How To Engage More People In Agriculture

Agriculture is suffering an image problem. It’s hardly an attractive option for the majority of the nation’s youth, and many farmers are being driven out of the trade due to poor economic payoff and little room for advancement despite the intensive labor and resource allocation. But agriculture needs more people to survive and thrive. Here are some ways to engage more into the sector. 

Image source: Pixabay.com

Sell agriculture to young people 

Farming should start to be portrayed as anybody’s game, including young, promising individuals. Federal and state governments should work harder to build its benefits as a career, foster more opportunities for increased market engagement, and allocate budget for training, development, and innovation in the field. This also includes reforms to agricultural tertiary education. 

Pave the way for access to land and credit 

It’s a reality today: land is typically scarce, and even those interested in farming have difficulty accessing the land and resources they need without collateral and getting significant credit. There should be innovative agricultural financing and aggressive programs for small businesses to venture into the industry via microfinance and similar assistance. 

Emphasize sustainability 

Attract more people into the agricultural trade by highlighting relevant themes and practices today, from climate-smart agriculture that ensures food security in a changing climate to modern techniques such as precision farming technologies. 

Make it a family affair Create programs that stress on more than just growing crops; promote how the act can cultivate the next generation of farmers and help families transition from beginner farms to winning enterprises via business plans, access to capital, marketing, and continuing education. 

Image source: Pixabay.com

Dr. Arden Andersen envisions better lives for all Kansans. The gubernatorial candidate is a family and occupational medicine physician, president of his sub-specialty college, former vocational-agriculture teacher, farm consultant, Air Force Reserve Colonel, and Chief of Aerospace Medicine. Get similar updates on his Twitter page.

Medical Careers In The U.S. Air Force

In the modern age, health care is a complicated field. Instead of just seeing a physician, patients receive care from doctors with specialties, nurses, assistants, and technicians. The Medical Career Field covers functions involved in the operations for both fixed and tactical medical facilities and sub-professionally taking care of and treating authorized staff. 

Image source: afreserve.com

Careers in this field comprises of aeromedical activities, aerospace physiology, specialized medical services which include allergy and immunology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology, urology, optometry, nuclear medicine and cardiopulmonary techniques, physical therapy, occupational therapy, electroencephalographic studies, operating room, orthotics, mental health services, medical laboratory, radiology, histopathology, cytotechnology, diet therapy, pharmacy, medical administration, medical material, and bioenvironmental engineering. Environmental medicine includes laboratory animal techniques and medical equipment. 

All staff of the U.S. Air Force Medical Service should be knowledgeable of and proficient in military sanitation and first aid procedures, including shock management; effective respiration maintenance (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with or without adjunct); management of fractures, burns, and injuries from chemical agents; hemorrhage control; emergency wound treatment; hand and carrier litter methods; and loading and unloading vehicles used to transport patients. 

They must also be well-informed and skillful in the operation and first echelon maintenance of all equipment used by the respective Air Force specialty and must be knowledgeable when it comes to improvisation and conversion methods of fixed types of medical equipment for tactical use. 

Breaking into the field at entry-level can be intimidating, but the excess of enlisted healthcare careers available in the Air Force offers high school graduates with lots of opportunities to be given training, certification, and experience which would make them viable candidates for significant, well-paying careers in the field of healthcare. 

Image source: medicineandmilitary.com

Dr. Arden Andersen is a family and occupational medicine physician. He is running for the position of Governor of Kansas. He is also an Air Force Reserve Flight Surgeon and Chief of Missouri Aerospace Medicine. For more information about Mr. Andersen, visit this page.