McGregor, Ag Center of Excellence Working To Prepare Future Farmers

Higher education outlets across the Northwest are working to teach and train the next generation of growers.  But, how successful is that effort when it comes to young people landing a job, or even a career?  Leslie Druffle with Colfax based McGregor Company said they and The Ag Center of Excellence have become partners in reaching the next generation of ag producers.  She said the Center has been very accommodating when she’s looked for smart, capable students ready for a career.

“They help me find those students, we work very closely with trying to figure out how to gain interest in K-12 ag literacy type things, getting people interested in agriculture and what that means, and the opportunities that are out there that are many.”

Drufffle added each member of the ag community must carve out time, even if it’s just once a year, to reach out to nearby schools to tell ag’s story, and how young people, can be part of farming’s future.

“Maybe you are a service technician that’s hauling product out to the farm and setting up an applicator, maybe you’re an agronomist making decisions on what needs to be added to the soil, maybe you’re in precision ag and you’re trying to create some diagnostic tools for some real tough questions that have to be answered.  All of that is very important and we need to just take the time.”

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com