For decades the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and N.C. State University have partnered on agricultural research and various other programs and services. On Thursday, we’re launching our latest collaboration, a speaker series for students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Like many of our partnerships, the goal of this series is to combine the resources of the college and our department to further a common interest. In this case, that interest is preparing today’s college students to lead and succeed in the agricultural sector.
There’s no doubt that CALS students are getting a great education. After all, the faculty and resources are excellent. We want this speaker series to supplement that classroom and lab education with information and stories from people who are working in agriculture and agribusiness. Over the course of the three-part series, students will hear from panels of farmers, exporters, food business executives and other experts about the following topics: international ag marketing, farming as a career and innovation in agriculture.
I’m looking forward to serving as host and moderator for each of the sessions. I hope the “real-world” perspectives of our panelists will give the students additional insight and energize them about a career in an agriculture-related field.