New ag education partnership is helping connect students to careers in ag

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Two Ohio ag groups are helping students explore careers in the industry.

Sandusky County sophomore Kali Hines says the Ag Ed Experience uses everyday food items to connect young people to the industry.

“All of the wheat that is grown in Ohio is used to make Goldfish products,” she says. “Connecting common foods to the real-world helps educate students about where their food comes from. It gives them a better understanding of why farmers do what they do.”

The program is a collaboration between Ohio State University’s Agriculture Education Society and the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association.

Tadd Nicholson, executive director of Ohio Corn and Wheat, says ag education is an investment in the future.

“We have to pull from within and training them here in the state, that’s the future of our workforce development,” he says. “There’s no one else that we can allow to do this. We have to do it ourselves, so this is us just buckling down and doing the work.”

During this year’s Farm Science Review, the organizations highlighted how Ohio-grown commodities like corn and wheat make it from farm to table, the importance of ethanol for farmers, and the careers available for young people interested in the industry.

AUDIO: Kali Hines, Ohio State’s Ag Ed Society