Here we are, smack dab in the middle of spring. April is behind us. May is nearly over, and June and summer lie ahead.
May and early June are packed with celebrations. By the time you read this, another Memorial Day will be in the books, signaling high school graduation season is near. I trust if you have a graduate in your house or if you know one, he or she has carefully researched and selected a course of study,
assuming he or she is headed to college. But I am not here to counsel you on college survival or how to limit debt or share study skills. I am here to let you know about one of the most promising career fields available to young people today —agriculture. That’s right. Agriculture, the art or industry (if you choose) of feeding the world.
Now before you tune out, hear me out. I am not trying to turn each young person into a farmer. There is more to agriculture than cows and plows, not to say that is not the most honorable profession.
However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, during the next five years, U.S. college graduates will find good employment opportunities if they have expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment.
Between 2015 and 2020, the nation expects to see 57,900 average annual openings for graduates with bachelor’s or higher degrees in those areas.
According to recent projections, almost half of the opportunities will be in management and business. Another 27 percent will be in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Jobs in sustainable food and biomaterials production will make up 15 percent, while 12 percent of the openings will be in education, communication and governmental services.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 10.8 percent increase in the U.S. labor force between 2012 and 2022 due to job growth and openings from retirements or other replacements.
The nation expects employment opportunities in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environment occupations to grow more than 5 percent between 2015 and 2020 for college graduates with bachelor’s or higher degrees.
Job opportunities for food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environment graduates in STEM areas are expected to grow. Expect the strongest job market for plant scientists, food scientists, sustainable biomaterials specialists, water-resources scientists and engineers, precision agriculture specialists, and farm-animal veterinarians.
A recent story in USA Today named agriculture/natural resources as one of the five highest paying degrees in 2015. Ag grads can earn much more than the average graduate, with an average starting salary of more than $51,000. Graduates who are mobile and have work experience will have even more opportunity.
Those are but a few of the reasons to choose a career in agriculture.
For me, I was motivated and rewarded by the following benefits:
*Fulfillment. Not everyone can be a farmer or rancher. It takes land. Capital. Know-how. But many careers support farmers. All are vital links in the food chain. It feels good to make a difference.
*Diversity. More than production, agriculture is developing new seeds. Building better equipment. Discovering efficiencies in crop and livestock production. Bright minds — in many different fields — will drive the future of food. Who wouldn’t like to be a part of it?
*Challenge. Feeding the world is a worthy goal. With an estimated 9.1 billion to feed by 2050, food production will have to grow 50 percent, while using fewer resources. No one said the future of agriculture will be easy. It will take people with great vision to make it work.
*You get to work with farmers. One of my great joys. I earned two degrees in animal science, and I’ve worked with farmers for most of my career. I’ve learned a lot from these men and women. Pride. Passion. Dedication. I hope those attributes I admire so much also have rubbed off on me.
Jeff Semler is an Extension educator, specializing in agriculture and natural resources, for the University of Maryland Extension. He is based in Washington County. He can be reached at 301-791-1404, ext. 325, or by email at jsemler@umd.edu.
