by Rosalie Winters*
[This is one in a series of occasional posts by Los Angeles high school students working with and studying food systems.]
This summer I attended the AgDiscovery program at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. AgDiscovery is a program for high school students, and it is run by the USDA at multiple land grant universities nationwide. It aims to help teenagers explore careers in agricultural sciences. Each program across the country is unique, specializing in animal science, plant science, agribusiness, or a combination of the three, with pieces added that may explore topics like agricultural history or urban farming. You are only allowed to apply to one school, so it is important to choose one that includes things you are passionate about. The program at Lincoln is a combination, providing students with an introduction to the many moving parts that make up the country’s agricultural systems. This appealed to me because while I was very interested in agriculture, I knew almost nothing about it.
The program at Lincoln included four distinct components. The first of these was a lecture series on varying agricultural topics. For example, we heard an etymologist speaking about different invasive species of insects and how they can affect various crops; a speaker discussing native plants and showing us some of the different species native to Missouri; and had a lesson on scientific writing and how to put together research. These informative lectures allowed us to gain a background for the things that we were seeing and experiencing in person.
Hands-on work, the second component of the program, was generally taught at one of Lincoln’s three land grant farms, or the University of Missouri, another land grant school. These sessions could include helping collect fish from a pond; going to a veterinary hospital, or learning how to wrangle sheep. This part of the program helps with the aspect of the program designed toward finding a career. Studying chickens might be no problem, but once you have to pick one up, it might lessen your enthusiasm for the subject.
The next component of the program let us explore urban environments and urban farming. We traveled to both St. Louis and Kansas City for one night each, and there we were able to see farmers’ markets, urban farms, and other aspects of urban agriculture. The last thing we did, one which I believe is unique to the program at Lincoln University, was a dive into more social-emotional learning, culminating in a speech that we gave discussing who we were and why we attended AgDiscovery.
Overall, this was a great experience. I was able to explore my passion for agriculture, discover careers, and learn more about the state of Missouri. AgDiscovery helped me figure out what I might want to do with my life career-wise and it taught me a lot about who I am as a person. I would absolutely recommend this program and I hope that many other teens have a great experience there just as I did.
*Rosalie Winters is a high school student in Los Angeles.
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