The Importance of Future Agriculturalists

I was born on a family farm in a small community named Stanley, Kentucky.  It has been a blessing from God.  For, I believe that family farming is much more than just acres of pliable soil; it is a tradition.  To me, a family farm is like an age-old tree. Alive for many centuries, a tree will bear many fruits and it will pass those fruits on until some grow and become another tree. It is the same with family farming. Family farming continues throughout the generations and is passed on to new ones. Just as the tree holds all of the generations of the family in its roots in the land after the death in the family, the family name too will live on forever in the soil of its crops. 

It has become a recent concern of many agriculturalists all across the nation that the future of family farming is in a troubled state. It has always been a rising concern. This metaphor is a good reason why I believe family-farming operations are an essential part of the tomorrow of agriculture.  I am aware of the average age of the current U.S. farmer, which is 55, and do know that this number is not good for the future of agriculture, but I also realize that there are many strong farming operations out there today, with my family’s being one of them.

 I look around my own community and see family farming operations of 5000 acres or more and watch them continue to grow each year.  Farmers do not only drive a tractor to plant and harvest a bountiful crop to feed millions in the world. They also farm because it is a love they have, and that love is spread throughout future generations of the family.  In the 1800’s, children were expected to carry on the family farm in hopes to be as successful as their parents, and I believe this practice still happens in this day and age.  As it is quite evident, traditions and practices are different than those of the 1800’s.  College is a common course of action today and therefore many more careers are available to the public, which eventually led to the decrease of family farming operations.  Although there are many more career paths to be chosen from, there are many young adults, along with myself, choosing a career path in agriculture.

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) has over 2500 students working towards making the tomorrow of agriculture more efficient.  The University of Kentucky ‘s land grant institution gives College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment students many opportunities, such as hands on experience on university research farms, research labs, and a high quality education that is incomparable to any other.  It is important to have land grant institutions such as the University of Kentucky across the nation, because without the prestigious research and education conducted by these schools, agriculture would not continue to strive and improve like it continues to do so today.

Agriculture is a key part of everyone’s day-to-day life. No person can live without the essentials that agriculture provides. With UK students contributing to the production of these essentials, agriculture can continue to flourish.  The UK CAFE recognizes that the average age of the American farmer continues to increase, therefore they are making strides to ensure this trend does not continue. As agriculture becomes more necessary, due to the increasing demands because of rising populations, the University of Kentucky is developing research and education to ensure that there are always future agriculturalists to continue America’s finest tradition and necessity.

In conclusion, from only being at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment for a little over a year, I have already come to realize how influential my agriculture education will be when I have a career in the agricultural industry and carry on my own family farm. With that being said, I could not be happier with the decision I made two years ago to come to the University of Kentucky. I would not be the person I am today without the education I have received and the people that I have met. I know myself, along with many others at the University of Kentucky, are working to become future agriculturalists in order to make the tomorrow of agriculture the best it has ever been. 


Lauren is a sophomore from Owensboro, Kentucky.  She is a Horticulture, Plant & Soil Science major, specializing in Agronomy.

The College Bound wAGon Rides Again

With the holidays approaching, everyone is talking about two things: the desserts and your college search.  Let’s head them off at the pass and have you ready to take on the tough questions. 

The last post (http://ukagstudents.blogspot.com/2011/10/college-bound-wagon.html) mentioned a few tips about prepping for the ACT and SAT and hopefully made you think about why you are going to college and why planning is so important in the process.  Hopefully you have also had time to get that planner, or at least learned how to use the calendar function on your phone.  

I want you to now to open a new word document on your computer and type your name on the top.  Then type 12^th grade, hit enter on your keyboard.  Type 11^th grade, hit enter.  Type 10^th grade, hit enter.  Type 9^th grade, hit enter.  Now you are ready to roll.  You are about to create a working high school resume.  This will save you tons of time in the future and will help you fill out college applications and scholarship applications.  Here’s a video to help you understand…….

Less than 20 seconds....

OK- now that your template is set up, start filling in each grade level with clubs you were in (BETA, 4-H, FFA, NHS, Math League,  etc.), awards you may have received (honor roll, perfect attendance, speech contest winner, etc.), sports or band activities, leadership activities, conferences or conventions, and any community service you may have participated in or planned for a group.  

(community service - a service that is performed for the benefit 

of the public or its institutions.)

This may take you awhile to complete, but will save you tons of time in the future.  Instead of thinking about each time you collected canned goods or what office in the science club you held sophomore year, the work is done for you.  You can get your applications filled out quicker and easier and it frees up more time for you to catch up on your reading.  I highly suggest this blog.  And The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

As far as applying, many students choose to do so online via the university of their choice’s website.  Others may complete the Common App (https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx), which allows you to apply to several schools at once.  Still others may seek out the paper form of the application.  Whichever you choose, take your time on it.  Make sure all parts are filled out.  You’d be surprised how many times students forget things like filling out the essay or not signing the application, which makes it incomplete.  Each university can vary slightly on admissions requirements so make sure you know what is expected.  

How do I pick a major?

Picking a major (what you are going to study in college) can be a hard decision, but it’s not something you need to lose sleep over at this point.  Go in with an open mind and learn about non-traditional majors that exist on campuses.  Most student change their major two to three times when they get on campus so doing a little research beforehand can help you stay on track to a four-year degree.  http://www.careerpath.com/ actually offers a quick quiz that was pretty accurate for myself.  

Let’s say you want to be a medical doctor.  Most schools have a pre-med program, but that only means this is a selection of classes that you have to take in order to apply to medical school.  Most students will pair this with a major.  Most schools have a chemistry or biology program and most students will go this route.  Let’s use some forward thinking and think about ways you can make yourself stand out in the medical school admissions process.  Most students will be the aforementioned bio or chem majors.  By selecting a major that is different from everyone else’s, you make yourself stand out major wise from most of the pack.  For example, at UK, students can consider either Human Nutrition or Agricultural Biotechnology for the med school track.  Each of these majors varies slightly in their coursework and opportunities (including an undergrad research project for ABT majors).  Other schools may offer biochemistry or physiology.  

The point is look around at your options and make the decision that’s best suited for you.  Never assume that because a major says something like “agricultural” in front of it it’s for farmers.  Chances are it’s a very strong science or science-based major. (Note: Agriculture is a science.) Also, check out your scholarship opportunities and also the level of opportunities for students in those majors.  Ask questions about trips, conference, leadership activities, etc. when you visit campus or in email interaction with college representatives.

Speaking of email interactions, that’s a good place to stop for this post and to put in a teaser for next time.  You would be amazed by the emails I get and how poor the grammar and spelling are in them.  I’ll give some examples and give some real world communications advice to help make you look like the prodigal student and shine above your peers.  Share the blog with your friends and family via Facebook and Twitter and other avenues you may use.  

In the meantime,  send your questions to me at Jason.Headrick@uky.edu.  I’m glad to hear your questions or get your feedback on this and other posts.

Jason

Director of Student Relations, UK Ag

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