tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25453005315524068052024-03-13T20:59:17.303-07:00Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension UpdateJohn M. Shutskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643491897569657214noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545300531552406805.post-87474547759902831052012-03-18T14:44:00.003-07:002012-03-18T16:07:55.550-07:00Part One – Early Technology in Extension – Grains, Trains, and E.L. Luther’s Motorcycle<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Part One – Early Technology in
Extension – Grains, Trains, and E.L. Luther’s Motorcycle</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
always enjoyed reading history. Two
highlights of my adult life occurred at the University of Minnesota where I first
had the chance to meet historian Steven Ambrose, author of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684826976/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ag0530d-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0684826976" target="_blank">Undaunted Courage</a>"(an exciting and detailed historical account of the Lewis and Clark expedition). A couple years later, it was David
McCollough, author of the stirring account of the American Revolution titled "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416542108/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ag0530d-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1416542108" target="_blank">1776</a>."</span>
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<a href="http://www.jerryapps.com/images/peoplecamefirst.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="2" src="http://www.jerryapps.com/images/peoplecamefirst.gif" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 10%;">
But,
I’ve never made time to read the historical details connected to any of my
workplaces – past or present, until this year’s <a href="http://100.ces.uwex.edu/" target="_blank">centennial celebration</a> of
UW-Extension’s Cooperative Extension division. This piece and the couple that
will follow are based in part on a 2002 book by<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&tag=ag0530d-20&ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-author=Jerry%20Apps" target="_blank"> Jerry Apps</a> titled "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1930596154/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ag0530d-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1930596154" target="_blank">The People Came First: a History of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension</a>."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After
reading and reviewing some of these accounts, it has made me think about how the innovation and excitement that moved
so many people to action in the early 1900s fits today’s vision for outreach
and extension work. I am particularly
interested in how the technology and innovation of the first couple decades of
the 1900s compares with where we’re at in 2012.</span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://100.ces.uwex.edu/files/2011/11/UWEX-ppt-5-Oneida-County-EL-Luther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="http://100.ces.uwex.edu/files/2011/11/UWEX-ppt-5-Oneida-County-EL-Luther.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E.L. Luther of Oneida County - 1912</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Many have been fascinated to read the accounts of E.L. Luther, the first Extension Agent
or “county agricultural representative” in Wisconsin. Mr. Luther started his work in 1912 in Oneida
County, working out of Rhinelander, the county seat. Luther was hired to connect the land-grant
university in Madison to the people and communities. Especially intriguing is the fact that Luther
was provided with an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_%28motorcycle%29" target="_blank">Indian brand, two-cylinder motorcycle</a> that he used to
travel throughout the sandy roads of the county working directly with farmers,
conducting educational meetings, and connecting educational resources within
the county. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ernest
Leonard Luther has become our traveling “mascot” in 2012 as we celebrate the
Extension Centennial with a life-size cutout display of him and his motorcycle
which is <a href="http://blogs.ces.uwex.edu/whereisel/" target="_blank">traveling throughout the state</a>. The black and white cutout has also
become a bit of a meme for us these last couple months representing all of the
great attributes of the “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Idea" target="_blank">Wisconsin Idea</a>.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Even
before E.L.’s entry onto the scene, big things were happening. It is
enlightening to look at the progression of technology from the early/mid 1800’s
to Luther’s work a few decades later. In
the mid 1800’s, relatively little had happened in the U.S. from an agricultural
science perspective. Most of what
happened on a Midwestern farm in 1850 happened because of knowledge and
experience passed down through the generations, and much of that information
had moved from Europe to the U.S. over a century.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lots
happened after the 1850s. <a href="http://www.land-grant.org/docs/FY2013/ABE.pdf" target="_blank">President Lincoln signed Land Grant Bill </a>(Morrill Act)
in 1862 (we are also recognizing the 150<sup>th</sup> year of the Land Grant
act this year). In 1866, The University
of Wisconsin at Madison became the formal recipient of the federal land-grant. In the 1860s through the 80s much of the new
knowledge from the University and the College was conveyed within the walls of
traditional classrooms, but also through the mail via letters and in magazines and other print pieces
such as the <a href="http://www.wisfarmer.com/" target="_blank">Wisconsin Farmer</a> or the <a href="http://farmprogress.com/wisconsin-agriculturist/" target="_blank">Racine Agriculturist</a>. Another favorite was <a href="http://www.hoards.com/" target="_blank">Hoards Dairyman</a> which
began in 1885. Researchers and educators
in the University of Wisconsin’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and
Extension are still regularly cited by these same magazines more than 125
years later.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
College continued its growth and outreach into the communities of Wisconsin in
the 1880s. In 1885 and 86, “Farmers’
Institutes” were held in more than two dozen counties statewide. In the first
decade of the 1900s (1904 and 05), the College began to offer railroad “trains”
as an important technology-transfer mechanism to reach out and extend the
resources of the Madison campus to more in the state. There were three trains – the Seed Special,
Potato Train, and Livestock Special that made their way to areas of the state. The
train cars contained teaching demos, animals, and devices used to improve
agricultural productivity and efficiency.
There would also be one or more cars for faculty/staff. Obviously, the livestock train required staff
to transport feed and water. Additional help was required to care for the horses, cattle and other
animals that moved from town to town. These trains would be greeted with great
enthusiasm. At most stops,1000 or more
people would participate in the educational offerings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was an exciting time for those who were beginning to research and teach about
important agricultural and food system issues.
Wisconsin was continuing its transformation from being one of the
leading wheat and grain producing states to one where dairy and cheese
production would ultimately create major shifts in local economies. These early seeds grew into what is now a <a href="http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/wisag/documents/Ag_Impacts_2007_FINAL_7%2031%2009.pdf" target="_blank">$26 billion dairy industry – the largest single part of the state’s overall $60 billion ag sector</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In
1908, Dean Russell of the College reported that there were 12 “stenographers”
on staff, helping get 45,000 letters written each year along with more than
20,000 manuscripts and 102,000 “mimeograph sheets” that were sent out to
fulfill requests made by the state’s residents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In
his work out in Oneida County, nearly 200 miles from Madison, E.L. Luther saw
similar needs and demands. In the months that followed his establishment as the
state’s first Agent, Luther and another colleague reported having 27 educational
meetings with almost 3,000 people in attendance. They also wrote and mailed out 400 letters, and
more than 300 people stopped by to see Luther for informal consultation and
advice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Compare
all of these facts and conditions in 1912 from Jerry App’s book to those we face today. How do they compare? Was life really a lot more easy and simple back in the “old
days?” How did the daily worklife of an
early Extension Agent in 1912 compare with our work in 2012? What about the work of the writers and
editors at places like Hoard’s Dairyman? How about the farmers and rural residents that Luther served?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
think about the number of people who I connect with in a day. Like most people involved in Extension or
other agricultural communication or outreach work, I will receive 125 or more emails in a day. I’ll probably respond to the 30 or 40 that
require a direct response and quickly review the rest. In a given day, I might meet with three or
four groups or individuals. On a night
like last night, I might give a talk to 50 or 60 people and speak about the
latest challenges and solutions to issues we face in agriculture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Many of us now keep connected to some of the key
agricultural leaders and media contacts around the state using social media
like Twitter where a single message can be seen by four or five hundred people
and magnified one-hundredfold if you say something profound. I am not suggesting that this is all “good.” There are times that I look at my bloated
inbox and wonder what historians will write about the work of our generation
100 years from now! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Are our daily “interactions” as deep and meaningful as those of Mr. Luther? I have a sneaking suspicion that the answer
is “no.” But, we do live in a different
world today with shorter attention spans.
The volume of new information and knowledge that gets created in a
single month today exceeds that of ALL information and knowledge that existed
on earth in 1912. I have more computing power in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307473333/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ag0530d-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307473333" target="_blank">my little smart phone than existed in all of NASA in the late 1960s as they were working to get the first astronautsto and from the moon</a>. We live in a world of sound bites and data bytes. I do believe that the work of Extension and
the University as well as others charged with communicating about things like agriculture and positive change in 2012 is still firmly grounded on personal relationships,
trust, and a strong sense of confidence in the organization. But, I also believe we need to work hard to maintain the same degree of relevance in an ever changing and complex world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
issues that required solutions are not all that different. E.L. Luther reported on Oneida County’s needs
in 1912 connected to things like healthy livestock, correcting acidic soils, methods to
increase nitrogen for crops and forages, and silos to provide winter feed
storage for dairy cattle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Today,
we have some of these same challenges and are also focused on growing an
industry and developing the human potential of the families and youth who live
in our local communities. The work that
we do in support of the economy must also have a clear focus on sustaining the
environment and natural resources and considering the impact of growth on the
state’s infrastructure and on local communities.</span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Points
to consider….</span></b></i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Was
the work of E.L. Luther any easier (or more difficult) than your work today? What about those who worked on campus? (What
about the participants in Luther’s programs or the students in those early
years of the University of Wisconsin-Madison?)<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>How
did the technology of 1912 compare to today’s technology and infrastructure? Besides Luther’s motorcycle, what other
technologies helped him do his work in 1912?
What would E.L. Luther think if he was transported to 2012?<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Are
we making the best use of the technology that we have at our fingertips today? Why or why not? Are there barriers that hold us back?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
“trains” that were referenced above made more than 100 stops from 1911 to 1912
and drew more than 32,000 people.
Why? Are there things today that
we do (or don’t do) that generate similar levels of interest and enthusiasm?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>How
did Luther’s presence in Oneida County influence the “presence” and spirit of
the Land Grant concept in local communities?
What examples of this enduring spirit do we see today?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How
did Luther’s work and the work of the College of Agriculture in the late 1800s
and early 1900s help set us up for 100 years of success?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What
is today’s agricultural “train” or Indian motorcycle? Is it something we’ve not yet thought
about? What do we need to do to push the
envelope to think in the same way that Extension’s original leaders did in
1912?</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Coming…</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Part
Two – Dear Mr. Francour, Thanks for a Dynamite Presentation! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Part
Three – Learn by Mail and the Evolution Toward that Internet Thingie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Part
Four – To Tweet or not to Tweet…That is the Question (for all you Tweeps): Or, What do We Need to be Doing Today to Keep
up With Our Partners, Stakeholders, and Competitors?</span></div>
</span>John M. Shutskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643491897569657214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545300531552406805.post-3149559262046686272012-02-13T14:53:00.000-08:002012-02-26T09:58:45.879-08:00Looking for Motivated and Curious People to Secure the Future of Food and Agriculture!I know I am biased, but the University of Wisconsin Extension - Cooperative Extension remains the "premiere" place in the world to pursue a meaningful career that serves agriculture and the state's residents while also working to protect and maintain our precious natural resources.<br />
<br />
I can say this with confidence based on our strong connection and deep relationships with every one of the state's 72 counties. In addition, the University of Wisconsin System has a deep-rooted and historical commitment to agriculture, natural resources, and environmentally-focused programs which is second to none. Our work and spirit of service and excellence is based on our never-ending pursuit of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Idea" target="_blank">Wisconsin Idea</a> as well as our <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-Animal/124701/" target="_blank">prominent rankings</a> nationally and internationally<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">*</span>.<br />
<br />
Over the last many months, we've worked with caution and in financially conservative ways with our county partners as we strategically move forward to fill some of our critical open positions. These include agriculture agents who will serve some of Wisconsin's most important agricultural counties. The <a href="http://www.uwex.edu/ces/hr/alljobs.cfm" target="_blank">UWEX Jobs site</a> highlights agriculture and natural resource-oriented local positions in Sheboygan,
Trempealeau, and Pepin counties -- all with rapidly approaching closing dates.<br />
<br />
You will soon be seeing additional announcements as we release full-time
positions for Sauk, Columbia, and Marathon counties.<br />
<br />
Regardless of your role -- whether it's county agricultural agent, campus-based specialist, or agricultural leader/communicator in Wisconsin or nearby places, I'd love your help in getting the word out. We are committed in our efforts to recruit the best and brightest to apply for these and future positions both on campus and in local Wisconsin communities. <br />
<br />
Please encourage people to visit: <a href="http://www.uwex.edu/ces/hr/alljobs.cfm" target="_blank">http://www.uwex.edu/ces/hr/alljobs.cfm </a><br />
<br />
Despite all of the challenges we face as a state (and nation), I remain convinced that Wisconsin is THE place in the U.S. to come for people interested in fully serving the Land Grant Mission that UW-Extension (as well as Madison, River Falls, and Platteville) have been fully engaged in and leading <a href="http://100.ces.uwex.edu/" target="_blank">over the past 100 years!</a><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><br />
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*Link to "Rankings" goes to UW-Madison's Animal Science AND Dairy Sciences rankings. You can also use the links on this page to get to other disciplines in the <a href="http://www.cals.wisc.edu/" target="_blank">College of Agricultural and Life Sciences</a> such as <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124699" target="_blank">Agricultural Economics</a>, <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124729/" target="_blank">Entomology</a>, <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-Food/124730/" target="_blank">Food Science</a>, and others.<br />
<br />John M. Shutskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643491897569657214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545300531552406805.post-3271560123476010722012-01-22T19:21:00.000-08:002012-01-26T07:21:48.659-08:00Be Ready When you Use the Term "Useless" to Describe Ag Majors<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I
was surprised last week to see my email and Twitter tweets begin to light up
about an article by a blogger for Yahoo who had posted the story titled: <a href="http://education.yahoo.net/articles/most_useless_degrees.htm?kid=1KWNU" target="_blank">College Majors That Are Useless.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The
author, Terence Loose, pointed to data from the<a href="http://www.naceweb.org/Research/Job_Outlook/Job_Outlook.aspx" target="_blank"> National Association of Colleges and Employers' (NACE) 2012 Job Outlook</a> study and other sources in his
final analysis that purported that Agriculture, Animal Science, and
Horticulture were among the five college majors to avoid if you were looking
for a post-degree job.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I
wondered how long it would take for the passionate people and agricultural
advocates who I follow on Twitter to begin to respond and rebut. Many are students or are connected through
their careers and activities to food and agriculture in various ways.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Not
more than two hours after the story had been tweeted, I was at a meeting in our college and found that our <a href="http://www.cals.wisc.edu/students/undergraduate-programs/ups-office/" target="_blank">Undergraduate Programs</a> office
at the <a href="http://www.cals.wisc.edu/" target="_blank">College of Agricultural and Life Sciences</a> at the <a href="http://www.wisc.edu/" target="_blank">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> was “all over” the story.
The following morning, I was sent a link to a well-written<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-s-levine/useless-college-majors_b_1217401.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false" target="_blank"> response appearing in the Huffington Post</a> from my former colleague, friend, and <a href="http://www.cfans.umn.edu/About/CFANS_Directory/DeansAdministration/AllenLevine/index.htm" target="_blank">Dean Allen Levine</a> of
the<a href="http://www.cfans.umn.edu/index.htm" target="_blank"> University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences</a>. Thanks Dr. Levine! From Friday through
Sunday morning, I followed the rebuttals, posts, and other writing from about
13 or 14 other sources (see end of this article).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">All
who took the time to speak up and speak out did a great job of presenting
information, stories, and personal testimonials to show that opportunities in
agriculture, food, energy, the environment, and connected fields are rich with
opportunity now and in the future. <a href="http://www.ag.purdue.edu/usda/employment/pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Work at Purdue with USDA</a> and described in one of the tweets actually
shows that we will have shortages of qualified people in the future to work in
these important areas of science that touch us all. This matches my experiences as a long-time
agricultural faculty member and administrator where we find that the different
industries and businesses which serve our ag and food sectors to be hungry for top-notch grads who
end up in great jobs making very good money – often with opportunities to
travel extensively throughout the world and work on a wide range of exciting projects.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">When
I first read the Yahoo piece, I immediately regressed back to my teen years in
the 1970s. I remember that when someone
would diss agriculture or farming, my Dad would say “Don’t say that with your
mouth full.” In thinking about writing
this piece, I thought maybe I’d try not to go there…But, I couldn’t help but
imagine that the blogger who wrote this somehow finished up his article, folded
up his laptop, said goodbye to Starbucks and headed off to catch
up with his friends for a beer (barley from Wisconsin and hops from Washington)
and pizza (tomatoes from California, pork from Iowa, wheat from both Kansas and
North Dakota, mushrooms from Pennsylvania, corn meal from Minnesota, cheese
from Wisconsin, and olive oil from western Europe). Perhaps I am wrong. I'm guessing that my perceptions and pre-conceived notions are probably not correct. But, I will throw out the
friendly invitation to have Mr. Loose come visit us in Wisconsin and we’ll show
him some pretty cool stuff. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So
– several of us have made the food argument; the positive job outlook points;
and, we’ve expressed our feelings about our personal and professionals passions for agriculture. Let me try to add just a couple more points. Then, at the end of this post, I will include
the links that I collected from Twitter, emails, etc. over the last couple
days. It will be fun to watch and see what others say.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Agriculture, Food, and World Peace</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">We
all eat. Everyone in the world. Our world population is growing fast. A <a href="http://www.uwex.edu/ces/nccea/documents/battellefull2.pdf" target="_blank">recent report</a> by 12 of the Land Grant
universities in the Midwest documented that in the next 18 years, world population
will grow from 7.0 billion in 2010 to 9.3 billion (by 2030). How big is an
increase of 2.3 billion? It’s like
doubling the current population of China and India, all in less than two
decades. Further, we’ve seen developing
areas of the world become relatively more affluent and active in the global
economy. As the world becomes more able to provide basic necessities
because of growing levels of economic activity in places like China, so to do
their demands grow for protein in food products like milk, meat, cheese, eggs,
etc. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Bottom
line…Even though world population will grow by 33% (from 7.0 billion to
9.3 billion), total food needs are likely to double. All this will happen at the same time that available
land is shrinking. In the 1990s, we had
0.81 acres to feed each person on the globe.
By 2050, that number will be cut in half. So – we double production with half the
land. Mr. Loose, I’m afraid we’re going
to need agricultural science people (including people doing work with animals
and horticultural crops), or we’re in for a tough slog.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Further,
we know from periods throughout history that when food resources are
threatened, instability increases. There are more wars and conflict during
times of hunger. Entire civilizations change, often in negative ways! Having a dependable, nutritious, safe supply
of food is vital to world peace.
Children who we will expect to do well in school and grow their local
and regional economies to solve new challenges and provide leadership in the
coming years – whether they’re in Utah, Uzbekistan,
or Uganda will need to be well-nourished if we expect them do well in school. And, we need an educated global citizenry whether
those young people are working in agriculture, designing our next energy-efficient
transportation system (which will include agriculturally-sourced biofuels), or
writing blog posts for Yahoo. Our future and agriculture is intimately connected.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Energy, Climate Change, and Other
Environmental Challenges</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">On
the issue of world peace, we’ve seen how a dependence on non-renewable,
petroleum-based fuels adds to the complexity, instability, and fragile nature
of world peace. Throughout the world, billions
of dollars are going into the <a href="http://www.glbrc.org/" target="_blank">science and discovery</a> associated with the new generations
of biofuels, biogases, and other renewable energy sources that will fuel
tomorrow’s transportation system and the power grid. Green plants do a miraculous job of harvesting “solar
energy” and current agricultural science (and agriculture graduates) are making
great advancements in figuring out how we can unlock that energy in ways that
will help wean us from other energy sources.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In
addition to the “foreign energy dependence” driver for agricultural energy
advancements, this science is also being influenced by our need to figure out
and perhaps mitigate, respond to, or slow down <a href="http://www.wicci.wisc.edu/" target="_blank">climate change</a>. Producing food
and other forms of energy involves complex biological and physical cycles and relationships connected
to carbon, water, and other substances that both bless and challenge us in many
ways. People studying agriculture and related biosciences and
pursuing degrees in fields like horticulture and animal science study all of these
critical processes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">On
the issue of water, we know that producing food and renewable energy is a
water-intensive process. Growing plants
need nutrients that are carried by water (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and
a range of other substances). These nutrients must be present at the right time, in the right place, and in
appropriate amounts. Too much at the wrong time (or in the wrong place) can result in adverse impacts on ground and
surface waters (pollution and waste).
Crops that are rapidly growing to produce seeds, fruit,
and biomass consume and transpire lots of water. Similar to nutrients, water must be applied
at the right time, in the right place, and in the correct amounts. Crop “selection”
and production practices must be carefully matched to the resources that are available
to insure the long term sustainability of our precious water resources. All of this takes the cooperation of the farmer along with <a href="http://www.soils.wisc.edu/soils/index.php" target="_blank">soil scientists</a>, <a href="http://bse.wisc.edu/" target="_blank">engineers</a>, <a href="http://www.horticulture.wisc.edu/" target="_blank">horticulturalists</a>, and <a href="http://agronomy.wisc.edu/" target="_blank">agronomists</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Economic Development</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">One
of the blogs <a href="http://ellisonchair.tamu.edu/2012/01/21/a-response-to-the-yahoo-study-claiming-agriculture-horticulture-degrees-are-considered-useless/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MakingCents+%28Making+Cents+of+Green+Industry+Economics%29" target="_blank">cited in response to the original Yahoo blog post indicated that California produces </a>$33 billion in direct revenue from agricultural products. But, there’s a bigger story to tell. In the state of Wisconsin, we know that
our agricultural and directly connected food sectors contribute about <a href="http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/wisag/documents/EconomicImpactsPaper_3-24-11-5final.pdf" target="_blank">$60 billion to the state’s economy</a> through direct sales and production and the
indirect and induced impacts as value is added to raw products and as dollars ripple throughout both rural and urban
economies. (so, the number in California
is actually MUCH bigger when one considers all of the interconnected ripple
effects that agriculture has on a state’s economy) Those who work in
agriculture and food in Wisconsin make up about 10% of the total
workforce. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">During the economic downturn
from 2007-2010, while much of Wisconsin’s economy (including housing,
manufacturing, and finance) was mired in the mud, the agricultural and food
sectors actually prospered because of growing demands for agricultural products
for both food and fuel uses. Nationally,
while fewer than two million people are actually involved in “farming,” there
are more than 20 million who work in connected industries such as agricultural
scientists, input suppliers, processors, and the many who work in connected and
supporting food-related industries.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">(Note: there are growing concerns that there will be a bit of a near-term slowdown
in the ag/food sectors in the next several months, particularly as a result of
the economic slowdown in both Europe and Asia.
See recent video segment on this issue: <a href="http://www.iptv.org/mtom/episode.cfm/3721/video">http://www.iptv.org/mtom/episode.cfm/3721/video</a>
. But, the bigger and longer term needs
in agriculture over the next couple decades point to a continued bright
future).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Opportunity to Tell the Story</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I
was chatting with a couple of colleagues last Friday night who were
bemoaning having had to spend several hours during the week responding,
rebutting, and doing “damage control” after the Yahoo blog post had generated
some angst for those who work in agriculture.
It was probably a tempest in a teapot. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">
But, I actually think it presents a GREAT opportunity for agriculture to
tell its story. Actually…we have of <u>thousands of stories</u> to tell! I think that Mr. Loose did a good thing by
rallying those who are passionate. We
now have a great medium in places like Twitter and Facebook to tell the story
that we need to be telling every day.
Mr. Loose’s feelings and opinions are not unique. In fact, my guess is that the majority of our
population would have very similar perceptions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Keep
telling the story. Keep engaging. Keep the passion and the enthusiasm. Find ways, times, and places to get others to
touch, see, hear, and experience the glory of our agricultural and food
system. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Mr. Terrence Loose – the invitation is
out. Come see us. We’ll make sure your visit includes <a href="http://www.babcockhalldairystore.wisc.edu/" target="_blank">Babcock Ice Cream and Cheese</a>, <a href="http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/" target="_blank">New Glarus Beer</a>, a visit to our <a href="http://www.dcfm.org/" target="_blank">Dane County Farmers’ Market</a>, and an
opportunity to meet some really cool and important people. The ones who will be graduating in
agriculture in the next few years and insuring our future!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">-John
Shutske (shutske@wisc.edu)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Extension Program Leader and Associate Dean</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">--Additional Links:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-news/Commentary-Yahoo-please-dont-mess-with-the-goat-ropers-137728478.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Commentary from the Cattle Network through Drovers Journal</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Studied-Agriculture-I-Have-A-Job/306700539376086" target="_blank">Newly Minted Facebook Page on Issue</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1373222009"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-s-levine/useless-college-majors_b_1217401.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Minnesota CFANS Dean Article in Huffington Post</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.ag.purdue.edu/usda/employment/pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Purdue/USDA Study on Employment for Agricultural Sciences </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://buzzardsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-useless-would-agriculture-be-if-you.html" target="_blank">Blog Post from Student Brandi</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://flyingtnh.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/agriculture-useless/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Rebuttal from the "Flying T" Ranch</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/want-a-job-go-to-college-and-dont-major-in-architecture/?src=tp" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">New York Times - on Low Unemplyment Rates in Some Sectors</span></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://agricultureproud.com/2012/01/20/agriculture-useless-college-degree-part-2/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Agriculture Proud Blog</span></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://ellisonchair.tamu.edu/2012/01/21/a-response-to-the-yahoo-study-claiming-agriculture-horticulture-degrees-are-considered-useless/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MakingCents+%28Making+Cents+of+Green+Industry+Economics%29" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Article Connected to California by way of Texas A&M</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <a href="http://www.agcareers.com/document.cfm?task=view&id=62761" target="_blank">Ag Careers Response</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1373222039"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://nationalffa.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/ag-students-take-heart-your-degrees-arent-useless/" target="_blank">Ag Students - Take Heart - from National FFA</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.asas.org/takingstock/?p=2356" target="_blank">Response from American Association of Animal Science</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>John M. Shutskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643491897569657214noreply@blogger.com