Exploring Agricultural Careers: Opportunities and Paths to Success

1. Agricultural Careers Presented by: Mrs. White Lee-Davis High School Agricultural Instructor Modified by Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office – June, 1997

2. Agricultural Workforce • Approximately 21 Million People are Employed in an Agricultural Career • 20% Of Agricultural Careers Require a College Education • 400 thousand people are needed each year to fill positions in the Agriculture Industry • Only 100 thousand jobs are being filled each year by trained people

3. Yearly Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Agriscience 9% 7% 13% 7% 29% 34% 34% - Marketing, Merchandising, & Sales Representatives 29% - Scientists, Engineers, & Related Professionals 13% - Managers & Financial Specialists 7% - Agricultural Production Specialists 9% - Social Services Professionals 7% - Education & Communication Specialists

4. Production Agriculture • 1/5 of All Agricultural Careers • Production Agriculture is defined as Farming and Ranching. • It involves the growing and marketing of field crops and livestock • U.S. Farmers produce enough food and fiber to feed 135 people, large farm operations can feed over 200 people.

5. Types of Agricultural Production Jobs • Cattle Rancher • Diversified Crop Farmer • Diversified Livestock Producer • Farm Manager

6. Cattle Rancher Selects, purchases, and raises cattle on leased or owned land for purpose of selling offspring Knowledge Requirements: Cattle industry including cattle prices, quality and markets. Nutrition, reproduction, and animal health are also important areas. Salary: $15,000 - $150,000 to unlimited (income varies greatly upon quantity of cattle, quality of cattle and extent of operation.

7. Diversified Crop Farmer • Crop Farming workers plant, cultivate and harvest crops of fruits, fibers, grains, and/or vegetables. • May raise specialty crops or diversified crops, they often produce several different types of crops simultaneously • Salary: • $15,000 - $90,000 depends on crop

8. Diversified Livestock Producer • Diversified livestock producers breed and raise livestock of various types. • Skills Necessary: • Organized • Computer skills and basic business knowledge • Willing to work independently • Enjoy working outside in all kinds of weather • Salary: $20,000 - $35,000

9. Farm Manager • Organize and Analyze farm resources, finances, and problems • Develop solutions and plans for future farm enterprises • Make daily farming decisions related to crops, machinery and labor • Salary: • $15,000 – $38,000 depends on size and varies greatly from year to year

10. Communication and Education Specialist Careers • Agriculture Teacher • Agricultural Extension Specialist • Agricultural Journalist • Agricultural Lawyer

11. Agriculture Teacher • Develop program, curriculum and activities related to agriculture for youth adults and graduates • Job Availability: Steady • Working Conditions: Indoors in classroom, outdoors with experiments and hands-on activities • Salary: $ 20,000 - $ 52, 000

12. Agricultural Extension Specialist • Organize and conducts cooperative extension program to advise and instruct farmers and individuals engaged in agribusiness applications of agricultural research findings. • Salary: $22,000 - $40,000 • Skill Necessary: • Strong interest in helping others • Excellent communication skills

13. Agricultural Lawyer • Focus on the law as it applies to the Agricultural Industry • Necessary Skills: • Proficiency in writing and speaking, reading, researching, and analyzing • Able to think on your feet • Good reasoning ability • Salary: • $40,000 - $120,000

14. Managers and Financial Specialist • Agricultural Consultant • Agricultural Economist

15. Agricultural Consultant • Audits and appraises agricultural business and makes suggestions on improvements • Salary: $26,000 - $52,000 • Education Requirements: • Bachelor’s degree in agricultural business or agricultural education

16. Agricultural Economist • Studies data and statistics in order to spot trends in economic activity, economic confidence levels, and consumer attitudes • Salary: $40,000 - $62,000 • Skills Necessary: • Accuracy • Good Communication Skills • Ability to Work Independently

17. Marketing, Merchandising, & Sales Representatives • Agricultural Chemical Dealer • Animal Health's Products Representatives • Agricultural Equipment Dealer

18. Agricultural Chemical Dealer • Serves the farming community by providing chemicals used in farm situations. • Knowledge of chemical uses warning and disposal methods is necessary • Salary: $ 21,000 - $58,000 • Education Requirements: • College degree helpful but not required • Sales experience needed • Knowledge of Chemical regulations • Pesticide License

19. Animal Health’s Products Representatives • Develops sales and marketing strategies for selling animal health products • Salary: $ 22,000 – 62,000 • Necessary Skills: • Communicating effectively • Enjoy Traveling • Goal Oriented • Problem Solving

20. Scientists, Engineers and Related Specialists • Agricultural Construction Engineer • Animal Breeder • Artificial Breeding Technician

21. Agricultural Construction Engineer • Designs and contracts agricultural structures such as mills, fertilizer plants, barns, etc. • Salary: $26,000 - $65,000 • Education Required: • Master’s degree preferred in agriculture engineering.

22. Animal Breeder • Breed and raise animals to improve traits, to develop new breeds, or to maintain standards of existing breeds • Salary: $18,000 - $55,000 • Necessary Skills: • Organized • Reliable and be able to follow detailed instructions

23. Artificial Breeding Technician • Assists in collecting and maintaining semen, identifying appropriate times to inseminate (deposits sperm) female and the actual insemination process • Salary: $23,000 - $36,000 • Education Requirements: • Technical school or a college degree • Specialized training in artificial insemination techniques

24. Social Service Professionals • Foreign Affairs Officials • Food and Drug Inspector

25. Foreign Affairs Officials • Foreign affairs officials assist in planning and implementing foreign affairs program which secure the interests of the country while promoting agriculture • Salary: $28,000 - $75,000 • Working Conditions: • Travel frequently and work out of an office building

26. Food and Drug Inspector • Food and Drug inspector impose federal and state grading standards on food and drug products for the purpose of ensuring consumer safety and fair pricing • Salary: $25,000 - $65,000 • Necessary Skills: • Like detailed work • Responsible • Good oral and written communication

27. Agricultural Equipment Dealer • Farm equipment dealer sell and service farm machinery and equipment • Salary: $28,000 - $75,000 • Education Requirements: • Bachelor’s degree with emphasis on agriculture and business. • High School courses in agriculture, business and mechanics

28. Agricultural Journalist • Gather, write, edit and report news articles that are published in agricultural magazines, newspapers, journals or broadcast on radio or television. • Salary: $20,000 - $55,000 • Education Required: • Bachelor’s Degree in journalism, communications, English or political science. High School classes in agriculture, journalism, media, computers, and business

29. How to Start Planning for an Agricultural Career? • Develop an Agricultural Career Portfolio • A collection of your best work on agricultural projects and other career-related materials • The portfolio is used to sell your skills to a prospective employers

30. What to include in your Portfolio? • Resume • Photographs and written reports of projects that you have complete • Newspaper clippings • Letters of Recommendation • Personal and Career Goals • Action Plan for accomplishing your goals

31. How you can start planning at different levels? • Middle School Career Plan: • Develop science projects with plants, animals, soil, water, energy, ecology, conservation, and wildlife • Join 4-H and choose agricultural projects • Volunteer to work on lawn, garden, greenhouses, farm or conservation projects • Enroll in agriculture or other career education projects at school

32. High School • Enroll in agriculture classes including plant science, animal science, agricultural mechanics, agribusiness and farm management • Enroll in college – preparatory courses in English, math and science • Join 4-H and FFA organization and participate in leadership and citizenship activities • Develop a broad, supervised agricultural experience project • Acquire hands-on, skill-development experience • Conduct agricultural research project

33. Career Plan After High School • Obtain an agricultural job and plan ways to get additional training while on the job • Enter a community college and take courses that will transfer to the college of agriculture or life science of your choice • Enter a two-year program in technical agriculture • Enter a college of agriculture or life science and obtain a bachelor degree (B.S.), master degree (M.S.), and/ or doctorate (Ph.D)

34. Where to Obtain Agriculture Career Information? www.ffa.org • Look for the Career Center under the Site Index.

35. If agriculture is in your future …… It is never to early to plan for your personal career success.