Smart Talk: Road trip to 2019 Farm Show

Jobs in agriculture today blend technology and science

• Merideth Bucher
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Producer of WITF's Smart Talk

Smart Talk made its annual visit to the Pennsylvania State Farm Show for a live broadcast Tuesday.

The Farm Show is a celebration of agriculture in Pennsylvania, but it also is a good time to catch up on the status of farming and hear stories from ag-related businesses and families.

However, fewer young people are pursuing careers in farming, and demand for certain products and technology has resulted in job vacancies in the agriculture industry. The Wolf administration has created the Commission for Agricultural Education Excellence to help develop a statewide plan for agricultural education. It has identified the most in-demand occupations or careers, including production agriculture, animal health and veterinary services, landscaping, food manufacturing, forestry and conservation and natural resources.

Also, Tuesday was STEM Day at the Farm Show, and Smart Talk explored how science, technology, engineering and math is being used in relationship to farming and agriculture. Joining the conversation were Shannon Powers, press secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Robert Clark, executive director of the Commission for Agricultural Education Excellence, and Scott Sheely, special assistant for workforce development at the agriculture department.

Key points

1:04 – Careers and jobs must be filled

4:18 – Immigration and guest workers in PA agriculture

6:45 – 75-thousand  jobs in Pennsylvania

9:012 – Getting the word out