Agriculture is one of the most fundamentally important industries on our planet, feeding nearly 8 billion people globally. Farmers are continually challenged to increase yield but decrease demands on our natural resources. Farming sustainably, farming smarter, using technology, data and analytics, allows us to do both. Technology is leading agriculture in new directions, which means we need bright minds and leaders for the future.
As a global company, Bayer is helping to remove the misconceptions around ag careers. As members of FFA, you know that ag is more than just driving a tractor – the opportunities are endless. Ag offers career opportunities in data science, conservation, food science, electrical engineering, software development and other areas. The industry needs bankers, mechanics, economists, drone pilots, sales professionals, engineers, veterinarians and others to keep the industry growing. Which means we need more students to consider careers in agriculture.
“Through all of our different backgrounds and influences, we want to provide more context into what kind of opportunities exist not only at Bayer but the world of agriculture as a whole,” says Erik Curry, a regional account manager with Bayer and the Bayer FFA Alumni and Supporters Chapter president. “We want to be the best possible resource. If we can help more students be exposed to more opportunities early on, my hope is that it can encourage them to aim high with their career goals and dreams.”
“Mentoring is a critical component of our efforts,” says Angela Culler, who has participated as a mentor for FFA. “It enables us to connect to the FFA members, discuss education and career options, and hopefully enable the next generation of ag leaders to see how broad and impactful opportunities in agriculture can be. Mentoring helps us as an industry better understand the challenges facing students today, and how we may be able to assist them.”
To help set students on a path to agricultural and career success, America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, sponsored by Bayer Fund, is working to increase awareness of ag-related careers and to offer scholarships for students interested in those careers. Grow Ag Leaders has partnered with the National FFA Organization for seven years to award scholarships to students looking to pursue postsecondary education in an ag-related field of study. Since 2010, the America’s Farmers programs have awarded $59 million to thousands of nonprofits, schools and ag students across rural America.
Ryan Berry, who is headed to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to pursue a degree in agronomy and crop science, is one of the latest recipients of a Grow Ag Leaders scholarship. “I am very grateful to have received this scholarship. It will allow me to focus on my studies, minimize debt, and gain the necessary knowledge to join my family’s farm and become a leader in the agricultural industry,” said Berry.
Berry knows the future of ag will rely on the interest of future students. He is using his scholarship to help pay for a career in plant systems and hopes to inspire the next generation of ag leaders.
The deadline for students to apply is Jan. 14, 2021, and to complete the application, students must obtain two farmer endorsements by Jan. 21, 2021. To learn more about the Grow Ag Leaders, program rules and eligibility requirements, visit www.AmericasFarmers.com.
Bayer is proud to support FFA and its vision of providing the next generation of leaders to change the world. The National FFA Organization’s current strategic priority areas of teacher recruitment and retention, advocacy and agricultural literacy, and leadership development and career preparation align well with our vision and goals for preparing the workforce of the future. We have a responsibility to use the expertise of today’s leaders to help develop the minds and the interests of tomorrow’s leaders and encourage young students with an interest in STEM. FFA provides us with young leaders who want to take this journey with Bayer.
A platinum sponsor, Bayer has supported FFA since 1954 and has contributed more than $20 million to FFA and agricultural education.
