Looking for a Crop of New Talent
New soy-checkoff-funded video encourages students to think about careers in agriculture
Dec. 2, 2013 (Canton) – A new video from the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB) may soon help high school students answer the question, “What do you plan to do after you graduate?”
MSPB hopes the video, which describes four career opportunities in agriculture, will encourage students to consider a career in the field and fill the growing demand for qualified ag professionals in the state. The video can be found here.
“MSPB goes through a process annually to identify problems or needs of the soybean industry in Mississippi,” said Jimmy Sneed, soybean farmer from Hernando and MSPB board member. “One of the most common needs identified by all sectors was the lack of talent and manpower to fill positions in the soybean industry. We hope this video encourages more students to think about careers in agriculture and fill that need both in Mississippi and nationwide.”
The video provides in-depth information on each of the careers, including day-to-day activities, suggested college coursework and job opportunities. It also encourages students with a non-agriculture background to consider the field. MSPB plans to send a DVD copy of the video to all high school agriculture teachers in the coming months, along with handouts for each student.
The video features commonly considered professions, such as agronomy, along with others not often associated with agriculture, like bioinformatics. It features ag professionals giving their perspective of their field, including:
- Tom Eubank, Ph.D., agronomist, Mississippi State University Extension Service
- Brian Scheffler, Ph.D., bioinformaticist, USDA-ARS Research Facility, Stoneville, Miss.
- Rusty Smith, Ph.D., plant breeder, USDA-ARS Research Facility, Stoneville, Miss.
- Jeff Ray, Ph.D., plant physiologist, USDA-ARS Research Facility, Stoneville, Miss.
Although the professionals featured all obtained their doctorate degrees, they also explain career opportunities for professionals with bachelors and masters degrees.
It is a goal of MSPB to help maintain a superior soybean production research and extension program that addresses Mississippi production challenges. Sneed says educating students about career opportunities in agriculture will continue to maintain and improve these programs as well as provide a first-rate pool of talent for farmer-support industries in the state.
Currently, soybean farmers benefit by having support professionals second to none in the state,” said Sneed. “Although the video targets high school students, those who see this video may one day develop agronomic and mechanical innovations that keep Mississippi soybean farmers competitive and profitable into the future.”
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MSPB is made up of 12 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soy checkoff on behalf of all Mississippi soybean farmers. These volunteers work to increase soybean farmer profitability by investing in an ongoing public research program that addresses Mississippi production challenges, driving the adoption of best management practices developed through research and ensuring the sustainability soybean production through the protection of the state’s water resources.
For more information on the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board, visit www.mssoy.org
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