A Midwest cooperative says there is a big problem on the horizon as they are finding fewer graduates have a background in agriculture.
“That talent base that we are getting out of our universities continues to shrink, that talent pool continues to shrink, and I think one of the things that we’re seeing, too, is that the number of kids are coming off the farm that go to college and they are looking for a job in the industry, is getting fewer and far between. So finding that person who has on-farm knowledge, the basic understanding of how our farm works, is getting fewer and far between,” said Jason Weirich, the executive vice president of operations at MFA Incorporated.
Weirich says this has forced them to expand their talent pool. He tells aginfo.net that despite a lack of farming background, they still have many young people showing up with a desire to help America’s farmers and ranchers.
According to the National Council of Farmers Cooperatives (NCFC), President and CEO Chuck Conner says, there is only one other option besides addressing ag labor shortages.
September 18, 2025 01:10 PM
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Sen. Roger Marshall, a founding member and chairman of the Make America Healthy Again caucus, joined us with his thoughts on the commission’s latest report and the key ag-related issues.
September 17, 2025 04:36 PM
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It’s been a decade since Hurricane Rita ripped through southwest Louisiana, and recovery has been a long, difficult process for many who have lived in the coastal area. Today, oyster farming offers a pearl of hope.
September 17, 2025 03:05 PM
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California rancher and former NCBA President Kevin Kester joined House Republicans on Tuesday to tout provisions in the Big, Beautiful Bill that support family ranches.
September 17, 2025 01:40 PM
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The EPA proposal laid out two options: fully reallocate all exempted volumes to the 2026–2027 standards, or reallocate half.
September 17, 2025 12:04 PM
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The Fertilizer Research Act, reintroduced by Sens. Grassley, Ernst, and Baldwin, would direct the USDA to study and publish public reports on competition and pricing trends in the fertilizer market.
September 16, 2025 05:08 PM
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