Provided

High school students learn about career opportunities in agriculture at the first annual Technology, Food and Agricultural Career Day, held at Spring Hope Dairy Farm in Hopewell, N.Y., March 22.

Many of the ninth- and 10th-graders who visited Spring Hope Dairy Farm in Hopewell, N.Y., last month probably thought they knew a little something about agriculture. What they probably did not know is that the field comprises a complex and rapidly growing range of disciplines that includes economics, human resources, physical and life sciences, production, management and business.

"The number of career options for kids to pursue in agriculture is exploding," said Pat Pavelsky, executive director of Ontario County's Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE). "There are so many more opportunities than even a decade ago."

CCE of Ontario County, the Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion Project and the Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board Inc. are betting that budding plant pathologists, entomologists and food scientists were among the 195 students from 19 school districts in Wayne, Ontario, Seneca and Yates counties who participated in the first annual Technology, Food and Agricultural Career Day on March 22. Students toured the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park and the dairy farm.

"By informing kids of the synergies between agriculture and technology, we're helping them to make better career decisions," said Pavelsky. The event, she said, was organized to help address critical labor shortages in the agriculture industry by exposing students to a variety of careers in technology, food and agriculture and broadening their understanding of what kinds of jobs are available to them. "Hopefully this is just the beginning, and we can continue to evolve the program," she said.

The initiative specifically targeted young high school students because they have not yet made decisions about college or careers.

"Just announcing this type of event doesn't work," said Pavelsky. "At 14 to 16 years old, they wouldn't get the message if they didn't see it and physically connect with the people who are doing the work."

Local colleges and universities, including Cornell, SUNY Cobleskill, Keuka College and Morrisville State College, participated in the event; 23 institutions, including Dairylea Cooperative Inc., Farm Credit of Western New York, Monroe Tractor, Pfizer Animal Health and Shur-Gain Feed, contributed to the program.

"Students had numerous fields to explore -- from the very technical to production agriculture -- and their interests were just as broad," said John Fessenden of Farm Credit of Western New York.

At Spring Hope Dairy Farm, for example, the teens learned about feed sales, harvesting equipment, animal husbandry and veterinary services. Kitty Noble of the Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion Project, which provided funds for the program, pointed to the bigger picture. "This experience can't help but increase their awareness of how the agriculture industry impacts their own communities," she said.

Jacqueline Dowdell is communications coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension.