Today’s explosion of an appreciation of and demand for local foods is a positive affirmation of farming. There is a new gratefulness for farmers as caretakers of the working landscape, purveyors of quality foods raised nearby. A better understanding of the need for open spaces, preserving soil, safeguarding water and practicing safe animal care has increased markedly. It is an invigorating time, especially for those of us who have been embroiled in agriculture most of our lives. But farming was not always embraced by our neighbors, peers and community leaders.
I remember telling my mom I wanted to be a farmer. Her response was surprise followed by all kinds of other professions I should consider. My mom believed a bankers job was the best because, in her observations, they didn’t have to start until 9am and closed up shop at 3pm. What could be better?
Mom was not alone at that time nor for her generation. She had grown up in the depression and lived through the greatest of all wars in history, World War II, followed by an industrial growth throughout the country and an economic climate unlike anything she or her generation had ever experienced. So why, would any young person consider farming? She and her friends considered it hard work, often smelly, dirty, and dangerous with large equipment and big animals, crazy long hours and lousy pay.
When I enrolled in a two-year agriculture program there were only 12 students in the major and only 1 female. The four-year baccalaureate was struggling and certainly not overenrolled. Fast forward to today and most Colleges of Agriculture are growing at a rapid rate.
According to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, any high school senior looking for a career with good job prospects would do well to consider going to college to study agriculture. The report, which was conducted by Purdue University with a grant from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), found that the job market has 57,900 high-skilled job openings every year in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, and environmental fields, but only 35,400 new graduates with a bachelor's degree or higher to take those jobs. That’s 22,500 prospective jobs that go unfilled.
“There is incredible opportunity for highly-skilled jobs in agriculture,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said as the latest update was released for “Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Agriculture, Renewable Natural Resources, and the Environment.”
Today’s buzz word is transformational change and that is in agriculture big time. People want to know who grows the food, how it is grown and they want to support local farmers. Spending dollars on local food keeps the dollars circulating in the local market which improves the local economy. Yes, local, which in turn supports growth and sustainability.
As a long time colleague, who, like me, devoted his adult career to working with agriculture, stated recently, “It’s nice everyone finally gets it.”
So jump right into the local foods explosion. Shop at a farmers’ market, try some new vegetable varieties in your backyard garden, maybe raise chickens or other livestock. If you are farming, ask us at CCE about new crops, markets or production techniques. Check out the CCE Franklin website
http://franklin.cce.cornell.edu/ for events and other information.
Grow local. Buy local. Eat local.
Last updated July 6, 2015