An article in the Picayune Item looks at the future of farming and how it is changing. Today's youth needs a professional agriculture degree as a way to build their career in agriculture.
Nathan Lehman, 18, is a good example. He hopes to earn a degree in agribusiness management and technology before he starts working at his family's grain elevator.
"It's going to improve how I'll market my grain, how I'll go about handling different people and different landlords," he said. "Having a basic degree is almost essential."
Mike Boehlje, an agricultural economist at Purdue University, said farming is shifting to a profession, rather than a way of life.
"To be a successful farmer today, you have to have manager skills and do the physical work, but you also have to have the general manager skills to work as a chief executive officer and manage the people and the financial side of a business," Boehlje said.
There is also growth in agriculture education. The article cited a statistic provided by the National Association of Agricultural Educators that says there was a 79% increase in students earning degrees in agriculture and natural resources between 1970 and 2002. The article also says that membership in Future Farmers of America is at a 22-year high.
