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Welcome to a new school year! We hope you enjoy our monthly Career Path Newsletters! It is our goal to teach you more about the great career opportunities which are available locally, to showcase the work our schools are doing in each career path, as well as to introduce you to the efforts of our local business community! We have strong businesses with exciting updates and accomplishments, which makes Wayne County a great place to work!

This month we feature the Agriculture Career Path! With the global population expected to grow exponentially over the next 35 years, Agriculture is expected to be one of the most sought-after career fields. Agricultural businesses are the leading employers, not only in Ohio - but in the country.

-Jean Roberts, Career Connections Director

Career Pathway Newsletter: Agricultural Careers

AGRICULTURE PROGRAMMING AT NORTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL

Many of the students at Northwestern High School have an instilled love of agriculture that emanates from generations past.

Northwestern has a popular Agriculture program that teaches much more than just the basics. They focus on building leaders, teaching respect, responsibility, and good hard work ethic which has been filtered out of other curriculums. Countless students and alumni credit their success to their participation in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) for helping build this strong foundation.

"The unique part of our curriculum is that we teach to meet the specific needs of our kids", says Heather Tegtmeier. "As career opportunities change, our curriculum changes with it".

Northwestern offers 11 hours of post-secondary education in the area of agriculture. They range from welding and electricity to animal science, food science, and environmental science.

Some notable projects that their students have worked on in class this past year were:

a chick nutritional experiment,
Soil evaluation for farm use,
a Mother's Day ornamental horticulture project,
an urban development parliamentary procedure.

To help prepare their students for the future, the district is very excited about the construction of a 30x100 Ft. greenhouse/clean energy lab which was made possible by generous donations, foundation contributions, and grants. The FFA chapter has also organized multiple fundraisers to help in the effort.

A few features of this learning lab will include:

monitoring equipment,
solar power array,
geothermal HVAC system,
wind turbine
biodiesel plant.

This year, both Northwestern and Wooster High School were awarded a grant which will allow students to intern at ATI/OARDC. In conjunction, they will conduct hands-on training in lab and field techniques related to Bioenergy Research and Water Resource Recycle. There will also be a career workshop and field trip to a relevant plant/company in the area.

"Our mission here at Northwestern is to prepare our students today,for tomorrow's opportunities", says Northwestern Superintendent Jeff Layton. "We remain grounded and our students are at the center of everything we do".

NORTHWESTERN STUDENT ON AG CAREER PATHWAY

AlanMichael Ulrich has known what he wanted to do since he was a young boy. His father, who works for John Deere selling engines, has influenced him in the choices he's made throughout his life and he's always had a passion for Agriculture.

Driven by hard work and dedication, AlanMichael will be completing an internship at Shearer equipment, which is located on State Rt. 3 in Wooster. He's eager to be a team player and pitch in where ever needed.

He attained his internship by calling Shearer directly, halfway through his junior year. "I wanted to be ahead of the game and ready for my senior year" he said. He went through the application process and provided them with a resume and completed an interview.

As for future plans, AlanMichael has narrowed his search down to Oklahoma State University, and Mississippi State University, both of which he has applied. He plans to major in Agribusiness and minor in Crop and Soil Sciences. Right now, he hopes to own his own Agriculture company some day.

Ten years from now, AlanMicael sees himself as an Alumna of a great Institution and working in his preferred field. He hopes to start a family of his own someday and tend to the land, which he acquired himself. He wants to be successful with everything he pursues and with determination and focus such as his, he no doubt will.

A New Generation of Farmers Emerge at Norwayne High School

It's an exciting time to be in Agriculture. In an ever changing industry, students can create a niche for themselves that will set them apart when they go out into the job market. The industry encompasses subsectors such as Urban Forestry and agricultural biotechnology to name a few.

The Ag programs offered at Norwayne encompass a wide range of career paths in this field as well as horticulture, animal science, welding and food science. These programs provide a strong foundation for their students. In addition to many career opportunities in the field, agriculture allows students to engage in real math applications, science and English concepts.

This year for a project, students will create their own food product, complete with nutritional facts, and then put on a mock sales pitch.

There are many intangible qualities that students learn through an agricultural education as well. Norwayne's students who are enrolled in AG are also very focused on community involvement and even earn several volunteer hours. All of this is very valuable when applying for colleges, scholarships, and National Honor Society.

Norwayne's students also have the opportunity to enroll and take College Credit Plus courses at ATI, which many have taken advantage of.

Norwayne is committed to continuously exploring various options to utilize technology for student enrichment and staff development to stay relevant in an ever-changing and growing field.

Career-Tech Success Story

The Ag Mechanics/Power Technologies class at WCSCC is one of the programs offering a full, hands-on experience for students. Instructor, Craig Wellert takes a great deal of pride in this program and he believes it is his responsibility to prepare his students in the follow two ways:

1. To ensure his students are employable when they leave his program
2. They become good citizens with a strong work ethic.

Students form a tight bond while working in Wellert's classroom with a strong focus on teamwork. "I treat them as though they are adults and expect them to step up to the plate" he said. " I try to create an experience that will mirror the real world and expectations businesses have of them. I look for students that pitch in to help without being asked and support their fellow classmates."

Ag Mechanics/Power Technologies helps students troubleshoot, repair, overhaul, and assemble diesel power-driven machinery, equipment, small gas engines and complex hydraulic systems. They service farm tractors, heavy construction equipment, air-cooled engines, lawn mowers and outdoor power equipment and also operate a wide range of modern agricultural and industrial equipment.

Zach Kinney is a former student of Wellert's who went on to further his education at ATI and earned an Associates Degree in the Applied Sciences field, in Crop Management.

While still in school, Zach participated in the job placement program at WCSCC, which allowed him to go to work for half days, once his academic courses were completed in the morning. Through this program, he was employed at Town and Country Co-op in Smithville, which led to full-time employment upon his graduation.

Zach has a very important role at Town and Country as an applicator of anhydrous ammonia which is an efficient and widely used source of nitrogen fertilizer. Zach has undergone intense training to learn how to use this product and properly treat their customers' crops.

"With a degree in Crop Management or Agronomy, there is no limit to what direction you can go", he said. He has always enjoyed working the land and operating farm equipment, having grown up on his parents' 60-acre farm.

Zach hopes to run and operate his grandfathers 900+ acre dairy farm someday which also grows corn and soybeans. "Everything comes full circle. Having worked on the farm as a young boy, to the knowledge I've gained through my education and work experience are all things that I believe will help me be successful in my career path. If you choose this path, you can't be afraid of hard work".

Agriculture Career Pathways

Select a link below to learn more about the career pathway in that field.

COMMUNITY PARTNER: WEDC

Featured Partner:
The Wayne Economic Development Council (WEDC) is a public-private partnership dedicated to the economic development of Wayne County and Northeast Ohio. In serving the interests of the local community, the WEDC's primary role is to stimulate new capital investment and job growth through business expansion and attraction initiatives.

Mission
To promote and facilitate business retention and strategic business growth in Wayne County.

Did You Know?
The WEDC organizes a local Ag Tour! This year's tour took place at Ramseyer Farms, Venture Products, and Sportsy Bag Company. A few photo are showcased below!

Why are Ag Careers important in Wayne County?

Locally it’s hard to ignore the significance of agriculture. It’s all around us. Take a trip down a country road or to the county fair and you’ll witness its enormity. Surprisingly, most students and parents are unaware of the economic impact and career opportunities in Wayne County’s most important industry.

Wayne County has the third largest agricultural economy in all of Ohio. The total value of agricultural products generated from the 1,928 farms in the area exceeds $380 million. Impressed? What's even more amazing is the entire agricultural value-chain in Northeast Ohio has estimated regional full-time employment of 19,000 with revenues in excess of $3.6 billion.

Locally the ag industry employs an estimated 5,000 local residents, second only to manufacturing. From dairymen to veterinarians to large equipment technicians to food production engineers to plant and animal scientists, there is no shortage of ag-related career opportunities in Wayne County. In fact, the very success of our agricultural community in many ways is attributable to the men and women working in our vast network of agribusinesses

While agricultural careers are often the appetite of those growing up on or around the farm, they are equally important and accessible to those without experience driving a tractor or shearing a sheep. Consider the trends.

By 2050 the global population is expected to approach 10 billion. Feeding an additional 2.4 billion people will drive up global food demand by at least 60%, inevitably shaping agriculture in ways never seen before. Farmers worldwide will need to increase crop production, planting in new places and on new landscapes while adopting new precision farming methods.

Exit the farm and enter the lab. The continued boom in bioenergy and bioproducts will yield a whole new world of products to be invented, produced and improved upon, cultivating a new generation of agricultural scientists and engineers.

Leave the lab and head downtown. By 2025, the restaurant industry is projected to add 1.7 million jobs. Concerns over the American diet and food sourcing will lead to an increase in Farm-To-Table Eateries serving patrons locally grown produce and meats.

Wayne County’s unique blend of agricultural assets have and will continue to produce a diverse mix of traditional and non-traditional ag career options. Which is the right job for you?

Wayne County Agriculture Fun Facts. Did You Know?

That chicken and sour cream in your Chipotle burrito was grown and whipped here in Wayne County (Gerber Poultry, Smith Dairy).
Not only is Wooster home to the world headquarters’ of Certified Angus Beef, the company’s Executive Chef recently competed in the Food Network’s Chopped Grill Masters
The lawnmowers that manicure the slopes of numerous Jack Nicklaus golf courses and removing the snow of our nation’s capital were made here in Orrville (Venture Products)
The largest producer of sour cream globally is about to conclude construction on a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant to supply much of the country east of the Mississippi with a dollop of Daisy
Want a job straight out of college, The Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute boasts a post graduate placement rate of 99%
Land O’Lakes has over 10,000 employees worldwide, the most senior employee company-wide works at the Palmer Street facility in Wooster – 49.5 years and counting
The Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center, is the largest research facility in the U.S. dedicated to the agbiosciences. The campus has over 230 researchers and scientists and a Level III Biosafety Facility (one of two nationally) capable of handling the pathogens of deadly global diseases

Job Outlook Information

If you are interested in a career in Agriculture, here are future employment projections for the State of Ohio.

Agricultural Job Outlook

Career Exploration Activity

Click on the image above to explore global careers in the Ag field

Career Inventory checklist that allows students to indicate interests by identifying preferred job task, academic subjects and qualities they possess. Armed with this information, they can explore the career areas further through videos, e-learning modules, and classroom activities.

Higher Education Institutions

Select a school below to learn more about their Agriculture Education options.

Our mailing address is:
Career Connections
741 Winkler Dr.
Wooster, Ohio 44691

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Career Connections · 741 Winkler Drive · Wooster, Ohio 44691 · USA