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No but it helps. Farming is a business, the higher the education you have the better chance you have of making a success of your business. This is not to say one cannot learn much by experience.
"Why would anyone go to college to become a farmer?"
A friend posed this question the other day as we were talking about Sterling College, a small liberal arts college in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Sterling is an environmentally focused college - part of the campus is an organic farm, many students choose to major in Sustainable Agriculture, and there are numerous farmers in the alumni community.
"Why pay the money for a college education," my friend continued, "if all you're going to do is grow vegetables?"
This wasn't the first time I've encountered skepticism about the value of a college degree in Sustainable Agriculture, but to be honest, I wasn't sure how to give my friend a persuasive answer. Sure, I think the in-depth, hands-on study of farming is an appropriate field of study for college students, but I didn't know how to articulate my belief into a convincing argument.
In this post, I'll try to do just that - lay out the arguments in favor of going to college to become a farmer. I hope, too, that readers will share their thoughts, and we can kick-start a discussion about the practical value of a degree in Sustainable Agriculture.
Farming is Complex
Successful farming requires competence in an incredibly diverse array of fields. Growing vegetables is a complicated endeavor in and of itself - especially in Vermont - but a farmer must also cultivate relationships, market produce, manage staff, attract investment and plan for growth, among 1,001 other responsibilities. Rocket science and neurosurgery are remarkably straight-forward by comparison.
The complex nature of farming requires both specialized skills and general knowledge. An interdisciplinary college curriculum can give students the broad perspective necessary to handle the diverse aspects of successful farming.
Farming is Big Business
Implicit in the skepticism about the value of a Sustainable Agriculture degree is the belief that pursuing a career in farming means signing up for a life of poverty. This belief is just plain wrong. There's a lot of money to be made in farming, and not just by owners of large-scale plantations and factory farms. The market for organic food is estimated at upwards of 60 billion dollars, and here in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, the most successful start-up businesses are in the agricultural sector.
Farming isn't a way to get rich quickly or easily, but so long as people eat, farmers will have a market for their crops. Additionally, in the event of another deep financial crisis, local farmers will play a crucial role in helping their communities weather the storm.
Beyond Farming
Not all college students who major in Sustainable Agriculture will become farmers. In fact, most probably won't - and that's OK.
Many college graduates end up pursuing careers that are only tangentially related to their academic studies. This doesn't mean their college career was a waste of time or money. Instead, the cross pollination across academic disciplines and careers encourages creativity and collaboration.
Farming is fundamentally related to all sorts of careers - from politics to banking to engineering. A solid background in Sustainable Agriculture is of value to anyone who eats food - not just to the folks who actually grow it. And this brings me to my last point…
College Educates for Life
Going to college entails a lot more than going to class. College is a rite of passage, a chance to grow and mature beyond the narrow confines of high-school. College is a chance to make friends, to enjoy living amongst a community of peers, and to build memories that will last for life. College is fun.
One can choose to go to college, or not. There is no single life-path that's right for everyone. Making the investment in a college education, though, is often a good move, no matter what career it leads to later in life.
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