The recent appeal for working in the agri-food industry comes from opportunities to solve problems. There are scientific and management issues that need to be addressed such as: managing herbicide and pesticide resistance, developing successful plants for a changing climate, and envisioning sustainable farm management. At the same time, people in the industry will be addressing consumer and activist concerns.

Beginning with the entrepreneurial career of farming, there will be many career opportunities as there is a gap to fill when farmers retire. Currently the cost of land is high. To avoid a high initial investment cost, new farmers are encouraged to undertake succession planning. With succession planning the shift toward owning and operating a farm business is gradual over time. The slow transition is both financially and emotionally manageable. New entrants should find farmers and advance higher in the business to suggest succession planning. Currently, some farmers “[would] like to work with young families that might want to take over in the future… [but] we need help reaching out to people”. Farming does not appeal to everyone so there are other exciting opportunities in the food system. Technological advancements have created new careers focused on:

• No-till planting
• Ethanol production
• Hydroponics
• Social media strategy
• Biofuels
• Use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in equipment (precision agriculture)
• Soybean plastics
• Agriculture aviation
• Robotic milking
• Self-steering equipment