, with requests from media and invitations for speaking engagements. In 2017, Narayanan was inducted into the Tyrus R. Timm Honor Registry, the highest award given to former students of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University.
Narayanan has spent his first few weeks in this role familiarizing himself with the West Tennessee area and meeting other UT Extension agents, clients and stakeholders. His work will help farming families through confidential, intensive analyses of their farming operations and recommendations for how they can utilize research-driven solutions to improve. From record keeping and farm financial management to risk and debt assessment to goal setting, Narayanan will work alongside UT Extension county agents to make West Tennessee agricultural operatives as successful as possible.
When asked about his new role, Narayanan commented, “Tennessee and Texas share a storied bond. While I couldn’t begin to repay the debt owed to Tennesseans like Crockett, Houston, and the Hardeman brothers, I’m honored to be part of UT Extension where I can draw upon my industry lessons to better serve the producers and agribusiness owners of West Tennessee.”
Narayanan is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and a member of the College of Agriculture Development Council at the Texas A&M Foundation and the Memphis Agricultural Club. Narayanan is an avid reader and also enjoys practicing marksmanship, hunting, fishing and working on home improvement projects in his spare time. Chris and his wife, Aparna, reside in Bartlett where they are members of Faith Baptist Church.
Producers and farmers who would like to work with Narayanan can contact their local county UT Extension office.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.