Educating Ag's Future Workforce
From Classroom to Career: How Colleges and Ag Companies Are Training the Next Generation of Workers
Editor's note: For several weeks, DTN is publishing a series of stories focusing on ag labor challenges and solutions. Most of the stories first appeared in the Progressive Farmer Summer issue, "Labor Pains." Our online series will also include bonus content, such as today's story, that didn't appear in the magazine.
Today's story looks at how strategic partnerships between colleges and ag companies are creating hands-on learning opportunities that prepare students for modern farming careers while addressing critical industry workforce needs.
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Grace Crozier was exposed to several different areas of agriculture early in life. She grew up on a cow-calf operation in Persia, Iowa. Her dad is an auctioneer who travels all over the Midwest and Southeast buying and selling heavy machinery. And, like many kids who grow up on the farm or ranch, Crozier was involved in 4-H and FFA during grade school and high school.
A growing number of young people with backgrounds like Crozier's are choosing to pursue careers outside of agriculture, often seeking jobs with higher pay or that are closer to urban centers with more amenities. Crozier is bucking that trend. She plans to graduate with a bachelor's degree in ag studies from Iowa State University this fall and follow in her family's footsteps working in agriculture.
Iowa State's AG 450 Farm program, a student-run farm that partners with various ag companies to give students a hands-on learning experience, was instrumental in helping Crozier prepare for a future career in agriculture, she said. She first took the class in the fall of 2024 and loved it so much that she signed up again in the spring of this year.
"Through the 450 programs, we get the opportunity to work with many different companies -- Pioneer, Key Coop, Wyffels -- you name it," she said. "It's been awesome to get my name out there and start building connections within the industry.
While partnerships between educational institutions and businesses are nothing new in the world of agriculture, they are becoming more important as the agriculture industry struggles to find qualified employees and as more ag jobs demand specialized skills.
AG INDUSTRY EVOLUTION
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates employment in agriculture and related fields will grow by 5% from now until 2029, which translates to approximately 60,000 job openings each year. This includes roles in farm management, agricultural science, food safety and agribusiness.
In 2022, there were an estimated 2.9 million agricultural workers in the country, according to the National Center for Farmworker Health Inc. Overall, the agricultural and food sectors contributed 10.4% of total U.S. employment in 2022.
Historically, agricultural education in colleges and universities focused primarily on traditional farming techniques and animal husbandry. However, as the industry has evolved, so have the skills and knowledge that are taught. Modern agricultural programs now encompass a wide array of subjects, including precision agriculture, agronomy, agricultural economics, food science, sustainability and biotechnology.
Along with traditional ag roles, there are a slew of emerging jobs that need properly educated and trained individuals to fill them. Among them are precision agriculture specialists, sustainability managers, data analysts, crop geneticists, urban agriculture specialists, remote sensing specialists, plant pathologists and drone operations managers.
There are numerous examples from across the country of partnerships between the ag industry and colleges that have either been around for a while or are being developed to train young people for these important jobs. Here is a look at some of those programs:
-- University of Georgia and Grand Farm
In June 2024, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and Grand Farm, a leading innovator in agricultural technology, announced a collaboration to create a robust, innovative regional agricultural partnership.
Situated on 250 acres in Perry, next to the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, CAES and Grand Farm have come together to build the University of Georgia Grand Farm, a hub for research, education and sustainable agriculture practices.
The intent is to provide students with a hands-on learning experience while harnessing the power of precision agriculture, robotics and data analytics to increase productivity, conserve resources and ensure food security for future generations.
Grand Farm works closely with UGA to establish a local team and engage with key stakeholders.
-- University of Nebraska-Lincoln and NFarms
In August 2024, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and private-sector representatives broke ground for NFarms, the university's precision agriculture initiative. Its purpose is to create major opportunities for ag tech innovation and collaboration.
NFarms, which stands for Nebraska Future Ag Research and Management Systems, formalizes and strategizes the university's existing research -- operating on more than 3,000 acres of the university's Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, Nebraska.
The program's initial 5,000-square-foot building will house precise ag equipment with a long-term goal of creating a campus focusing on a range of projects.
Lindsay Corporation, a leading manufacturer of irrigation equipment and other products, will team up with NFarms as a public-private partnership.
-- Purdue University and Kearney
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Kearney, a leading global management consulting firm, and Purdue University's Center for Food and Agricultural Business partnered in 2024 to enhance agricultural research, strengthen industry engagement and build connections with corporate clients and industry partners.
The goal of the partnership is to enhance agricultural research, strengthen industry engagement, and build connections with corporate clients and industry partners across agriculture through internships, co-ops, clinical placements, service-learning and undergraduate research.
-- Iowa State Ag 450 Farm
Iowa State's AGEDS 450 student-run farm functions as a hands-on learning laboratory that embodies the principles of sustainable agriculture and innovative farming practices.
The farm was developed and started at ISU in 1943 by William Murray, professor of economics. The concept has been and continues to be "taking science and putting it into practice."
The 450 course focuses on farm management and operation and is well-rounded in terms of curriculum topics, which include topics such as farm finances, machinery management and operation, crops, swine and custom operations, farm safety, commodity marketing, entrepreneurship, and managing resources. There are roughly 120 students enrolled each year.
According to Skyler Rink, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies at Ag 450 Farm, many of what he calls "operational partnerships" are developed like any farm would develop a relationship with an input supplier, cooperative, commodity broker or ag leader.
-- Parkland Community College and AGCO
In fall 2024, AGCO Corporation, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, celebrated the grand opening of the AGCO Technician Training Center at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois.
The 22,000-square-foot facility is the home of the school's AGCO Agriculture Service Technician Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program, which provides instruction specific to the company's machinery and precision ag technologies.
The new facility offers state-of-the-art immersive classroom technology, 18,000 square feet of shop space stocked with special tooling and training aids, and access to some of the latest AGCO equipment in a hands-on learning environment.
The location will host training events for AGCO's dealer network, at which student-apprentices can learn alongside veteran technicians.
This project started about four years ago, when the AGCO technical training team and local dealers were attending the AGTECH Summit and visiting the AGCO Acceleration Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
AGCO's model allows a student to earn while they learn by working at the dealership throughout the length of the program and graduate with little to no debt. Dealerships will establish their own requirements for work commitments from the student upon graduation.
The program can accept up to 20 students per cohort, with a new cohort starting each year in August. The building and program were designed to accommodate two cohorts with synchronous classroom and hands-on learning exercises in the workshop.
-- University of Iowa and John Deere
A recent groundbreaking partnership between the John Deere Foundation, the University of Iowa and the Davenport Community School District (DCSD) is working together to increase access to higher education for Iowa high school students.
The Foundation allots $6.6 million over six years to create the John Deere Scholars Program, which will help Davenport Community High School students get ready for college at Iowa based on financial need.
The program started in fall 2024 with college readiness courses for seniors from low- to middle-income families at Davenport Central, North, West and Mid City high schools.
The University of Iowa appointed a local program director to work with school counselors to teach the courses, provide training to improve leadership skills and assist students with the financial aid and admissions process.
In addition to receiving academic, financial, and social support, scholarship recipients also will take part in specialized leadership training. This includes mentorship programs, field experience, and networking in the student's field of study.
-- Northeast Iowa Community College
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC), Peosta, Iowa, a founding member of the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement (C2A3), recently announced a ground-breaking initiative with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS).
This $9 million, four-year program is part of a cooperative agreement between C2A3 and USDA-NRCS to create a national agriculture center for two-year colleges and connect more students to agriculture career pathways.
C2A3 is a collaboration of nine schools across eight states. In addition to NICC in Calmar, Iowa, member schools are Central Lakes College in Staples, Minnesota; Clark State College in Springfield, Ohio; Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Illinois; Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette, Indiana; Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota; Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin; Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska; and Richland Community College in Decatur, Illinois.
Through these alliances, member colleges can access these resources and gain assistance in building partnerships with their local and state USDA-NRCS offices.
The national ag education consortium will also encourage applied research and outreach activities on college farms and urban agriculture facilities. Several C2A3 schools, including NICC, already have continuous projects in place that are related to soil quality, water quality, urban agriculture, livestock and grazing.
-- Auburn University
Agricultural education in Alabama is crucial for preparing students for careers in the industry -- and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the College of Agriculture at Auburn University are at the forefront of this effort.
One standout program is Auburn's agribusiness program, which emphasizes the relationship between agriculture and business. Students learn about agricultural economics, marketing and management -- equipping them with the skills necessary to navigate the agricultural sector.
Companies including the Alabama Farmers Cooperative (AFC) and Alabama Farm Bureau Federation actively partner with universities to create internships. These internships provide students with valuable insights into the agricultural industry -- allowing them to contribute to ongoing projects and initiatives.
Similarly, the Alabama Farm Bureau Federation collaborates with local high schools and universities to create pathways for students interested in agricultural careers.
Through programs like the Alabama Ag in the Classroom initiative, students learn about the importance of agriculture in their communities while developing skills that will serve them in future careers.
INVESTING IN FUTURE WORKERS
Other examples of businesses working with ag education include Cargill, which grants $6 million annually to support eight universities and associations that are prioritizing higher education opportunities for underrepresented students.
The Cargill University THRIVE program was created to address this challenge, working with university partners to ensure more equitable access for women and minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as agriculture and business.
The THRIVE program provides financial support through scholarships and encourages long-term academic success through mentoring, development programming and career coaching. The goal is to help participating students convert their education into meaningful careers.
THRIVE is or has been offered at Alcorn State University, Tuskegee University, Texas A&M University as well as long-standing Cargill partner institutions Iowa State, Kansas State and the University of Minnesota. THRIVE also supports Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) and the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA).
Similarly, Corteva Agriscience backs projects and programs that promote educational achievement and development for youth, particularly in areas related to science, technology and agriculture. One of these pivotal programs is Corteva Grows, which supports projects and programs that will lead to educational achievement and development for youth around the world while building a diverse agricultural workforce for the future.
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
Addie Hunter, a senior majoring in production agricultural studies and a member of the Ag 450 Farm, said building relationships with businesses while in college is important.
Hunter said the hands-on experience she's received during her time on the 450 Farm reinforced her decision to continue the succession planning for her grandparent's farm after graduation -- maintaining existing and building new relationships with businesses.
"At the 450 Farm, we are lucky to have a strong relationship with Van Wall Equipment, allowing us to lease new John Deere tractors to gain experience with the latest developments," said Hunter. She has interned with Syngenta Seed Research and Drakesville's Crop Services Inc., and currently works as an undergraduate research assistant in the ISU Agronomy Department.
"There is great value in partnerships between ag education and businesses as they help drive innovation and productivity in the ever-changing agricultural demand. Partnerships are proving to be foremost today as fewer people are entering the industry, and a growing population of consumers creates new demands and trade opportunities."
Similarly, Miles Walder, a second-semester freshman at Parkland CC, finds great value in the relationship between education and business.
"We spent the first semester getting basic knowledge about the program, equipment, processes, etc. But this second semester, we've been almost completely hands-on, learning about working on the highly technical AGCO equipment," said Walder. His connection with the AGCO Training partnership stems from his work with Flanagan Implement & Service, which pays two-thirds of his tuition to study in the program.
"We are half-time in the classroom and half out in the shop. It's a great way to get to know the products and how they work."
MORE ROOM FOR GROWTH
While education-business partnerships continue to expand, Lori Culler, owner of AgHires.com, said there is still room for growth and expansion to educate the ag future both in and out of the classroom.
"There has been a historic gap between what academia is teaching to what skills are needed for open jobs in the market," she said. "We would love to see more of it, but there is still a large disconnect between the types of skills needed for jobs where there is a shortage of candidates and universities offering that specific training.
"Still, I see this as highly valuable, but a great challenge to solve."
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