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Ag Families-Fall 11 BY RHONDAWERNER People who know my husband Ben Werner would be surprised to know hes not a farm kid. He has a degree in agricultural mechanization and a successful career in the ag equipment industry but he grew up in a residential area of Sikeston Missouri surrounded by houses as- phalt and railroad tracks. No one in his immedi- ate family farmed or had a career in agriculture but somehow carpet farming as a kid devel- oped into a passion that followed him through college and his career. Here he is thriving in an industry he wasnt born into and we need more people like Ben in agriculture. Theres a misconception that you must have some kind of farm heritage to work in the agri- cultural industry and thats just not so. Granted practical farm knowledge may make under- standing the basics easier but it doesnt give you a free ticket to a job. It seems like there are two primary ways non- farm kids end up in ag something in their life either triggered an interest like owning a horse a love for tractors and equipment FFA and 4-H or just living in a rural area and wanting to learn more. Laura Rinderknecht received a degree in fi- nance and real estate and one thing lead to an- other. She agreed to move to the country with her husband and work in the Case IH dealership they bought. Thirty years later shes still the comptroller there and doesnt want to work in any other industry. Folks somehow fall into agriculture and then fall in love with the people the business and the ever-changing aspects of the industry. According to a 2012-2013 report by the USDA and Purdue University the demand for gradu- ates with degrees in food agriculture renew- able natural resources or environmental industry is on track to be around 35000 per year for the next few years. The real kicker there will be a need to fill almost 58000 jobs annually in those areas between 2015 and 2020. Thats about a 23000-person deficit for jobs in those industries which are all tightly re- lated to agriculture. With the number of farms and farmers in the U.S. not increasing there just arent enough people coming off the farm to fill the demand in the industry so growing up on a farm isnt mandatory to have a successful career in agri- culture. Having a passion for science technol- ogy engineering and mathematics STEM will be what the industry needs in order to grow. Another misconception is the workforce of agriculture is predominantly male. The USDA report also shows 52 percent of graduates with a bachelors degree in the food agriculture re- newable natural resources and environmental industry were women. Women with masters degrees in that same industry made up 55 per- cent and another 48 percent had a Ph.D. Of graduates with a doctorate of veterinary medi- cine 77 percent were women. There is a myriad of career opportunities for anyone who wants to work in agriculture. I work as a recruiter for the agriculture industry and while I work with companies on all types of jobs even the ones I see and work with on a daily basis are just the tip of the iceburg. Ca- reers in the ag industry are so diverse and there is more than likely a spot for the next genera- tion. Check out the list below to discover some of the possible careers that are available Agriculture Communications For those interested in marketing public rela- tions politics or journalism. Market news reporter Farm news reporter Public relations representative Advertising specialist Marketing communications manager Regional sales manager Account manager Agriculture Economics For those interested in economics markets or all things business related. Grain broker Farm and land appraiser Ag economist Agricultural policy analyst Insurance Agriculture finance and lending Agriculture Education For those who enjoy teaching others from students to farmers etc. Ag teacher Farm management Soil conservationist Extension advisor 4-H agent Agriculture Engineering For those who enjoy building things tearing them apart seeing how they work. Structural engineer Irrigation engineer Sanitarywaste handling Food engineer Bioprocessing engineer Equipmentmachine engineer AgronomySoils For those who enjoy plants crop production biology chemistry. Crop specialist Soil scientist Fertilizer sales representative Plant breeder Plant geneticist Soil conservationist Soil surveyor Farm supplyfarm input representative Animal Sciences For those who enjoy working with animals Livestock production manager Feed salesmanagement Livestock procurement Livestock insurance representative Veterinarian Ranch management Stable management Livestock feedlot operator Animal scientist Animal geneticist Food Sciences For those interested in how to improve the foods available to consumers. Food products research and development Quality assurance Food chemist Food microbiologist Food manufacturing Food researcher Even with this long list of possible careers there are other essential jobs that are cross functional in agriculture and other industries. There are certified public accountants and attor- neys who only work with farmers or other clients in the ag industry. The career opportunities in the agriculture field are endless and even better they are in high demand. Our industry has its ups and downs as all industries do but we seem to pre- vail and grow. If you are attending college soon or perhaps going back to switch careers you dont have to be a farm kid to work and succeed in the agriculture industry today. The door is open for anyone. Careers in agriculture are not just for farm kids