Farmer’s Guide to Trucking Regulations available to Ohio Farm Bureau members
The guide includes a farm driver checklist, overview of state and federal regulations and exemptions, CDL qualifications and more.
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What are you going to do after high school? How is a kid to decide what career path he or she will pursue? Maybe they know exactly what they would like to do or maybe they have no clue and are totally overwhelmed by the choices. There are lots of websites that will rank careers by all sorts of standards. Demand and availability, income potential, just to name a few.
What about a career in agriculture?
The most obvious careers are directly related to the farm or ranch. A very small percentage of the American population is involved in traditional farming, but there are about 22 million people who work in an agricultural-related field. Today’s agriculture offers more than 200 rewarding and challenging careers.
That’s why the Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation have partnered to bring four ExploreAg camps to high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors to explore various careers in agriculture.
These camps held in June and July at Central State University and Ohio State University Columbus and Wooster campuses are a great way for students to explore possibilities. They will interact with and learn directly from teachers, scientists and industry leaders.
Subject areas include food science, precision agriculture, animal sciences, natural resources, management skills, technology and agricultural business. In addition to the college classroom and campus experiences, the kids will participate in field experiences that highlight cutting-edge research and various careers.
There will also be sessions to help prepare the participants for the workforce that will focus on interviewing, resume building and public speaking skills.
I asked a participant what he enjoyed most about the two camps he attended in 2018 and 2019 and he said it was visiting the veterinarian center and the Schmuckers and Rogans research centers. Another participant said what she enjoyed most was visiting Select Sires Inc.
Dairy farming with my husband for 21 years and working for an agricultural regulatory agency for more than 30 years, I understand that it takes an extensive and diverse support industry for agriculture to succeed. Continued advances in science and technology are driving the demand for skilled individuals in agriculture.
Ohio is projected to have 18,000 new jobs in agriculture through 2020. Why not explore how you or your child can be part of one of the most vital industries in the world.
The deadline to apply for this free program is March 6. The application and more details are available here.
Submitted by Mary Smallsreed, a member of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau, who grew up on a family dairy farm in northeast Ohio.
OFBF Mission: Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communitites.
Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
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