The answer may surprise you.
With the state set to implement new crop insurance policies for agricultural products, the California Farm Bureau Federation is urging farmers to seek new and different opportunities.
The Farm Bureau is encouraging farmers to apply for a new agricultural science degree (AGS) program in order to prepare for this change.
“We encourage farmers to continue pursuing their academic and technical studies in fields that directly impact agriculture, but we are also encouraged by the fact that many are pursuing the agronomic science degree program that will be available to them after the COVID-19 vaccine is fully administered,” said Mary Ann Schoener, the bureau’s vice president for programs.
“While we understand that many will be in need of additional training, the program will be a great way for California farmers to become the future leaders in their industries.”
According to the California Agriculture Policy Foundation, there are currently 8,600 agricultural science degrees in California, compared to the roughly 5,500 that were awarded in 2014.
According to UC Berkeley professor Richard M. Anderson, who wrote an article for the American Agricultural Educator, the agricultural sciences have long been the backbone of the California agricultural industry.
“The agricultural sciences are where the farmer and the farmers know that they are being held accountable to farmers, and it is the agricultural science that enables the farmers to operate in a way that works for the state,” Anderson said.
“In the future, agricultural science will be an integral part of the agricultural economy,” Anderson continued.
“And we need more farmers with agricultural science expertise.”
The California Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has been tasked with the testing of agricultural products for the first time, but farmers are still not fully prepared for this.
“I’ve heard farmers say they are worried about what the COVI-19 will do to their farms,” Schoeter said.
“So we’re all trying to prepare and prepare ourselves for the new vaccine.
So I think it is very important that we all get a bit of practice and get to know the crop and the crop science that we are going to be working on.”
For more information about agricultural science, visit the California Agricultural Bureau’s website.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection also has a position open for candidates to participate in the agroecological education program.
