In the course of one day a farmer could be working on marketing, finances, insurance, and more. As a farmer we are expected to be proficient in all of these, but each one is a career path in its own right. Which begs the question, is a formal education necessary to be a successful producer?
Dr. Ayman Mostafa with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension doesn’t believe that a disconnect exists between academia and the realities of farming and feels that a formal agricultural education is an important part of modern farming. Based on his experience at Extension, he contends that “almost all successful, long-term and innovative growers and ag professionals are those who have their academic degree.”
