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SmartWorks | page 14
W
hen ninth grader
Tripp Sauls thought
of agriculture, he
thought it was just raising
plants or animals. After
experiencing the first annual
Ag Expo hosted by UGA
Cooperative Extension Carroll
County, he has a whole new
perspective.
“I was amazed at how big
agribusiness is,” Sauls said.
“The booths ranged from little
garden stores to big industrial
plants like Flowers Bakery to
the game warden.”
Sauls may not be the only
one amazed at the economic
impact of agribusiness in
Carroll County, known as farm
gate value. It is approximately
a quarter of a billion dollars
annually.
More than 300 students
from Carroll County
Schools, Carrollton City
Schools and the College
and Career Academy visited
representatives from 33
different organizations,
businesses, and educational
institutions such as the
USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service,
Printpack, UGA College of
Agriculture and Environmental
Science, and the Crager Hager
Farm— just to name a few.
“Our planning committee
targeted this age because
ninth grade is when students
are picking their career
pathway,” said Paula Burke,
Carroll County Extension
Coordinator, UGA Cooperative
Extension Service.
“There are many career
expos out there but not
many that concentrate on
agricultural fields,” Burke
continued. “Data is showing
that there are not enough
potential college graduates
to fill the number of jobs
available in agribusiness.”
Tripp admits he had no idea
the industry was so diverse yet
so inter-connected .
“It surprised me when
I realized how many very
different jobs it takes to come
together to provide our food,”
he said. “The USDA works to
protect land use so the farmer
can grow the highest quality
of goods so the industry can
produce a quality final product
for the consumer — a full
circle.”
According to Heidi Remy,
counselor at Villa Rica High
School, Sauls was rewarded
at the Expo for his inquisitive
nature. He was given a prize
from Flowers Bakery for
asking good questions.
“They said they enjoyed my
company,” Sauls said. “They
encouraged me to keep asking
good questions — that’s how
you discover more than is first
presented.”
According to Burke,
teacher evaluations of the
Expo praised the one-on-one
opportunities it provided
for students to get personal
attention. “Overwhelmingly
positive” evaluations also
commended the variety of
vendors representing a good
mix of career pathways and
providing a good overview of
the agribusiness opportunities
in Georgia.
Tripp is interested in math
and science and the Expo
demonstrated how much
those two subjects are used
throughout agribusiness.
“Vets and people in wild
life control use science all the
time. For example, you would
have to know the science of
wind patterns to understand
bird migration,” he noted. “A
lot of calculation goes into
figuring out how many crops
can safely be produced on
one area of land. I was really
surprised in how much math
and science supports the
knowledge of land use.”
Tripp is one smart
young man. After talking
with several of the different
representatives, he posed a
question.
“Who wants to eat chicken
that has come all the way from
China if you can get it from a
Carroll County farmer?” he
asked. “If only our country
could become self-sufficient
with our food supply and not
depend on so many other
countries to keep us well fed
and healthy.”
Burke said the
planning committee, with
representatives from Farm
Bureau, Carroll EMC, UGA
Extension, local ag teachers
and school administration,
have already determined the
date for next year’s event.
(Financial supporters included
Carroll County Farm Bureau
and Huddleston Farm).
“We have to open the eyes
of the next generation that
working the land is not the
only avenue for an agricultural
career.”
Exploring career pathways
Ninth Grade Ag Expo
presents possibilities
Tripp Sauls was just one of more than 300 students who
gained a new appreciation for the agribusiness career
pathway.
Paula Burke/Special
Cindy Haygood talks to students about careers with the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.