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Management Specialty
Overview
The Natural Resources Systems - Agriculture Business is designed to allow students to pursue a career from a range from laboratory oriented jobs to field intensive positions involving management of agricultural based businesses. Agriculture business integrates business, marketing and economic principles applicable to agriculture and related industries.
Job Titles
A variety of job titles exist in the agriculture business area. The following list some of the general agriculture job titles and possibilities. Some of these careers may require a student to go on to a 4 year degree; however, some may not.
- Agricultural lobbyist in state and national legislatures
- Agricultural teaching at secondary level
- Agricultural teaching at community college level
- Agricultural sales
- Agricultural marketing
- Agricultural stabilization and conservation service
- County agent
- Farm or ranch management
- Field representative for agribusiness firm
- Field representative for production agriculture/food processing firm
- Lending institution officer
- Production credit association officer
- Public relations/communications in agribusiness firms
Occupation Description
Careers range from growing and marketing produce, livestock and field crops to marketing products and providing services needed in farm production. It also includes processing and distributing agricultural commodities. Agriculture business careers are plentiful and diverse. Graduates can launch successful careers in many agriculture related fields from selling farm equipment to grading and merchandising agricultural products. There are also opportunities in the agriculture business field that exist in several areas of specialization; such as, students who are returning to farms or ranches and need a background in animal science, crops and agriculture business management. There are also career opportunities in agriculture leadership positions. There is a need for good communication skills as well as leadership skills in both these. In agriculture leadership roles a student could go on to such careers such as agriculture education, lobbyists, and extension staff.
For more information on specific occupations in the agriculture field, visit http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos285.htm.
Specific Work Activities
If you choose a career in agricultural you may play a large role in getting food, plants, and other agricultural products to market. Most will work on farms or ranches or in nurseries, slaughterhouses, or ports of entry. There are various duties in this type of work including planting and harvesting crops, installing irrigation, delivering animals, and inspecting food so insure that it is safe. Other duties might include operation of a variety of farm equipment used in plowing, maintaining, and harvesting.
The majority of agricultural workers are farmworkers and laborers that perform numerous activities related to growing and harvest; such as, planting and seeding, pruning, irrigating, harvesting, and packing and loading crops for shipment. Other duties include application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to crops; repairing fences; and irrigation. Farm and ranch workers may also have the responsibility of caring for animals such as cattle, sheep, horses, and in some cases even bees. These duties would include feeding, watering, herding, castrating, branding, weighing, and loading animals.
Working Conditions
There is a wide variety of working conditions for agricultural workers. Most of the work on farms and ranches takes place outdoors and the work takes place no matter what the weather conditions are. Also, much of the work can be physically demanding.
If the worker is employed in the area of livestock production work that would mean being outside in the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter. During times of harvest and calving for example the days are long and can not be put off.
With more training and education other possibilities for non-seasonal and less physically demanding positions is more likely than with out the training.
Physical Work Conditions
Most accounting-related positions are outdoors.
Wages and Projections
Wages vary by area of the country and by employer. Wages can vary from a beginning hourly wage on a part or full time basis. Those students graduating with a four-year accounting degree currently are in very high demand with starting salaries averaging nationally at $44,564. Most accountants receive benefit packages, with additional benefits varying by level. Accountants in mid to upper level positions will typically have substantial benefit packages that can be equal in value to their salary (these positions typically require extensive experience and/or advanced degrees).
Advancement
Course work in biology or agriculture science is required in many cases to become an agricultural inspector. Trained in the applicable laws or inspection procedures through some combination of classroom and on-the-job training is also required of inspectors.
For more information on the advancement in the field of agriculture visit: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos285.htm
Major Employers
According to the U.S. Department of Labor; Bureau of Statistic, the agricultural workers held about 795,000 jobs in 2002. The most numerous of these were farmworkers, of which held 670,000 jobs. The next most common was graders and sorters holding 49,000 jobs; then inspectors at 16,000 jobs.
There are career opportunities in other areas such as:
- Accounting related in all industries
- Government and regulatory agencies
- Corporations
- Non-profit
- Small business
Program Course Requirements for AAS degree
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