STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann,

UNL Extension Educator,

Webster County

January 26, 2012 Edition

“I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds - achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years. I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.”
In the almost 30 years that I served as an ag teacher/FFA advisor I saw those first two paragraphs of the FFA Creed recited or written many times. Anyone that has been in the FFA is very familiar with those words. They mean even more to me in today’s world. It is really hard for me to understand that anyone could not see the future that is in agriculture in light of what segment of society in America is not only holding its own but flourishing. It is even harder to digest an article that came out on Yahoo Education website and virtually became plastered across the internet and news circles.
The article, entitled “College Majors That Are Useless,” claims that the number one most useless degree is Agriculture. Then to top it off, Animal Science and Horticulture are listed as the number four and number five most useless degrees respectively. The author of this article, Terence Loose, makes it pretty clear that he has a narrow view of the types of jobs available to a person with and Agriculture degree. Here is what he says: “If your idea of a good day is getting up with the sun and working till it sets as an agricultural manager, a degree in agriculture might be your calling” and then the absolutely brilliant…“Just don’t expect farms and ranches to be calling you.”….. Needless to say it got my attention!
It just seemed like a big slap in the face to a person who has been intimately nvolved with teaching the value of agriculture and education in agriculture. This view is so narrow that it really troubles me. I do, however, know that it is the view of many people who are disconnected from agriculture, which in itself could be a harbinger of challenges to come, and in fact is a big challenge that is and will continue to face all of us in agriculture. This assumption by the general public and academia, that agriculture is not important, is why it is imperative to be proactive in reaching the consumer. If we don't gather all of our resources together to approach the situation, we will be legislated out of existence. Whatever the legislation, from the 2013 Farm Bill to environmental regulations, or even HSUS ballot initiatives, politicians are swayed by what will be seemingly “popular” or “important” with the majority of their constituents. They listen to numbers, and non-agriculture population outnumbers us ninety eight to two. If nothing else this article has certainly reinforced the need and our collective responsibility to educate the public about the essential role of agriculture in their lives.
The writer, obviously, is oblivious to the fact that today’s agriculture industry is far more diverse and offers more opportunities than most people realize. It is feeding and clothing the world, creating jobs and protecting our planet’s natural resources. What’s useless about that? No one in their right mind should be so quick to discourage those who are interested in working as a farm or ranch manager or in any segment of the agriculture industry. The world’s population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. That means that we’ll need more farmers and ranchers and support personnel who have the education needed to produce more food, even more efficiently than they do now, in order to meet growing demand. Without those “useless” agriculture or ag related degrees, we may find ourselves in a precarious food situation in the near future!
The writer’s main reasoning behind ranking these degrees useless was – drum roll please—money. Do these people think that everything revolves around the all mighty dollar? Aside from money talk, this article is absolutely ridiculous in that the real fact is that the field of agriculture is one of the most rapidly growing career sectors. I would like to ask this gentleman, how are we going to feed the fastest growing population 15 years down the road? We need to encourage all students to pursue a career in agriculture. Food production has to increase 70 percent in 40 years in order to feed the expected 3 billion additional human beings and we need all of the great minds we can get! With the average farmer aging at around 60 years or more, and more farmers looking to retire, it is up to young people to take on the job of “saving the world.”
Does the advent of old or retiring farmers mean less need for food, fuel and fiber production for the world? Absolutely not! The demand for these products certainly remains steady if not increasing in certain parts of the world, demanding more from U.S. farmers and ranchers. This demand means greater opportunities for college graduates who want to enter the agricultural field; regardless of whether students aspire to return home to the family farm, become an agronomist, veterinarian, seeds salesman, veterinarian, or pharmaceutical/chemical representative, extension educator, or whatever have you. Agriculture plays a vital role in the US economy. It is responsible for 1 in 12 jobs. America leads the world in agricultural exports. Last year, Ag exports reached record levels of $137.4 billion in sales, creating a $42 billion trade surplus, supporting over a million jobs. One in three jobs in Nebraska is directly tied to agriculture or agribusiness, and, the richness of the natural resource base in the state makes it a leader internationally in production of agricultural products and services. If you ask me, I’d say it seems as if finding a career in agriculture is more promising than just about anything else. That future in agriculture is brighter than ever, and I believe that the promise is even greater than in previous years!
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster