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Facts about Agriculture
Agriculture is considered a science. Though people may think of farming and ranching first when they picture careers in agriculture, there are many other agriculture careers out there. Agriculture careers span across industries like business, culinary, education, science, and even healthcare. That’s because agriculture is a trillion-dollar industry. In fact, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that households budget 13% on food alone and workers in the agriculture career field accounted for 11% of total U.S. employment. Agriculture has also gone high tech. The average farm in the United States is 444 acres and innovations in farm equipment, genetics, and chemicals help farmers turn a larger yield with fewer resources.
Though agriculture careers can be found across the country, the USDA reports that California is the largest producer of agriculture followed by Iowa, Illinois, Texas, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Washington. Some states are also known for yielding specific crops. For example, Washington is known for apples, Georgia their peaches, Alabama for peanuts, Florida for citrus, and California is known for avocados. Other parts of the country are known for its livestock such as cattle, pork, and poultry. Over the last decade, tree nut values have also steadily inclined with nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pistachios leading the pack.
Careers in Agriculture
There are a vast amount of careers in agriculture to choose from. We’ve broken the list into various industries so you can see which industry’s cross into agriculture.
| Industry | Agriculture Careers |
|---|---|
| Business | Biometrician |
| Communications | Science Writer |
| Education | Naturalist |
| Engineering |
|
| Finance | Agricultural Economist |
| Healthcare |
|
| Public Service | Range Manager |
| Science |
|
| Technology | Remote Sensing Specialist |
| Trade Careers |
|
Agriculture Resources for Students
The National FFA Organization (the FFA stands for Future Farmers of America) is an organization across the United States that mentors students with leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. There are well over 700,000 members all 21 years old and younger across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Future Farmers of America was founded by a group of young farmers in 1928. Their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. They taught us that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting – it’s a science, it’s a business and it’s an art.
Visit the National FFA Organization website to learn more.
