The Famous Grouse: The reason you see college educations trashed on here at times it that fact that in too many cases the education is worthless in the operation the kids come back too. Either the kids did not learn much at college or they took the wrong courses. I truthfully think a farm kid taking Ag degree classes is not the best thing to do. If the kid has been raised on a successful farm he/she already knows most of the skills needed to actually produce a crop/animal. So taking classes on production agriculture really does not expand their knowledge that much. Most modern farms already have adapted most of the technology that is out there. The stuff that is not in the fields usually is not profitable.
Now a business degree, accounting degree, a mechanical engineering degree, and etc. Does expand the knowledge base of the young person coming back to the farm. I would say expands the base of the skills the farm has too.
My Daughter-in-law has her accounting degree and is a full CPA. Her knowledge of how to create and record the numbers on the farm has paid large dividends. She can tell you to the penny where/what is making money or not.
My second oldest son has an MBA. This helps him in two ways: 1) He was able to have a very high paying job outside of farming. This income stream allowed him to get into farming with a much more solid financial base. 2) He utilizes the available resources better. Mostly people. He can get more out of people while keeping them happy about it. Even with those being mainly family members. This is a weak area for me. I really do not like dealing with people. As I have gotten older that has gotten worse. I can lapse into the my way or the highway attitude real easy.
My other two sons have not gone to college but learned trade skills. The older of them took auto tech classes. He has added this skill to repairing farm equipment. He makes a good side income during slow times with this knowledge. The youngest is a very skilled welder. He started out at home and then took serious welding classes. This skill means he can keep busy doing certified welding in the slow times. He is welding bridges right now. He is making $35 an hour just as a fill in welder. He will be off during October and November. Then back at it until April.
So the right education is valuable. Getting an associate degree in Agriculture is not really of much value on/in most farming operations. Most would have been better off with an off farm job to "learn" how things are done over going to some college where they basically see the same stuff that their home farm does.
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Today's Featured Article - A Belt Pulley? Really Doing Something? - by Chris Pratt. Belt Pulleys! Most of us conjure up a picture of a massive thresher with a wide belt lazily arching to a tractor 35 feet away throwing a cloud of dust, straw and grain, and while nostalgic, not too practical a method of using our tractors. While this may have been the bread and butter of the belt work in the past (since this is what made the money on many farms), the smaller tasks may have been and still can be its real claim to fame. The thresher would bring in the harvest (and income) once a y
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