July 13, 2023 • 19 mins
In this episode, we talk with Cristian Gilcess, a young agricultural enthusiast from Queens, New York. Despite growing up in an urban environment, Cristian developed a passion for agriculture through his high school's agricultural program and his involvement in the FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter. We talk about Cristian's agricultural journey, his experiences as a state FFA officer, and his aspirations to pursue a career in agriculture policy. We touch upon the growing interest among young people in agriculture and the need to expand the understanding of agriculture beyond traditional farming. The episode highlights the exciting opportunities that exist in the agriculture industry and the enthusiasm of the next generation in shaping its future.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
These days, agriculture is casting a wider net, and that includes two exciting young
(00:08):
people in New York City to pursue careers in agribusiness, food and farming.
Hi, I'm Steve Ammerman, New York Farm Bureau's Director for Communications.
So I grew up in a small town in Kansas.
I had relatives and family friends who farmed, but I still didn't grow up on a farm myself.
And still my journalism career path took me to Farm Bureau more than a decade ago, where
I worked with farmers every day on issues that mattered to our members.
(00:31):
So that may not seem like the biggest stretch for someone from rural Kansas who wasn't
raised in agriculture.
So imagine growing up in the Big Apple.
That seems like a much bigger leap, but one more and more young people are taking these
days.
And today you're going to meet one of them, Christian Gelsis.
He lives in Queens and went on to an agricultural high school where it instilled in him a love
(00:51):
and passion for the industry.
So we're going to chat about that, his future and the role FFA is playing in more and more
young people's lives all across New York State.
Hi, Christian.
Thanks so much for joining us today.
Hi, I'm really excited to be here.
Thank you for having me.
So you are right now sitting in your home in Fresh Meadows, Queens on summer break from
(01:15):
college.
You're interested in working in agriculture.
Not a typical career choice for someone growing up in Queens.
How did this all come about that you wanted to work in agriculture?
Yeah.
So really, it's an interesting story.
I always grew up loving plants and animals, going to the farm, the local zoo.
(01:38):
And really up until I came to choose a high school in Queens, I was, that's when my whole
agricultural journey really started.
So I attended the John Brown High School Agriculture Program.
And from there, that's when I really got immersed into really learning about agriculture.
And that's where I learned that agriculture was really going to be my future career.
(02:02):
But yeah, from there, I really got involved in the FFA organization or FFA chapter at
John Brown.
And that's when I really catapulted my love for agriculture.
People would probably be surprised that the John Brown FFA chapter is the largest FFA
chapter in the state of New York.
(02:23):
What is the program like?
And what is the ag program like at the high school?
Yeah.
So we really have such a unique program and chapter.
So yeah, so the largest chapter in the state with over 500 members actively learning and
working in agriculture.
So we have a curriculum-based learning, plant science and animal science for all of our
(02:47):
students and honors and a regular track course for our students as well.
But aside from that, we have, like in FFA, we have competitions that are career-based.
So I did lots of public speaking competitions.
I did aquaculture for a couple of my years of high school.
And then I did agriculture communications.
But we have a wide variety.
(03:08):
We have veterinary science, ag sales, ag marketing, aquaculture, like I said, veterinary.
So the veterinary science one is a big one.
We have equine, poultry.
So a lot of different industries in agriculture that students could really learn and really
immerse themselves into.
But aside from that, we have lots of hands-on learning.
(03:29):
So we have a four acre farm in the back of our school with a wide variety of animals.
We have large animals, small animals.
Yeah, so that's also a big part of our program as well.
And through FFA, you were very involved, as you said, but you also became a state officer
as well.
So you were able to travel the state and really get a bigger picture of what New York agriculture
(03:52):
looks like.
What was that experience like for you?
I, well, the John Bon FFA chapter really showed me that I wanted to really take a different
look into what agriculture means in my state.
So yes, I loved agriculture and I love urban agriculture, but I wanted to take it a step
further.
So being chapter president, I knew that I didn't want to end my journey senior year.
(04:15):
I wanted to continue.
So I ran for state office with 10 other candidates and I became one of the six faces of FFA for
New York state.
But that experience was absolutely amazing.
One that I will always remember, never forget.
Yeah.
So I got to travel all over New York state looking at different chapters and what they
(04:36):
do and how they teach agriculture, really immersing myself with my team, with industry
professionals and different agribusinesses all over New York state to really take a deep
dive into how different industries work.
And I'm very grateful that I was able to take a look at that because we've really learned
a lot about how our state works with agriculture from talking to local legislators to Congress
(05:00):
people that represent our state in agriculture.
So it was a really interesting experience and I'm so grateful that I was able to have
that.
You can only imagine all the exciting things that you got to do and participate in.
But in there for you, you're now a student at SUNY Cobolskill and you're studying agriculture
and your journey kind of changed a little bit in terms of what you're studying and what
(05:24):
you are wanting to do.
So what is your future look like at college and what exactly are you studying?
Yeah.
So I started out in my senior year of high school wanting to be a large animal veterinarian
like a lot of our students at Bound.
But then I started my studies at SUNY Cobolskill in plant science and I finished my first year
(05:48):
recently in plant science, but I actually switched my major to agriculture business
so I could get my associates in applied sciences and then transfer over to the university at
Albany to study public policy with a concentration in urban issues.
And my end goal is to have a career in ag policy because that's what I love.
(06:12):
Well I mean you're talking to the right people here at New York Farm Bureau.
Yes.
Obviously, that's a lot of what we do and certainly we have a great relationship with
FFA and John Bound and SUNY Cobolskill.
So it's exciting to see where the future is going to take you.
And really I do want to dive in a little bit on some of these issues of getting more young
(06:33):
people involved in agriculture.
And I mean FFA continues to grow.
We're seeing more and more chapters sprout up across the states, including in New York
City.
I think there's at least five new chapters starting up in the city, which is fantastic.
What is it about FFA that more students are gravitating to and what kind of foundation
(06:55):
did FFA provide you on the career path that you're on today?
Yeah.
When I think of that, I always think about the big jump and how far ahead all of our
students are right out the gate, right?
Starting out going into college and coming right out of college.
All of our members, we have so much more experience than the regular student just because of how
(07:20):
our organization pushes us to really be career ready.
So I came into college having so many, many hours, over 500 hours of experience of hands
on work.
And this is across many different career pathways.
And that was specific to our, to the John Bonafafé chapter.
But aside from that, any student from across the state is going to have so much more public
(07:42):
speaking experience.
They're going to know how to speak to employers and how to interview and anything in that
realm.
And aside from that, just have so much more knowledge of agriculture in general and what
they want to do than many other students.
So I think that's one thing that keeps a lot of, a lot of new students wanting to join
into FFA.
(08:03):
And aside from that, it's like, it's a, it's a nice family experience.
So you have lots of students teaching each other how to earn and what to do to get into
whatever industry they want to get into and really spark that passion and grow on it.
I think that's really interesting because two, you, your, your path has changed somewhat
in terms of what you wanted to study and where it could ultimately take you, but it's still
(08:25):
connected to agriculture.
And so many people may assume that, oh, I want to work in agriculture.
That means to be a farmer or a farm worker or an employee at a farm.
But there are hundreds of career opportunities in agriculture.
Technology is changing it as well.
So you know, how excited is agriculture to you?
(08:48):
And what are those like the possibilities that you and your friends really kind of gravitated
towards when it was learning about agriculture and the career opportunities available?
Yeah.
So I, as we know the word farming and how that looks like in New York state is always
changing.
So, especially with all this new technology, so even learning about what this new technology
(09:08):
means for our state and what it means, like especially as a state officer and our FFA
members getting a look at with their local farmers and getting to hear hands like firsthand
from them when they speak to them, how that's affecting our farmers and how they're learning,
like actively learning, you know, to produce all of our food and how big New York state
(09:29):
is in our country's agriculture industry.
We're leading in so many different commodities and how all of our farmers are working with
all this new technology and all the challenges of rising costs and how that looks like for
us.
That alone is so exciting for me, learning how our state is constantly innovating in
farming and keeping afloat and how, you know, we're battling that the rising age of farmers
(09:55):
and how we're getting a new generation of farmers.
Like that's so inspirational almost, how we're seeing all these new students that are wanting
to be in agriculture and while yes, there's so many different industries that all of our
students are going into in agriculture, really focusing on that one major, you know, the
farming.
That's so cool that so many of our students are getting an interest and a lot of our urban
(10:18):
students are getting an interest in production farming and getting a look into what that
looks like and what that could look like for them and all the opportunities that it holds
for them in the future.
What do you think could be done to make it easier for young people to get involved in
agriculture or maybe make it easier for young people to learn about it?
(10:39):
Is there something that you would like to see change or grow or get better when it comes
to outreach among young people?
Yeah, so I feel like when we look at agriculture, it's such a daunting, it can be such a daunting
thing because you know, what even is agriculture?
So like we could break it down.
You said it's many different industries and it is, there's so many different things to
(11:01):
look at.
So like I know that a lot of our urban population, they focus on like vet med and like, you know,
being a veterinarian or really working with small animals or if they want to work with
large animals, you know, it should be in veterinary medicine or you know, in a different way.
So when we really expanding that view of what agriculture is to all of our students and
(11:25):
making it, you know, a really digestible topic and making it fun, you know, because when
we look at agriculture, there's so many different moving parts.
So if you're looking at production agriculture, it's not just, oh, I'm going to grow vegetables,
you know, and crops for my community.
It's looking at, you know, finances and how you're looking into that.
I was speaking with Farm Credit East and we're looking at how, you know, it's much more than
(11:49):
just growing your crops.
Like everybody has that down, but it's really the people who have a good financial plan
that are actually creating a sustainable farm, you know, for years and years and years.
So we have all of that, but how we could like, you know, give them little snippets here and
there to, you know, to really get them learning, but not also just make like, oh, agriculture
(12:14):
is this, you know, like really making it so they're still learning, but making it digestible
for them.
That would be really good and I think we're seeing that a lot with FFA, getting more people
involved, really showing them what, how they can get career ready, still being fun, but
still actually giving them assets that they could use in the future when they're actually
(12:34):
looking for careers in agriculture.
Well, if you think about it, you have 500 students any given time in FFA at John Brown
alone and you know, that's I'm sure a very diverse group of students who can bring a
very different perspective, you know, including that urban perspective to New York agriculture
and really bring some new ideas, new energy.
(12:59):
And that's very exciting.
Is that something that excites you as well?
I've just seen so many more young people in the New York City metropolitan area saying
agriculture interests me and I can contribute.
Yes, it really does.
I'm so excited.
When I was Surveillance State Officer, I was just hearing all this new buzz, like all this
(13:19):
big want to learn.
And it's not also that, but it's also that we're, you know, we're getting so much, so
many resources to be able to just go to move ahead from, oh, I want to learn to, oh, I'm
actually learning now.
Like I'm doing it.
I'm getting the resources that I need to actually get out there and talk to industry professionals
(13:41):
in New York City who are doing it and who have done it and who have companies, you know,
who are leading in urban agriculture and, you know, having that connectedness with the
growing urban agriculture industry here and the students who want to learn and then moving
ahead from that once, you know, they've learned more and then having that interconnectedness
with, you know, the urban agriculture perspective and the rural production agriculture perspective
(14:05):
is that's also really important.
So you have a full circle view of what agriculture is.
So yeah, that's really exciting that now we're having that we're seeing that firsthand.
Yeah.
And there's been a lot of talk too about hiring the next generation of the employees.
And is there anything about your generation that would be good for employers to know or
(14:27):
understand of what you and your friends and other students are looking for in a job, in
a career, you know, whether it's on the processing side, the marketing side, the business side,
the policy side, anything that would be good for people who are wanting to hire young people
in into the profession.
(14:48):
Yeah.
I feel like, well, I always mentioned this, that when I, when we, when we take a look
into agriculture, into farming, into perspectives in urban agriculture or rural perspectives,
one word that always comes up is tradition.
And I feel like that's one word that employers always hold is, is the new generation traditional?
(15:13):
Or are they going to fit into the traditions that they're upholding as employers?
And I feel like, no, you know, we're not.
And I feel like that's, that's what's so special about this new generation is that we're changing
what tradition looks like in agriculture.
So yes, tradition is a good thing, but really kind of slowly changing that vision of what
(15:36):
traditional agriculture looks like in New York state is also important.
And that's what I think that our new generation is really specializing in.
And what makes us so special is that we're slowly changing for the better what that traditional
agriculture view looks like, which is what is keeping New York Ag or what is going to
keep New York Ag as great as it is.
Again, new ideas, new perspectives, new conversations.
(16:00):
That's all can, can lead to growth and change.
And I think you're right.
That's, that's an exciting part.
I think also exactly what you said, new ideas, new perspectives, the same work ethic, same
drive, same want to learn more.
Same idea of keeping New York Ag, you know, number one in top 30 commodities in the country.
(16:23):
So that's all still the same, but you know, exactly what you said, new ideas, new perspectives,
really innovating.
I was like, you know, being a student officer and being in FFA for, you know, five years
and ending my journey recently, you know, I retired from FFA.
I feel like one thing that I would love to share is all the great things that all of
(16:43):
our students do.
So we were talking a lot about careers and employers and the industry now.
And I feel like I always love to share all the great things that our students do in New
York State FFA.
So, you know, we have so many students, like at a very young age that I was able to see
ones at the New York Agriculture Society that won first place in her competition for, you
(17:08):
know, innovating with pigs.
And like, how is so interesting in how they graze and, you know, her starting her company.
And then we have students who are, you know, leading in production agriculture in their
communities.
And they're, you know, again, at a young age, but still showing just as much work ethic
as some of our older farmers and them having that, you know, vision of themselves working
(17:30):
on their own farm or starting their farms or, you know, really growing and leading in
farming when they're older.
So you know, all those students and then we have in New York City who are like leading
in what they see or what they want to see in urban agriculture and really educating
more students.
So we have so many, so many students all over New York State, thousands, you know, since
(17:54):
we're so, we're 11,000 members strong.
We have thousands of students who are ready and learning to build up and really, really
spark so much new innovation and growth in our New York State agriculture industry.
And I feel like that's just something that I wanted to share because that's so heartwarming
when we look at what your gag is going into.
(18:15):
Well, Christian, you know, I wish you the best of luck.
I'm very excited to see where you're going to take you and looking to have you more engaged
in Farm Bureau and policy, you know, at the state and national level, because that's key
to in helping support our farmers and New York agriculture.
Thank you so much.
(18:35):
And the future looks bright with Christian and so many other young people all across
New York are interested in the many career opportunities that exist in the farm and food
spectrum.
As a reminder, developing that pipeline of new employees will be one of the panel discussions
at the New York Farm Bureau 2023 Agricultural Summit that's going to be held on August 8th
in Syracuse.
(18:55):
You can learn much more about it as well as register by going to the website summit.nyfb.org.
So don't miss out on this really exciting forward thinking event.
Well, until next time, a big thanks to Seth Moser Katz for editing today's podcast.
And as always, thank a farmer for all that they do.
These days, agriculture is casting a wider net, and that includes two exciting young
(00:08):
people in New York City to pursue careers in agribusiness, food and farming.
Hi, I'm Steve Ammerman, New York Farm Bureau's Director for Communications.
So I grew up in a small town in Kansas.
I had relatives and family friends who farmed, but I still didn't grow up on a farm myself.
And still my journalism career path took me to Farm Bureau more than a decade ago, where
I worked with farmers every day on issues that mattered to our members.
(00:31):
So that may not seem like the biggest stretch for someone from rural Kansas who wasn't
raised in agriculture.
So imagine growing up in the Big Apple.
That seems like a much bigger leap, but one more and more young people are taking these
days.
And today you're going to meet one of them, Christian Gelsis.
He lives in Queens and went on to an agricultural high school where it instilled in him a love
(00:51):
and passion for the industry.
So we're going to chat about that, his future and the role FFA is playing in more and more
young people's lives all across New York State.
Hi, Christian.
Thanks so much for joining us today.
Hi, I'm really excited to be here.
Thank you for having me.
So you are right now sitting in your home in Fresh Meadows, Queens on summer break from
(01:15):
college.
You're interested in working in agriculture.
Not a typical career choice for someone growing up in Queens.
How did this all come about that you wanted to work in agriculture?
Yeah.
So really, it's an interesting story.
I always grew up loving plants and animals, going to the farm, the local zoo.
(01:38):
And really up until I came to choose a high school in Queens, I was, that's when my whole
agricultural journey really started.
So I attended the John Brown High School Agriculture Program.
And from there, that's when I really got immersed into really learning about agriculture.
And that's where I learned that agriculture was really going to be my future career.
(02:02):
But yeah, from there, I really got involved in the FFA organization or FFA chapter at
John Brown.
And that's when I really catapulted my love for agriculture.
People would probably be surprised that the John Brown FFA chapter is the largest FFA
chapter in the state of New York.
(02:23):
What is the program like?
And what is the ag program like at the high school?
Yeah.
So we really have such a unique program and chapter.
So yeah, so the largest chapter in the state with over 500 members actively learning and
working in agriculture.
So we have a curriculum-based learning, plant science and animal science for all of our
(02:47):
students and honors and a regular track course for our students as well.
But aside from that, we have, like in FFA, we have competitions that are career-based.
So I did lots of public speaking competitions.
I did aquaculture for a couple of my years of high school.
And then I did agriculture communications.
But we have a wide variety.
(03:08):
We have veterinary science, ag sales, ag marketing, aquaculture, like I said, veterinary.
So the veterinary science one is a big one.
We have equine, poultry.
So a lot of different industries in agriculture that students could really learn and really
immerse themselves into.
But aside from that, we have lots of hands-on learning.
(03:29):
So we have a four acre farm in the back of our school with a wide variety of animals.
We have large animals, small animals.
Yeah, so that's also a big part of our program as well.
And through FFA, you were very involved, as you said, but you also became a state officer
as well.
So you were able to travel the state and really get a bigger picture of what New York agriculture
(03:52):
looks like.
What was that experience like for you?
I, well, the John Bon FFA chapter really showed me that I wanted to really take a different
look into what agriculture means in my state.
So yes, I loved agriculture and I love urban agriculture, but I wanted to take it a step
further.
So being chapter president, I knew that I didn't want to end my journey senior year.
(04:15):
I wanted to continue.
So I ran for state office with 10 other candidates and I became one of the six faces of FFA for
New York state.
But that experience was absolutely amazing.
One that I will always remember, never forget.
Yeah.
So I got to travel all over New York state looking at different chapters and what they
(04:36):
do and how they teach agriculture, really immersing myself with my team, with industry
professionals and different agribusinesses all over New York state to really take a deep
dive into how different industries work.
And I'm very grateful that I was able to take a look at that because we've really learned
a lot about how our state works with agriculture from talking to local legislators to Congress
(05:00):
people that represent our state in agriculture.
So it was a really interesting experience and I'm so grateful that I was able to have
that.
You can only imagine all the exciting things that you got to do and participate in.
But in there for you, you're now a student at SUNY Cobolskill and you're studying agriculture
and your journey kind of changed a little bit in terms of what you're studying and what
(05:24):
you are wanting to do.
So what is your future look like at college and what exactly are you studying?
Yeah.
So I started out in my senior year of high school wanting to be a large animal veterinarian
like a lot of our students at Bound.
But then I started my studies at SUNY Cobolskill in plant science and I finished my first year
(05:48):
recently in plant science, but I actually switched my major to agriculture business
so I could get my associates in applied sciences and then transfer over to the university at
Albany to study public policy with a concentration in urban issues.
And my end goal is to have a career in ag policy because that's what I love.
(06:12):
Well I mean you're talking to the right people here at New York Farm Bureau.
Yes.
Obviously, that's a lot of what we do and certainly we have a great relationship with
FFA and John Bound and SUNY Cobolskill.
So it's exciting to see where the future is going to take you.
And really I do want to dive in a little bit on some of these issues of getting more young
(06:33):
people involved in agriculture.
And I mean FFA continues to grow.
We're seeing more and more chapters sprout up across the states, including in New York
City.
I think there's at least five new chapters starting up in the city, which is fantastic.
What is it about FFA that more students are gravitating to and what kind of foundation
(06:55):
did FFA provide you on the career path that you're on today?
Yeah.
When I think of that, I always think about the big jump and how far ahead all of our
students are right out the gate, right?
Starting out going into college and coming right out of college.
All of our members, we have so much more experience than the regular student just because of how
(07:20):
our organization pushes us to really be career ready.
So I came into college having so many, many hours, over 500 hours of experience of hands
on work.
And this is across many different career pathways.
And that was specific to our, to the John Bonafafé chapter.
But aside from that, any student from across the state is going to have so much more public
(07:42):
speaking experience.
They're going to know how to speak to employers and how to interview and anything in that
realm.
And aside from that, just have so much more knowledge of agriculture in general and what
they want to do than many other students.
So I think that's one thing that keeps a lot of, a lot of new students wanting to join
into FFA.
(08:03):
And aside from that, it's like, it's a, it's a nice family experience.
So you have lots of students teaching each other how to earn and what to do to get into
whatever industry they want to get into and really spark that passion and grow on it.
I think that's really interesting because two, you, your, your path has changed somewhat
in terms of what you wanted to study and where it could ultimately take you, but it's still
(08:25):
connected to agriculture.
And so many people may assume that, oh, I want to work in agriculture.
That means to be a farmer or a farm worker or an employee at a farm.
But there are hundreds of career opportunities in agriculture.
Technology is changing it as well.
So you know, how excited is agriculture to you?
(08:48):
And what are those like the possibilities that you and your friends really kind of gravitated
towards when it was learning about agriculture and the career opportunities available?
Yeah.
So I, as we know the word farming and how that looks like in New York state is always
changing.
So, especially with all this new technology, so even learning about what this new technology
(09:08):
means for our state and what it means, like especially as a state officer and our FFA
members getting a look at with their local farmers and getting to hear hands like firsthand
from them when they speak to them, how that's affecting our farmers and how they're learning,
like actively learning, you know, to produce all of our food and how big New York state
(09:29):
is in our country's agriculture industry.
We're leading in so many different commodities and how all of our farmers are working with
all this new technology and all the challenges of rising costs and how that looks like for
us.
That alone is so exciting for me, learning how our state is constantly innovating in
farming and keeping afloat and how, you know, we're battling that the rising age of farmers
(09:55):
and how we're getting a new generation of farmers.
Like that's so inspirational almost, how we're seeing all these new students that are wanting
to be in agriculture and while yes, there's so many different industries that all of our
students are going into in agriculture, really focusing on that one major, you know, the
farming.
That's so cool that so many of our students are getting an interest and a lot of our urban
(10:18):
students are getting an interest in production farming and getting a look into what that
looks like and what that could look like for them and all the opportunities that it holds
for them in the future.
What do you think could be done to make it easier for young people to get involved in
agriculture or maybe make it easier for young people to learn about it?
(10:39):
Is there something that you would like to see change or grow or get better when it comes
to outreach among young people?
Yeah, so I feel like when we look at agriculture, it's such a daunting, it can be such a daunting
thing because you know, what even is agriculture?
So like we could break it down.
You said it's many different industries and it is, there's so many different things to
(11:01):
look at.
So like I know that a lot of our urban population, they focus on like vet med and like, you know,
being a veterinarian or really working with small animals or if they want to work with
large animals, you know, it should be in veterinary medicine or you know, in a different way.
So when we really expanding that view of what agriculture is to all of our students and
(11:25):
making it, you know, a really digestible topic and making it fun, you know, because when
we look at agriculture, there's so many different moving parts.
So if you're looking at production agriculture, it's not just, oh, I'm going to grow vegetables,
you know, and crops for my community.
It's looking at, you know, finances and how you're looking into that.
I was speaking with Farm Credit East and we're looking at how, you know, it's much more than
(11:49):
just growing your crops.
Like everybody has that down, but it's really the people who have a good financial plan
that are actually creating a sustainable farm, you know, for years and years and years.
So we have all of that, but how we could like, you know, give them little snippets here and
there to, you know, to really get them learning, but not also just make like, oh, agriculture
(12:14):
is this, you know, like really making it so they're still learning, but making it digestible
for them.
That would be really good and I think we're seeing that a lot with FFA, getting more people
involved, really showing them what, how they can get career ready, still being fun, but
still actually giving them assets that they could use in the future when they're actually
(12:34):
looking for careers in agriculture.
Well, if you think about it, you have 500 students any given time in FFA at John Brown
alone and you know, that's I'm sure a very diverse group of students who can bring a
very different perspective, you know, including that urban perspective to New York agriculture
and really bring some new ideas, new energy.
(12:59):
And that's very exciting.
Is that something that excites you as well?
I've just seen so many more young people in the New York City metropolitan area saying
agriculture interests me and I can contribute.
Yes, it really does.
I'm so excited.
When I was Surveillance State Officer, I was just hearing all this new buzz, like all this
(13:19):
big want to learn.
And it's not also that, but it's also that we're, you know, we're getting so much, so
many resources to be able to just go to move ahead from, oh, I want to learn to, oh, I'm
actually learning now.
Like I'm doing it.
I'm getting the resources that I need to actually get out there and talk to industry professionals
(13:41):
in New York City who are doing it and who have done it and who have companies, you know,
who are leading in urban agriculture and, you know, having that connectedness with the
growing urban agriculture industry here and the students who want to learn and then moving
ahead from that once, you know, they've learned more and then having that interconnectedness
with, you know, the urban agriculture perspective and the rural production agriculture perspective
(14:05):
is that's also really important.
So you have a full circle view of what agriculture is.
So yeah, that's really exciting that now we're having that we're seeing that firsthand.
Yeah.
And there's been a lot of talk too about hiring the next generation of the employees.
And is there anything about your generation that would be good for employers to know or
(14:27):
understand of what you and your friends and other students are looking for in a job, in
a career, you know, whether it's on the processing side, the marketing side, the business side,
the policy side, anything that would be good for people who are wanting to hire young people
in into the profession.
(14:48):
Yeah.
I feel like, well, I always mentioned this, that when I, when we, when we take a look
into agriculture, into farming, into perspectives in urban agriculture or rural perspectives,
one word that always comes up is tradition.
And I feel like that's one word that employers always hold is, is the new generation traditional?
(15:13):
Or are they going to fit into the traditions that they're upholding as employers?
And I feel like, no, you know, we're not.
And I feel like that's, that's what's so special about this new generation is that we're changing
what tradition looks like in agriculture.
So yes, tradition is a good thing, but really kind of slowly changing that vision of what
(15:36):
traditional agriculture looks like in New York state is also important.
And that's what I think that our new generation is really specializing in.
And what makes us so special is that we're slowly changing for the better what that traditional
agriculture view looks like, which is what is keeping New York Ag or what is going to
keep New York Ag as great as it is.
Again, new ideas, new perspectives, new conversations.
(16:00):
That's all can, can lead to growth and change.
And I think you're right.
That's, that's an exciting part.
I think also exactly what you said, new ideas, new perspectives, the same work ethic, same
drive, same want to learn more.
Same idea of keeping New York Ag, you know, number one in top 30 commodities in the country.
(16:23):
So that's all still the same, but you know, exactly what you said, new ideas, new perspectives,
really innovating.
I was like, you know, being a student officer and being in FFA for, you know, five years
and ending my journey recently, you know, I retired from FFA.
I feel like one thing that I would love to share is all the great things that all of
(16:43):
our students do.
So we were talking a lot about careers and employers and the industry now.
And I feel like I always love to share all the great things that our students do in New
York State FFA.
So, you know, we have so many students, like at a very young age that I was able to see
ones at the New York Agriculture Society that won first place in her competition for, you
(17:08):
know, innovating with pigs.
And like, how is so interesting in how they graze and, you know, her starting her company.
And then we have students who are, you know, leading in production agriculture in their
communities.
And they're, you know, again, at a young age, but still showing just as much work ethic
as some of our older farmers and them having that, you know, vision of themselves working
(17:30):
on their own farm or starting their farms or, you know, really growing and leading in
farming when they're older.
So you know, all those students and then we have in New York City who are like leading
in what they see or what they want to see in urban agriculture and really educating
more students.
So we have so many, so many students all over New York State, thousands, you know, since
(17:54):
we're so, we're 11,000 members strong.
We have thousands of students who are ready and learning to build up and really, really
spark so much new innovation and growth in our New York State agriculture industry.
And I feel like that's just something that I wanted to share because that's so heartwarming
when we look at what your gag is going into.
(18:15):
Well, Christian, you know, I wish you the best of luck.
I'm very excited to see where you're going to take you and looking to have you more engaged
in Farm Bureau and policy, you know, at the state and national level, because that's key
to in helping support our farmers and New York agriculture.
Thank you so much.
(18:35):
And the future looks bright with Christian and so many other young people all across
New York are interested in the many career opportunities that exist in the farm and food
spectrum.
As a reminder, developing that pipeline of new employees will be one of the panel discussions
at the New York Farm Bureau 2023 Agricultural Summit that's going to be held on August 8th
in Syracuse.
(18:55):
You can learn much more about it as well as register by going to the website summit.nyfb.org.
So don't miss out on this really exciting forward thinking event.
Well, until next time, a big thanks to Seth Moser Katz for editing today's podcast.
And as always, thank a farmer for all that they do.
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