Page 3 - Arkansas Farm Families 2015

Advertising Supplement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Salute to Farm Families • Thursday, December 10, 2015 • 3H
Arkansas, which is a top-notch program,” she said. “You also have Southern Arkansas University, Arkansas Tech University, Ar- kansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Monticello that also provide great opportunities to study and learn more about agriculture.”
Along with these schools, the Universi- ty of Arkansas at Beebe boasts a post-sec- ondary, two-year agriculture program that allows students to focus their education efforts through a 150-acre farm that fea- tures livestock, an orchard, an arena, a greenhouse and a shop. The university offers a 60-hour Associate of Science de- gree in agriculture. With this degree comes an emphasis in one of five areas: agricul- tural business, agricultural education, ani- mal science, plant science and agricultural science.
Dykes emphasized that the agricultural business will continue to grow.
“The great thing about a degree in ag- riculture is it opens up countless oppor- tunities and will only continue to do so,” she said. “There are more than 22 mil- lion people who work in agriculture-re- lated jobs currently, but that number is expected to boom over the next five years
There are a number
of opportunities to learn about farming and
ranching right at our back door, practically.”
— Mollie Dykes Arkansas Farm Bureau
as the demand for food and fiber only con- tinues to increase with a growing popula- tion.”
She also said Arkansas is an ideal place to learn about farming and the farming culture.
“There are a number of opportunities to learn about farming and ranching right at our back door, practically,” she said.
In addition to collegiate programs, there are also many opportunities for high school students to enhance their agricul- tural knowledge. Through programs such as FFA and 4-H, high school students can further their experience with agriculture.
Dykes said she recommends, at the college level, joining professional-
An average of 60,000 job openings within agriculture are expected over the next five years. Mollie Dykes, social media/public relations specialist for theArkansas Farm Bureau,saidArkansas is in the top 25 in 23 agricultural commodities in the country, including being first in rice production, second in broilers, third in catfish, fourth in cotton and fifth in grain sorghum.
development organizations such as Agri- culture Future of America, the Collegiate Farm Bureau and Agricultural Communi- cators of Tomorrow, to name a few.
“There are countless organizations and
opportunities to get involved at the col- legiate level that will help further your knowledge about the agriculture industry and provide opportunities to network with others in agriculture,” she said.