Ph.D. Farmer

Not long ago, I was talking to Roger Plothow who writes for and publishes the Post Register in Idaho Falls. A lot of his topics cover agriculture and, knowing that aging farmers are just that, aging, and that it appears that recruiting younger people is getting harder and harder, I believe we need to change the perception of farming in order to make it "Cool". Listen to this. Irrigation systems managed from iPads, animal nutrition tracked by computer chips, and tractors that drive using GPS are only a few examples of the ways farmers and ranchers use technology to produce food in a sustainable manner. I will take it one step further. An Idaho seed company has produced a tractor which doesn't even need a driver. It doesn't even have a cab. You just set it loose on a field under its own steam and it gets the job done. So, you want to tell me that farming ain't cool? Think again.

With each generation becoming further removed from agriculture, Discovering FARMLAND, a comprehensive education program created by U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) in conjunction with Discovery Education, is providing high school students nationwide with a firsthand glimpse into contemporary agriculture through The Smart Farm: Where Technology and Innovation Meet .