Critics Of Jobs In Ag, Take Note

I was reading a Wall Street Journal story the other day about how gloomy the job market looks for college graduates who are getting their diplomas this month. What with the economy in the doldrums, that’s no doubt largely true. But not when it comes to agriculture. There are tremendous opportunities for young people interested in a career in agriculture.

I’m not talking about becoming a grower, necessarily. Though I did read a story on the Atlanta Journal Constitution’swebsite in May about a farmers market having trouble finding enough growers to supply all the Atlantans clamoring for fresh vegetables. The story noted that the average age of a grower in the U.S. is 56, and fewer than 1% are under 25.

There are all kinds of jobs associated with agriculture that are simply going unfilled. For example, in Illinois there’s such a dearth of ag education teachers that the Illinois State Bureau of Education has started a new program, “Inspiring Minds To Grow.” The website is: http://teachag.net/.

“More than 60 openings for agriculture teachers in both urban and rural settings were available in 2007-08 with only 19 college graduates to fill those openings,” says Jay Runner, the coordinator for Facilitating Communication in Agricultural Education. “Since 1992, the number of available positions has
exceeded the number of graduates.”

No, you’re not going to get rich being a teacher. But most teachers will tell you they are richly rewarded in other ways. Besides, the average ag teaching salary in Illinois in 2007-08 was $45,822, and a few made in excess of $80,000. Not bad when you consider a lot of people out there just want a decent job of any kind.

Help Wanted: Fresh Blood

But say teaching’s not for you. Say you don’t want to be cooped up indoors. How about a dose of California sun? I usually attend the annual meeting of the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA), and it seems every year they’re talking about how there’s a shortage of young people interested in becoming a pest control adviser (PCA).

According to a 2006 demographic survey conducted by CAPCA, 74% of PCAs are 45 or older, up from 59% in 1999. Clearly, they, and by extension, the Golden State’s growers, are in need of some fresh blood. But at least they’re doing something about it.

CAPCA’s 2008 Members of the Year, Sean Morelos and Jeremy Briscoe, have started a program called “Pathway to PCA” to get young people interested in becoming a PCA. Both men, who work with vegetable growers along the central coast — Morelos with BASF and Briscoe with Certis USA — said that just making young people aware of the career option was critical.

Hats off to them. If those of us who love ag don’t help young people get involved, what kind of future does ag have in this country?