Agricultural ScienceGrade 7

Week 4

Lesson 1

Topic: Careers in agriculture

Objectives:

1. For students to be aware of the various careers available in the field of agriculture

2. List career opportunities within each branch of agriculture

3. Differentiate between the production and non-production careers

Agricultural CareersMany diverse careers are found in agriculture.

People working in agriculture play a hand in feeding the world sustainably.

Off-farm agricultural careers are important and integral to sustainability. The people in these careers do many things, such as: ◦ Improve efficiency in food production.

◦ Discover and help implement new best management practices to be used in agriculture.

◦ Educate and communicate to the public about the source of our food.

◦ Help minimize food waste and hunger.

Agricultural economists have management-related jobs in agribusiness firms.

They use modern analytical management tools to make profitable decisions.

Agricultural economists conduct financial analysis, develop marketing plans, and

set up optimal production schedules in food and fiber firms. Most agricultural

economists spend a great deal of their work lives analyzing alternative decisions.

Agribusiness firms that provide such things as feed, seed, fertilizer or capital,

and those that process and distribute agricultural products, employ agricultural

economists. Feed, seed, and fertilizer firms; rural banks; and input cooperatives

employ agricultural economists to manage their operations. Many agricultural

economists work for wholesale and retail food processing firms.

Agricultural Economist

Agronomist◦ Agronomists deal with field crops and soil management. They develop new varieties of

crops, analyze soil structure, investigate soil chemistry, and study the physics of water

movement in soil. Agronomists are concerned with the environment. You will find

agronomists teaching, conducting business, and doing research in all parts of the food

industry all around the world.

◦ Agronomists work for banks, farm co-ops, and crop management companies.

Agronomists are hired as crop consultants by farmers or by seed, fertilizer, and

agrichemical companies. Some are forecasters, environmentalists, analysts, or teachers.

Agricultural Engineer

Agricultural engineers apply basic science and engineering principles as they

design solutions to engineering problems in agricultural production. Agricultural

engineers design agricultural machinery and facilities such as tractors, implements,

housing, storage and handling facilities, irrigation and drainage systems, and soil

conservation measures.

To be an agricultural engineer, you should enjoy solving problems and have the

ingenuity to envision new designs or solutions. You must understand physical and

chemical principles well enough to apply them as you solve problems.

Botanist (Plant Biologist)A botanist (plant biologist) studies tiny microorganisms and giant trees -- all plant life. Botanists who

like to be outdoors may be plant explorers. They may study the effects of pollution (such as acid rain)

on plants and work toward environmental protection, or they may identify new plant species and

evaluate their parts and uses. Some botanists produce entire plants from single cells with a technique

called tissue culture. Others use biotechnology to develop new or unproved plants.

Educational institutions hire botanists as teachers and researchers. Some botanists work in botanical

gardens, arboretums, herbaria, zoos, and medical plant or germplasm resources laboratories. Others

work in plant-related industries such as biological supply houses, biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical

companies, nursery or greenhouse businesses, and petrochemical companies. Some work in

publication, sales, or animal or plant health inspection.

HorticulturistThe Latin words hortus (garden plant) and culture (culture) together form horticulture, classically defined as the culture

of garden plants. But today horticulture is more than garden plant culture. Horticulturists work in crop production,

plant propagation, plant breeding and genetic engineering, plant physiology, plant biochemistry, storage, processing,

and transit (of fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and turf). They improve crop yield, quality,

nutritional value, and resistance to insects, diseases, and environmental stresses. They make plants more adaptable to

different climates and soils and better fit for food uses or processes. And they grow and improve plants used for

medicines or spices.

Horticulturists can work in industry, government, or educational institutions. They can be cropping systems engineers,

wholesale or retail business managers, propagators and tissue culture specialists (fruit, vegetables, ornamentals, and

turf), crop inspectors, crop production advisors, extension specialists, plant breeders, research scientists, and educators.

You will find horticulturists in offices, laboratories, greenhouses, and out in production or research fields.

HydrologistHydrologists help protect our water supplies

and water quality. Hydrologists concerned

with water supplies manage surface and

ground water to avoid problems caused by

floods, droughts, and population growth.

Hydrologists working on water quality

problems deal with the chemical, physical,

biological and radiological properties of

water we use for drinking, irrigation,

industrial cooling or swimming.

Marine Scientist

Marine scientists address problems and issues facing marine life. They

systematically gather data in the field or laboratory with special sampling

gear and monitoring equipment. They interpret and evaluate the data they

collect, then write scientific reports for clients or supervisors. They may

also help make decisions or solve problems. Sometimes they deal with

problems of great economic or political importance

Nutritionist/Dietician

Nutritionists/dieticians help people look and feel good by making the

connection between food, nutrition and health. They can be teachers,

researchers, healthcare workers or managers. Some work with doctors,

nurses or therapists to speed patients' recoveries. Some counsel families,

the elderly, pregnant women, children, and disabled or underprivileged

people. Others direct experiments to find alternative foods or diet

recommendations. A nutritionist/dietician might offer advice on weight

loss, cholesterol reduction or other diet-related concerns.

Veterinarian

Most veterinarians work in private practices where they diagnose, treat,

and help prevent disease and disabilities in animals. The DVM (doctor of

veterinary medicine) degree, however, opens up many career choices.

Veterinarians can be practitioners, researchers, public servants,

administrators, and teachers. They may work with one or more species of

animals, or with additional training, in a clinical specialty such as

cardiology, surgery, or neurology. Veterinarians safeguard human health

by controlling diseases that can spread from animals to humans.

Reference:https://www.slideshare.net/MichaelPruden1/agriculture-careers

http://ww1.glenrosearkansasffa.com/

https://www.agclassroom.org/teacher/matrix/lessonplan.cfm?lpid=588

https://slideplayer.com/slide/6221371/72/video/Agricultural+Careers+Presented+by

%3A+Marie+O.+Bolt.mp4

https://youtu.be/yiD_P4RHzg8

https://youtu.be/XRZJpS6THi8

How many jobs did it take to produce your food?

Cheese

Dairy Farmer

Animal Geneticist

Animal Nutritionist

Mechanic

Crop Farmer

Insurance Provider

Soil Scientist

Bank Loans Officer

Truck Driver

Engineer

Hydrologist

Food Scientist

Processing Plant

Manager or Worker

Veterinarian

Inspector

Plant Geneticist Feed or

Seed Store Manager

Teacher or

Professor

1. Ice Cream Cone2. Eggs3. Bread4. Apples5. Orange Juice6. Tomatoes7. Hamburger8. Bacon9. Peanuts10.Potatoes

Grocery List

Milk

Dairy Farmer

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Look at the previous slide and note the connectivity between careers. Insert all the careers and products that will contribute to your dairy beverages, starting with the Farmer.

Home WorkMake a portfolio with careers under the following headings. Kindly include level of education needed, photographs and identify one person that worked in that area.

1. Forestry

2. Animal Health/Public Health

3. Animal Science

4. Aquaculture

5. Agricultural Engineering

6. Food Science

7. Agronomy

8. Crop Science

9. Agricultural Education

10. Agricultural Economics