Students learn about agriculture at CSI Summer Ag Academy

Although the recent high school graduate just began her summer classes, she’s already learned a lot about a new sector of the ag industry. She analyzes irrigation and studies plant science as she cultivates crops.

Kornbau grew up on a dairy farm, where she first developed her love for animals. In 2022, she attended the Summer Ag Academy at CSI and fully realized her career interests.

“I’ve really always been around agriculture,” she said. “But then I did the Summer Ag Academy, and I got to see the different aspects of agriculture.”

Kornbau studies animal science at CSI and wants to become a veterinarian specializing in swine. Learning about animal systems during the Summer Ag Academy is the program she enjoyed the most, and she’s only one of the Ag Academy’s success stories.

For the past four years, the Summer Ag Academy, hosted by the college’s agriculture department, has immersed middle- and high-school students into the vast fields of the agriculture industry.

The academy was initially created as an avenue for the college department to connect with younger community members and spark interest in agriculture. Since then, students have learned about beef cattle, natural resources, fish hatcheries, and more. Over time, the camp has expanded and influenced other technical career departments, such as manufacturing, to do the same.

Throughout the week, 20 students learned about natural resources, participated in various activities and field trips to see how natural resources are used in the ag industry and experienced potential career paths.

At first, the students were a bit reluctant because they didn’t want to do schoolwork during the summer, organizer and CSI ag instructor Jaysa Fillmore said, but as the week progressed, they became more excited to go on adventures and learn something new each day.

“We get on our bus and go places,” Fillmore said. “We get to meet people in the community, and the students are usually really excited about it. I like surprising the kids and showing them that education doesn’t have to just be sitting in a classroom in a boring setting…

“It can be fun and engaging as well.”

Fillmore said that opportunities like these are essential because farming and ranching are expensive, and pursuing a career is challenging if a student didn’t grow up in agriculture.

“There are lots of barriers of entry to get into actual ag production, so farming and ranching,” she said. “It’s very expensive, and land is limited. One of our goals is to show students if they have an interest in agriculture but didn’t come from a farm or ranch, there are still lots of opportunities for careers.”

“Apply for one ag class,” Kornbau said when asked what advice she would give to students unsure about agriculture.

“Being able to learn about the industry and what people are doing around you, especially since we have farms in the middle of town, just knowing what they’re doing and how they’re supplying the community with food… it opens you up to a bunch of different opportunities,” she said.

Kornbau said that she wouldn’t have the opportunities she has now without the knowledge she gained from ag classes and the Summer Ag Academy. Learning something new creates a chance to open new doors.

“I say, just full send it!” she said, laughing.