COULMN: The science of life
We often think of agriculture as just a bunch of laboring hicks,
When all-n-all most of agriculture doesn’t happen in the sticks.
Well it might just kinda surprise you, of all the scientists and business bunch,
That all depend on agriculture to provide the money for their lunch.
The College of Agriculture is possibly one of the most recognizable colleges on campus, but most students know very little about it. What comes to your mind when you here the term “Agriculture?” Perhaps cowboys, farmers, Wrangler jeans, and tractors are the first images that pop up.
Production agriculture, which consists of these mental images, is an essential part in the backbone of life, but it is only a portion of what the term agriculture entails.
Have you ever considered an occupation in agriculture? There are many opportunities that can fit your interests. For example, are you interested in business or trading stocks? Have you ever given consideration to trading commodities, like grain, from around the globe, then hedging those commodities on the future’s market? How about managing the financial side of a feedlot that annually produces 28 million pounds of beef?
Perhaps your interests lie more on the scientific side of life. Do you dream of spending countless hours in a lab mapping DNA codes in hopes of improving human health? Would you enjoy the technicalities involved in the cloning process, or would you like to develop plants that will naturally produce insulin? Are these things possible? That’s what the world of agriculture is trying to find out.
Maybe you’d like to help in the reduction of soil erosion, or make the world a cleaner place by studying the possibilities of burning ethyl alcohol derived from corn. Are you interested in improving the aesthetic appearance of landscapes through ornamental plants, while simultaneously conserving water?
The College of Agriculture is home of these occupations and many others. Join us on Oct. 2, as the College of Agriculture presents the opportunities available under its roof. We’ll help you build a fulfilling future, and you won’t ever have to touch a shovel.
Cade Davis is the College of Agriculture senator. Comments can be sent to him at cbdavis@cc.usu.edu.