TWIN FALLS, Idaho — As the U.S. farming industry faces corporate takeovers across the country, the small family farm is disappearing. But that doesn't mean the next generation can't thrive in the agriculture industry.
At the College of Southern Idaho Agriculture Career Fair in Twin Falls, the next generation is getting a look at the latest opportunities available to them.
WATCH: College of Southern Idaho career fair showcases precision agriculture and drone technology opportunities for next generation of farmers
Many of the students in the CSI Agriculture Department are generational agriculture professionals, like Levi Wood and Phoebe Hamilton. Both have family farms, and both are looking to take what they've learned in Twin Falls back home— just in different ways.
For Levi Wood, he's all-in on the family farm.
"That's my plan. I'm at CSI with Agra-Business, so hoping to come back with better ideas," Wood said.
Phoebe Hamilton is looking at a different path but still plans to support her family with a new career in the industry, focusing on crop advising as a profession.
"Simplot came out and presented on corn. He said, 'go out into the field, take out any weird-looking corn, and I can tell you what's wrong with it.' He told us all about the stages of production, and I thought, 'Wow, that's awesome! I want to be able to do that!'" Hamilton explained.
While Wood and Hamilton have a plan, many other students remain undecided. That's the purpose of the CSI Agriculture Career Fair.
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Jaysa Fillmore is with the Agriculture Department. She says their ultimate goal is to prepare and expose these students to every potential career opportunity, especially opportunities that utilize high-end technology on the farm.
"We are really passionate about getting our students in front of those who would be future employers," Fillmore said. "We need to have students and future employees that know precision agriculture, computer coding, cyber security, and HR management— as ag businesses get bigger and have to manage more employees beyond family members."
One of those new technologies on display at the career fair is the use of drones to survey and spray farming acreage.
"It's an 18 and a half gallon tank, it has a 150-pound payload, has about a 10-minute battery life, depending on the conditions, and you can spray up to nine acres if you're doing 2 gallons an acre," said Mark Wanhainen is with Frontier Precision.
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