In kindergarten, your fun loving teacher would have you sit, crisscrossed applesauce, on the colorful rug with crisp yellow letters in alphabetical order. He or she would ask each of you what you wanted to be when you grew up. Naturally, princesses, firefighters, presidents and policemen are the typical answers to this age-old question. But why isn’t being an agriculture teacher or dairy nutritionist a common response?
It really comes down to exposure to agriculture. Because of delayed exposure to the awe-inspiring world of agriculture, I was one of the first agriculturists in my family.
I had a traditional and ag-illiterate childhood. The biggest involvement I had with agriculture was going to the county fair and petting zoo. It wasn’t until high school that I joined Future Farmers of America, a club dedicated to creating young agriculture entrepreneurs and future agriculture leaders. The club sparked my interest in agriculture, and there was no going back. Throughout high school, I blossomed into a passionate agriculturist and, three years ago, I started my Dairy Science major plan at Cal Poly.
“Learn by doing” is epitomized in agriculture courses at Cal Poly. From producing and packaging our Galloping Gouda cheese to performing surgery on a tortoise, college agriculture students are no strangers to getting their hands dirty and experiencing the modern-day advances in the industry.
My college agriculture adventure began with being enrolled in dairy products processing and general dairy husbandry courses. I learned how to make cheese, ice cream and butter at our campus’ dairy. I learned how to milk a cow and balance a food ration. These experiences have molded me into the young woman I am today.
I show up to class, wearing my boots and sparkly shirt. I face every day excited for the new challenges in agriculture that await me. I am proud to be an agriculturist and I hope my kids will go to kindergarten and raise their hands high, exclaiming, “I want to be a future agriculturist!”