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.

Where can Landscape Architecture take you?

Argentine Asado in Cordoba: Blood Sausage,

 Brains, Kidney, Intestines, and Chorizo

Landscape Architecture is defined as the partnership of disciplines including design thinking, fine arts, architecture, and other design oriented themes for the creation of projects ranging from public parks and parkways to academic campuses or urban city master plans.

Many of us are unaware of this intriguing profession, one that can take you around the world and back, maybe even the moon one day. The University of Kentucky Landscape Architecture Department has done just that; they are now requiring their students to study abroad at least once while in the five-year program. 

Fitz Roy Spires in Patagonia,

 with Katelyn Nixon.

This past summer eight students including myself traveled to South America for two-weeks and some stayed for an additional two-weeks!  This was an experience of a lifetime and would not have been possible without Landscape Architecture.  While on this trip I caught a wicked awesome bug and it has yet to leave, it’s the travel bug!

Our journey began in the capital city of Chile, Santiago, then continued west across the Andes Mountains and into Argentina.  In Argentina we visited several cities Mendoza, which has some tasty wine, Cordoba, Rosario, and Buenos Aires, the capital. I wish I could show you every picture from the trip however it may take several weeks and that would only cover the first half of my trip, the second half of my trip was not school related but was equally as epic.  The picture above is one of the more memorable meals on the trip, it consisted of almost all parts of a cow and it was delicious!

I spent the last two-weeks of my journey in Patagonia where I was able to complete a dream of mine which is represented in the picture above.

Charlie is a senior in Landscape Architecture.  He is from Bowling Green, Kentucky.  

So I went to the Career Fair…Now What?

Earlier in the semester, the College of Agriculture, Food & Environment hosted over twenty agricultural companies at our annual Career Fair.  Students labored over their preparations for the Career Fair: we searched for the perfect professional outfit, brushed up our resumes with a fine toothed comb, and practiced our handshakes- all for the sake of securing an interview for a job or internship.  Now that the Career Fair is over, we’re done, right?

WRONG!  We are done with the hard part- making a good first impression with the recruiters.  Now, however, we have the opportunity to not only remind our potential employers of our names and credentials, but we also have the opportunity to impress them with our follow-up etiquette. 

What exactly is follow-up etiquette?  It is the simple steps we can take to ensure the connections we made at the Career Fair are solidified.  The day or so after the Career Fair, be sure to contact the employers to whom you spoke.  Sending a quick, simple e-mail thanking them for taking their time to come to the Career Fair and reminding them that you are interested in their company can help you to stand out above all the other people they met at the Career Fair.  If you spoke with them about something unusual, such as sports during your initial introduction or connection, mention it in your e-mail.  You want the employers to read it and think, “Oh, right, I remember this person…” 

Countless interviews, internships, and jobs have been won at Career Fairs, and the Career Fair hosted by the College of Agriculture, Food & Environment this week is no exception.  Who knows?  Maybe it will be YOU who earns one of those coveted positions at the prestigious companies who were on campus - just remember to use your follow-up etiquette and solidify the connections made.  

Looking for help o your internship or job search within the College?  Contact Amanda Saha, the College's new Director of Career Development & Enrichment.  

- Kendall

Kendall is a senior majoring in Agricultural Education.  She is from Georgetown, Kentucky and will be student teaching in the spring.  After graduation, Kendall would like to work in the education sector.

Big Blue Madness is a way of UK life

I camped out for Big Blue Madness. Big Blue Madness is the first public basketball practice for the University of Kentucky’s Men’s and Women’s basketball teams. While a practice like this at many other universities would go unnoticed by people who do not live in or near the college town, big blue madness is a completely different story. People from all over the state and neighboring states come to Lexington to fight for campsites where they camp out (in tent city) for three days in order to receive tickets to this free event.

I am from St. Louis, and while my mom is a UK College of Ag alumni, I had never heard of this event until I came to school here last year and witnessed the madness with my own eyes. The madness I mean is seeing these people fighting one another for spots in tent city at 5 in the morning on Wednesday to camp on the UK campus and sit there for three days. I initially thought to myself that these people were crazy, but as I attended basketball games throughout last year I saw that they weren’t crazy, but that they were loyal. After experiencing the basketball games last year and the amazing recruit team we have this year I knew that I wanted to become one of the “crazy” loyal fans that got tickets to Big Blue Madness. 

With that in mind my friends and I woke up at 3 am that Wednesday to stand in line until 5 am where we dashed across Avenue of Champions to steak our tents before someone else grabbed our spot. We were there all day and only left to go to class; work; back to the apartment to make food, shower, etc. While camping in tent city I was surrounded by other people who had the same passion as I did. We were a small community who all bonded and got along because we all were loyal, and we all cared for the family that makes up Big Blue Nation. These people had a passion for watching Kentucky basketball and for believing in our team and the success they could have this year. These people were willing to miss work, to give up running water, to survive away from their house and live in a tent for the sole purpose of getting tickets to a basketball practice. Living in Mizzou territory I could tell you that many Mizzou fans would never even think of doing this and this fact is one of the few important reasons why I chose the University of Kentucky.

Katlyn is majoring in Agricultural Biotechnology and is from St. Louis, MO.

Check out our new UK CAFE Viewbook!

Our new University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment viewbook is now available online!  This book features information on our majors, our community, admissions and scholarships, and has lots of interesting bits of information about our College.  Check it out, See Blue and engage your education at the University of Kentucky!




The importance of tradition in communities

Kentucky is a very diverse state; rich in agriculture, art, history, music, outdoors, and most importantly traditions. The two most common traditions in Kentucky are Kentucky Basketball and the Kentucky Derby; whether in the big city of Louisville, Kentucky or the small town of Falmouth, Kentucky throughout the 120 counties in the commonwealth tradition is a large part of unifying counties across the state.

Annual festivals and parades play a huge role in community, small or large.  As someone from a small county in Northern, Kentucky the Kentucky Wool Festival is one of the biggest events that happens in our county.  Every first weekend in October, during the transition between late summer and early fall, the Kentucky Wool Festival occurs; a weekend of bluegrass, crafts, food, and wool.   The Kentucky Wool Festival is one big reunion- not only bringing back Pendleton County High School alumni who have moved away, but also bringing in annual festival enthusiast from across the country.  From a community and economic development perspective, the Kentucky Wool Festival is the perfect way to promote the small town fell, but also the modernism of Pendleton County. Many church groups, school clubs, extension organizations and other organizations in the county set up booths to promote their organizations as well as fundraise for the year.  As far back as I can remember, every year at the Wool Fest I have worked the 4-H drink booth as a fundraiser for the Pendleton County 4-H Council.  The high school band parks car, the county FFA chapter cleans the grounds and empties trash cans, the high school student council sells ice cream, the county homemakers sells funnel cake, the county Chamber of Commerce sells breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the county’s Lions Club works the entry gate, local gospel singing groups come and sing on Sunday afternoon, other local bands come and play on Friday and Saturday night, many craft vendors come and set up booths, and it’s not a Wool Fest until you sheer a sheep and visit the wool spinners . Traditions like the Kentucky Wool Festival truly bring together a small county.

Pendleton County is one of those counties where you drive through it and blink, you might miss it so having an event that brings in people from all over the country is, in lack of a better word, cool! Now I know I am little bias to this particular festival, but I have spent the past 20 Octobers at the Wool Fest and don’t plan on breaking that tradition, but there are many other festivals all across the bluegrass.  My roommates and I have had conversations about our county festivals; one roommate is from Casey County, Kentucky and Casey County has an apple festival and another roommate is from LaRue County, Kentucky and Larue County has a tradition called Lincoln Days. Some other festivals across the state are: the Watermelon Festival in Monroe County, Kentucky, the Sorgum Festival in Morgan County, Kentucky, the World’s Largest Chicken Festival in London, Kentucky, the International Bar-B-Q Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, and the Ghoetta Festival in Newport, Kentucky.

No matter what small town or big city you come from in Kentucky, tradition plays a huge role in bringing communities together.  I could not imagine my fall without attending the Kentucky Wool Festival and I am sure I can speak for county residents from any of the county festivals mentioned above in saying they could not imagine their lives without the tradition of county festivals.

                

Kelsey is a junior majoring in Community and Leadership Development.  She is from Butler, Kentucky.

The Last Time Around

Senior Year holds several  "last time" events, such as: my first last day of school on campus, my last time as a student at UKAg Round Up, my last semester as a CAFE Ambassador, my last semester to pull all- nighters with friends in the Ag North Lobby studying, and my last time going to CSF to get pancakes at midnight to take a break from studying for finals. Thinking about all of these things that I will do for the last time this semester makes me a little emotional. It is so hard to believe that my time here at UK as a student and ambassador in the College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment  is coming to a close in a few short months.

            The thought of senior year brings up all these "last time" events, but because of a bold step that myself and 26 other girls took last year I also had a "first time" experience this semester which I will always be grateful for. The Beta Omicron chapter of Sigma Alpha Professional Sorority for Women in Agriculture was activated March 23rd, 2013. I was blessed enough to be a charter member with 26 other brave and wonderful girls.

            Last week we held our "first" rush to find the alpha class membership candidates to help grow our organization. The numerous bonds that were created and strengthened last week is a true testament to what this organization has done for me in the few months that I have been a member. I'm blessed that I had an amazing leader ask me to be a part of this group and I will continue to talk to girls about the wonderful things personally and professionally that this organization will do for women in agriculture.

            My first and last time events will continue throughout these next few months and they will be nothing short of amazing, just like my career here in the College of Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. I am thankful for all of the "first" and "last time" events that this College and University have been a part of because it has played a huge role in the forming of the woman I have become. 

Gabrielle is a senior from Gamaliel, Kentucky.  She is majoring in Career & Technical Education and will student teach in the spring.