Local AG experts look to Future Farmers of America students to fill generational gap

The Imperial Valley agriculture industry plays an important role in feeding America. The industry brings in almost $5 billion dollars to the local economy.

Mattew Mills, a sales manager from K&F Seeds, said, “The valley is the core. We’re one of the few areas that can grow crops 365 days a year. Most other areas have snow, have rain or do not have the weather to grow crops like we do.”

While farming used to be passed down from one generation to another, Mills said that times are changing.

“Slowly we’ve been seeing that venture into kids going off into other fields. And so it’s very important into bringing in the new youth and engaging that making it fun and exciting,” said Mills.

Brea Mohamed, the Executive Director of the Imperial County Farm Bureau, said now’s the time for the younger generation to step up to the task.

“The average age of a farmer is in the late ’50s. And there’s only 10 percent of producers that are under the age of 35. So there’s a lot of opportunities for young adults to get involved,” said Mohamed.

The possible group that would be up for the task are students in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. The FFA is a nationwide program that teaches high school students the skills needed to work in the industry. Southwest High School is one of the many schools in the county that participates in the program.

According to Kerri Abatti, the school’s Agriculture (AG) Advisory Board President, the group has seen a growth in popularity in recent years.

Abatti said, “We’ve grown from an Ag program of about 30 students in the last six years to over 250 kids. They’re so excited about the AG program. So excited about agriculture in general.”

Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program Education Service Manager, Jenn Sutter, said the FFA program is embedded within the student’s coursework and taught within the classroom.

“So while the students are learning valuable agriculture knowledge and skills, They’re also learning about leadership within agriculture and FFA,” said Sutter.

Kristin Mayo, the agriculture teacher at Southwest High School, has the task of preparing her students for a possible career in the agriculture industry.

Mayo said, “So we share out passion for agriculture and then give them skills that they can utilize in the industry to get jobs when they leave high school or through internships or over the summer. And apply the skills that they’re learning in class.”

Southwest High School student, Madison Mills, said that in the program not only do students learn about farming but the biology of animals as well.

Mils said, “Like animal systems, like maybe becoming a vet or like a feed manager. Because of the hands-on experience. And I love animals so much. They’re kind of what drew me into FFA.”

Students, like Austin Weller, hope to use his interest in aerospace engineering as a career piloting drones on farms.

“With surveillance within the skies, that’s a tremendous part because you’re not able to see everything from the ground level. And so with drones being invented now, drones being more used in the AG culture, it’s really going to get that precise detail. For each farm. To maintain that level of quality and that level of product,” said Weller.

Mayo said having an AG advisory board plays a vital role in building relationships with students and AG experts. The board allows students to have that hands-on experience.

“And so they offer that connection from student to actual industry. The committee looks at curriculum, they look at different certifications that we offer. They offer field trips, they come in to speak in the classrooms. And they make that one on one connection with the kids. And it just makes the kids and the whole program feel supported,” said Mayo.

James Abatti, a third-generation farmer who’s hired students from the FFA program, said students who finish the program are set to succeed in the industry if they choose.

Abatti said, “And they do have a good solid foundation coming out of the FFA program for the AG. Which makes it a lot easier to train them to work with them and they’re more understanding on how things happen out here.”

Brea Mohamed, an alumnus of the FFA program at Imperial High School, went to college to study AG business at Cal Poly and came back to the valley. Now the executive director of the Imperial County Farm Bureau, she’s a prime example of what the FFA program is producing.

Mohamed said, “It’s nice that I was able to come from Imperial Valley and Imperial Valley AG but then have some time to go elsewhere. Study at Cal Poly and learn some different things. And meet different diverse people and take some of those skills and bring them back here to contribute.”

Sutter said the future of the FFA program is bright. The goal now is to find what the interests of students are and point them in the right direction that will help the local AG industry flourish.

Sutter added, “There’s something for everyone and it’s just finding out and building those relationships. Finding out what student really enjoy, what their passion is, and then being able to connect that with agriculture.”