Frisco, Texas, USA
November 21, 2013
Source: Agricen
By Brian Cornelious, PhD, Director of Applied Sciences (@BrianNPK), Agricen
This past October, I had the pleasure of speaking to seven 8th grade Career Orientation classes at Marion Junior High School in Marion, Arkansas.
Agriculture is my passion, and I like to share that passion with others, especially with young adults who are contemplating possible career choices. My grandfather and father were farmers, so I grew up with agriculture in my blood. This led me to major in agronomy in college, which I followed up by pursuing a master’s degree and PhD in plant breeding and genetics. I have been working in private industry since then.
My first question to the group was, “What comes to your mind when you hear the word agriculture?” Farming was the main answer, and not surprisingly, since Marion is an agriculture-based community. Many children there understand that it’s an important profession and calling.
We then discussed the challenges of producing enough food for the growing world population and some of the ways we might be able to achieve this using new agricultural technologies. Several students expressed their enthusiasm for agriculture and their desire to farm someday.
One of the last questions I asked was, “What do these careers – doctor, lawyer, farmer and dentist – have in common?” The answer, of course, is that students who major in agriculture as college undergraduates can move into any of these other fields, since many of the necessary college courses, especially chemistry and biology, are relevant to all. This answer surprises some people, who perhaps don’t realize the level of scientific and technical knowledge that farmers have and use daily.
In agriculture, we are facing the growing need to produce more to meet demands for food and fuel. We need farmers, educators, researchers, and scientists to make it happen. What do your children want to be when they grow up? I encourage you to talk to them about the importance of agriculture and the many opportunities they have to make a difference in this field.