CONFERENCE PROMOTES AG CAREERS

Hundreds of youth from the region turned out Wednesday to learn more about setting educational goals that lead to careers in agriculture.

The Greenhand Motivational Conference held at Southeast Missouri State University was one of six held throughout the state this week for high school Future Farmers of America chapters. The National FFA officers -- college students who have taken a year off from college to travel on behalf of FFA -- conduct the conferences annually for new high school agriculture students.

Despite financial problems faced nationally within the agriculture industry, students and state officials said interest is growing in FFA and agricultural careers.

More farm technology

"It's especially hard for farmers right now, but there's stuff coming out to help us out," said David Culp, 17, of Holcomb, Mo. "They've got better seeds, more technology. All of that's going to make this a better industry to be in."

Managing small family farms remains of great interest to many FFA students, but there has been a renewed interest in horticulture and landscaping. Improved technology and equipment also have sparked interest in newer careers such as aquaculture and precision agriculture, which involves the use of satellites to assess soil quality and fertilization needs.

"There is a lot of technology involved in agriculture today," said Nancy Alford, southeast district supervisor for agricultural education. "You'll find computer labs in most of our classrooms."

She said, "Students today can seek any number of jobs, from running the family farm, to traditional service-related jobs, to cutting-edge technology."

Alford said FFA has made a national recruitment effort to entice more students into the industry and retain more members through high school graduation. The organization, which first allowed girls to join in 1969, has seen a marked increase in the number of female members.

"They've gained a lot of acceptance, but I think it's an area they've always been involved in," she said. "Especially with the interest in agricultural management, horticulture and those types of careers, they've seen more options for careers."

Amanda Dann, 14, of Farmington, Mo., joined FFA this year because she "thought it would be fun." Like many members, she's unsure what her future career will be but is interested in horse training.

"I've enjoyed farming since I was little," Dann said. "Being in FFA has made it more interesting now, because it just seems like it's becoming more popular all around.".