TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Summer weather has arrived in Idaho, and the College of Southern Idaho is providing future agriculture professionals with a glimpse into their potential careers.
“I just want to be a cowboy when I grow up,” said 12-year-old Zander Hartgrave. This aspiring Idaho cowboy is getting a firsthand look at his future thanks to CSI's Summer Ag Academy.
“The Summer Ag Academy is our annual opportunity to connect with middle and high school students and show them everything the CSI Ag department has to offer,” said Jaysa Fillmore, assistant agriculture professor in the CSI Ag department.
From food processing to outdoor education leadership, crops and farming to animal and livestock management, the Ag Academy offers a week-long crash course in Idaho's leading industries.
“Our goal is to help expand students' ideas of what agriculture is,” Fillmore said.
Throughout the week, the 32-student academy will explore various CSI Ag facilities. On Tuesday, the focus was on soil at Breckenridge Farm.
For Zander, he is excited to get his hands dirty. “You get to learn how to farm, grow crops, and work with soil,” Hartgrave said.
“They are learning how to identify different textures of soil — sand, silt, and clay,” Fillmore explained. "They’re learning about the importance of soil as a living resource for growing food. Students will get a little dirty and a little wet, and they’re going to have a lot of fun today."
Now in its fifth year, the academy aims to expose the department’s offerings to a younger generation.
“It’s not just about farming or raising livestock; we’re discussing managing resources like water. We’re learning how to take care of ourselves outdoors. We’re also incorporating skills in other areas, such as raising fish and veterinary technology. We’ve been running this long enough to see students trickle into our programs as college students, which is really cool,” Fillmore added.
If agriculture isn’t your interest, the next CSI Career Academy will focus on culinary arts in the Kitchen Academy. For more information, Click Here.
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