A member of the Audubon FFA has been named the winner of the 2019 Iowa GROWMARK essay contest. The theme for this year’s essay was, “What does the future of agriculture look like to you, and what skills will you need to play a part in it?” An entry from Sophomore, Tyler Tessman, was selected as the top submission. In it, he says, “To me, the future of agriculture looks like many things—hope, strength and prosperity. I believe that new technology and innovation, as well as efficiency and skills will be needed to get as much out of every acre as possible in order to meet human demands.” Tessman will receive a $500 reward from GROWMARK in April at the Iowa FFA State Leadership Conference in Ames. The Audubon chapter, advised by Brittany Elmquist, will also receive a $300 reward in recognition of Tessman’s accomplishment. Four state runners-up were honored for their entries with a $125 award. Catie Collison, from the South Central Calhoun FFA Chapter, was one of the individuals chosen. GROWMARK has hosted the contest, in conjunction with FS members and state FFA leaders, to help students develop their writing skills, explore current issues and understand the role of cooperatives in agriculture. Tessman’s winning essay can be found included with this story on our website.
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“Why I Believe in the Future of Agriculture” by Tyler Tessman
Have you ever been a part of something bigger than yourself that affects every single person everyday? Well I am, and being a part of agriculture results in one of the greatest feelings anyone could ever imagine. Knowing that you are feeding every person and supplying products used by the world is what makes agriculture my favorite industry. Growing up on a fourth generation family farm, I have learned many things and realized just how important agriculture really is in our world.
To me, the future of agriculture looks like many things – hope, strength, and prosperity. I believe that new technology and innovation, as well as efficiency and skills will be needed to get as much out of every acre as possible in order to meet human demands. “Between now and 2050 the planet’s population is likely to rise to 9.7 billion, from 7.3 billion now. Those people will not only need to eat, they will want to eat better than people do now…” (Technology Quarterly, “The Future of Agriculture”). The future of agriculture is undeniably great as more jobs and opportunities become available as the world population continues to grow.
Living on a farm, I understand that technology plays an incredibly large role in agriculture, as it helps you utilize more from what you already have, both in equipment and producing higher yields. In addition to efficiency being relevant to technology, it also is essential to task completion and the saving of time and money. “The aim should not be ‘industrializing’ agriculture, but make agriculture more efficient, sustainable and of high quality…” (Guerrini, “The Future of Agriculture? Smart Farming”). Knowing how to farm successfully also takes skill, which is why organizations like FFA are important. Youth utilizing FFA teaches them the proper foundation needed for real world agriculture. “The agriculture industry needs talented, and passionate youth willing to make a commitment to agriculture…They must learn this knowledge through middle and high school agricultural education classes” (Thomas, “Why Ag Education is Important”). I have learned many things about agriculture, leadership skills, and how to properly navigate the agricultural world through my involvement with my FFA chapter, which I believe will benefit and positively impact the rest of my life.
In my future of agriculture, I plan to keep my family’s farming operation going and pass it on to future generations. In order to meet my goals, I will need continued education to help me succeed, be efficient, and keep up on new technology and innovations. I look forward to the future of agriculture as new challenges will be overcome, just as past generations of agriculturists defeated many hardships that make farming what it is today. The industry will continue to strive and be successful with the help of education through student-run organizations like FFA and people who are passionate to keep agriculture the world’s most important industry.