Agriculture

With globalization and the advancement of agricultural technology and industry, schooling through agriculture programs is becoming increasingly necessary.

It is the human innovation that most led to our growth and development, a way of life that enabled us to settle into homes and villages and cities, it makes possible the world we know and live in today. Agriculture is the cultivation and production of food and goods through the domestication of crops and animals. It occurs on every continent, within every boarder, and is in practice today on every level from home gardens to international development and sale. It employs millions of people and is responsible for the sustenance which nurtures us all.

Agriculture Degree Description

For most of history, agricultural knowledge has been passed from one generation to the next through family teachings and practical experience. With globalization and the advancement of agricultural technology and industry, schooling through agriculture programs is becoming increasingly necessary. An agriculture degree will instill the necessary knowledge and skills related to the practice of plant and animal domestication, as well as the changing climate of business in the agriculture industry. Agriculture programs will divide their resources between the fields of biology, botany, and business, giving graduates a well rounded look at the modern agriculture industry. This knowledge is gained through courses like horticulture, agricultural technology, science of soils, animal husbandry, plant cultivation, agronomy, and dairy science. Agriculture degrees range from the associate level up to doctorate level degrees, giving prospective students a range of options concerning time, information, and personal interest in agriculture and its varied careers. Advanced agriculture degrees will move beyond the utilitarian aspects of agriculture and begin to look at global issues concerning developing nations, hunger, and environmental issues which surround the agriculture industry and its future. Agriculture programs can be found in every state university system and throughout the World Wide Web.

Agriculture Degree Careers

An agriculture degree can lead to any number of careers, ranging from the obvious farmer or rancher to more obscure positions such as photogrammetric, surveying technician, cartographer, map analyst, soil conservationist, or map curator. Government work is also available through departments like the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While the agriculture industry will always be around, the traditional career paths of agriculture are currently in upheaval, resulting in trends of expected decline for self employed farmers with marginal success. These declines are projected to decrease employment by 8 percent between the year 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Larger farms with higher production rates are able to better weather the fluctuations and changing agriculture markets which can force smaller farmers out of the industry. Also, land consolidation and water rights are dictating many changes in the industry which are still playing out. In 2008, approximately 1.2 million people held jobs as farmers, ranchers, or agricultural managers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.