Career advice from agricultural professionals

Oct 09, 2015

The possibilities are limitless in agriculture

People of a certain age can remember the music video for the song We’re Not Gonna Take It, by the band Twisted Sister.

In it, the patriarch of the house essentially reprimands one of his boys for not deciding on a career path as he sits in his bedroom playing a guitar. After asking his son what he wants to do with his life, his son says he wants to rock, and hilarity ensues.

But when you really think about it, the question “what do you want to do with your life?” is one of the most important ones you can answer, especially when it comes to careers.

There are obviously many factors that go into that decision including talents, interests, wages, benefits and opportunities for growth, just to name a few.

Earlier this week, 450 professional women in agriculture, assembled to hear from a number of powerful women in the agriculture industry. After their presentations, many of the conference speakers spoke to Farms.com and AgCareers.com about their advice for young women considering a career in agriculture. Their enthusiasm confirmed that for those who need excitement, an ever-changing landscape, the opportunity to advance and network, and are passionate about what they do, agriculture is a great career path to consider.

“If you love marketing, banking, IT or working with animals, I guarantee there’s a job with your name on it,” said Crystal Mackay, CEO of Farm and Food Care Canada.

“It gives you the opportunity to go from steel-toed boots all the way to high heels and back again in the same day if you want,” said Stephanie Nagelschmitz, an agrimarketer with Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.

Careers in agriculture can include:

Agricultural Media
Agriculture Financial Services
Human Resources
Digital Marketing
Communications
Project Coordination
Animal Biotechnologist
Sales Managers
Landscape Technicians
Soil Scientist
Policy Maker
Public Relations

Any many more...

When considering a possible career path, chances are it can be applied in a variety of ways in an agricultural setting. Visiting AgCareers.com can help you start that process to answer that question “what do you want to do with your life?”

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.