Agriculture is a driving force in Nebraska’s economy, supplying jobs for several Nebraskans. For those who grew up around it, like Kayten Flanagan, the president of the Agribusiness Club, it quickly becomes their 24/7.
The contributions and struggles of agriculture affect the world daily.
“Ag is feeding the world, and it’s time everyone sees it,” Flanagan said.
Agriculture’s impact
Nebraska.gov finds that every one in four jobs in Nebraska is related to agriculture, with 44 million acres, or almost 90% of land in Nebraska, being utilized by farms. Most essentials that Nebraskans use daily are connected to agriculture, including food, fuel, materials and clothing.
“Everyone’s got a little bit of ag in them in this state,” said Owen Dodds, vice president of the Agribusiness Club.
These products of agriculture affect non-farmers’ lives daily. But the products of agriculture aren’t the only thing that is helping Nebraskans. The world of agriculture opens up endless opportunities for those looking to join it or change within it.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without agriculture,” said Jody Herchenbach, the Agribusiness Club Adviser. “There are endless possibilities within this unique field, since the consumers are everywhere.”
Family farms, such as Dodds, have been passed down from generation to generation, but for those not directly involved, there are other careers pertaining to agriculture. Even students who come from family farms that don’t want to participate in that lifestyle still have the opportunity to stay involved in agriculture.
Students at UNK can take agribusiness classes that cover a wide variety of these agriculture-related careers. Students can specialize in agriculture-related economics and accounting, farm real estate, supply chain management and farm and ranch management. That is just the tip of the cow tank.
“I knew I wanted to join agribusiness club and this department,” Dodds said.“I’m planning on going home to farm after I graduate, and this place has offered me a lot of connections with people who enjoy ag as well as knowledge I wouldn’t necessarily learn on the farm. It’s become my home away from home.”
UNK’s connection to ag
The Agribusiness Club participates in a variety of experiential learning. Natalie Pelster, the Agribusiness Club secretary and treasurer, joined for the opportunities and connections.
“I decided to join to meet other students in ag and get to know other people in my major,” Pelster said. “Through it, I’ve gotten to talk with a lot of producers and entrepreneurs, as well as form network connections and career ideas since I’m still undecided on where I want to focus.”
Flanagan has been the Agribusiness Club president for two years and relies on the experienced professors and advisers that UNK has to offer.
“I work closely with Jody Herchenbach, and she has been my rock at UNK,” Flanagan said. “She’s pushed me to branch out into all sides of ag and ultimately help students who want to meet more people in these career fields that they may not have known about.”
Herchenbach grew up on a family farm and has worked in many areas of agriculture. Her knowledge of multiple areas within agriculture allow students to thrive, Flanagan said.
Not only are these professors making an impact on ag students, but the Nebraska University System as a whole also offers different areas to specialize in as well. UNL specializes in animal science and agronomy. The resources surrounding the Lincoln area are utilized by students and faculty for these purposes. UNK, however, offers a different perspective.
UNK is more affordable than UNL, with smaller class sizes and an opportunistic location for rural families in central Nebraska. Also, because of smaller classes, students have the ability to get out of the classroom more.
The future of ag at UNK
The future of agriculture always seems to be a tricky question to answer. In the market now, grain prices are low. However, the cattle industry is booming. The fluctuation of prices greatly shifts each year, which can be taxing on family farms.
One of the major factors that contributes to the success of farming and ranching is technology.
“Technology contributes a lot to the efficiency of agriculture not only in Nebraska, but across the country,”Pelster said. “We’ve been doing research on genetically modified crops and adding in drones and AI, but keeping up with the world can be hard with resources that come with having money.”
At the UNK level, agribusiness students could potentially be facing some hardships. UNK announced earlier this year that it is creating a plan to address a $4.5 million budget deficit.
According to Flanagan, there are only about 40 students between the ag major and minor. Because of this, smaller programs, such as agriculture, could be facing cutbacks.
Flanagan has also seen and experienced the issue of competition with UNL, UNK and surrounding two-year schools. The battle of getting a degree at a two-year school versus receiving a bachelor’s in agribusiness has become a noticeable issue at UNK.
“I hope this department ends up expanding after I graduate, but it’s becoming significantly harder for us to compete with the schools that offer a quicker route to a degree,” Flanagan said.
While the department as a whole hasn’t seen a change, students continue to work toward growing it.
But for now, agriculture will continue to impact Nebraska, putting food on tables, clothes on backs and gas in tanks.
