Expanding Student Awareness of Ag-Related Careers

It was a four-hour trip, but Donna Meller’s students from Pettisville in Fulton County were still going strong in the afternoon at Farm Science Review (FSR). Miller won one of the 8 grants provided by the Ohio Soybean Council and GrowNextGen for a field trip to FSR. 29 students made the trip, some from agricultural science classes and the rest in other science classes such as physics. Miller’s goal was simple: “to help them see science in agriculture. Most students think of the farmer but are not aware of the many peripheral careers related to farming. It’s neat to see non-ag students enjoying the application of science to different areas of agriculture.” A scavenger hunt around the expansive FSR grounds helped them see many different opportunities.

Meller said more and more rural children are growing up disconnected from farms and farming. Events such as FSR help them discover science careers connected to agriculture. Her students visited seed company displays and learned about bioresearch. They also saw how engineering is being used in the AgrAbility program, modifying farm equipment to help people with disabilities to continue farming.

Although students from her school’s ag program come every year, this year they were able to include other science students. She felt the event provided them with great exposure to agricultural technology and science.