Agriculture Career Exploration for Students Begins in the Classroom
On May 1, 2025, 141 ninth grade students from East Grand Forks took part in an engaging agriculture career exploration for students through Farm Camp Minnesota. The event, held at Heritage Village, introduced teens to the wide variety of agriculture-related career paths available in their region. Supported by the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation, this hands-on experience featured contributions from partners like Northland College, American Crystal Sugar, and the University of Minnesota Crookston.
This Farm Camp followed the standard three-part model: learning before the visit, experiencing agriculture on site, and exploring future careers in the field.
Step One: Classroom Lessons Build Curiosity
Before the big day, students completed lessons in school to prepare for what they would see and do at Farm Camp. These activities connected STEM topics to real-world agriculture careers and helped students understand the broader impact of the industry.
Teachers used resources like:
- The Sugar Beet Resource Guide to explore how crops travel from the field to the plate
- "How Does It Grow?" video series to trace the path of potatoes to processed food
- The Science of GMOs lesson to examine biotechnology in agriculture
- What Happens When Farming Goes High Tech? to highlight innovation in modern ag careers
These lessons sparked early excitement and gave students a strong foundation for their in-person experience.
Step Two: Hands-On Agriculture Learning at Heritage Village
On-site at Heritage Village, students rotated through engaging and interactive stations designed to show the diversity of agricultural careers. They got hands-on experience with animal care, crop production, food science, and technology.
Highlights included:
- Watching a live sheep birthing demonstration
- Giving vaccinations to livestock under supervision
- Exploring the genetic science behind animal breeding
- Learning the role of inspection and quality control in food processing
- Discovering the many stages food travels before it hits grocery store shelves
Students left amazed by both the complexity and the reach of agriculture. One participant shared, “I thought it was very interesting on how to birth a cow.” Another reflected, “The thing that most surprised me is that everything that is on earth comes from earth. There are many steps in farming in order to have a good crop.”
Step Three: Connecting to Real Agriculture Careers
The final piece of the Farm Camp model is focused agriculture career exploration for students. At Ag Day 3.0, that goal was clearly met.
Before the experience, only 56.9 percent of students could list three ways they use agriculture in their lives. Afterward, that number jumped to 92.2 percent. Students were surprised to learn just how many different roles exist in agriculture beyond being a farmer, from animal science to agronomy to food marketing and agricultural inspection.
As one student said, “How many different careers besides farmers” really opened their eyes.
Teacher Reflections
Educator Stephanie Larson summed up the day by saying: “Ag Day will go down as one of the most treasured events.”
A Powerful Day of Discovery
Farm Camp Minnesota uses a proven three-step model to guide agriculture career exploration for students. By preparing them with classroom lessons, providing real-world exposure, and tying it all together with career connections, students walk away not only more informed but also more inspired.
Ag Day 3.0 in East Grand Forks showcased how agriculture education can come alive when communities, schools, and partners work together. With programs like this, the future of agriculture looks bright and full of opportunity.