EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University (MSU) Extension invites youth ages 14 to 19 to participate in the 2021 MI Ag Ideas to Grow With conference to be held virtually, February 15-19, 2021. This unique virtual event combines past MSU Extension events such as Ag Action Day, Branch County Farmers Day, and Southwest Michigan Horticulture Days that did not traditionally have youth focused sessions.
While youth are welcome to attend any of the sessions, there will be sessions designed specifically for youth on Monday, February 15.
Youth sessions include:
- Farm Safety– The food and agriculture industry employs 22% of Michigan workers. Learn to recognize common hazards, prevent accidents, and respond to emergency situations in and around farms.
- Ag Careers– There is an expected average of nearly 58,000 job openings annually in agriculture, food and natural resources related careers. Hear about some of the nontraditional ag related careers that youth may not think to explore.
- Apprenticeship 101– Learn about Registered Apprenticeships as a job or career option and expand career awareness of occupations with high demand and high wage in Michigan.
The three youth sessions will be offered in the morning and then repeated in the afternoon. There will be an additional session at 7:15 p.m. that will offer information about the MSU Agricultural Technology programs that are offered at some local community colleges. All session will be held using the Zoom platform.
“We are very excited to be able to offer youth sessions during the MI Ag Ideas to Grow With conference,” said Janice Zerbe, Extension Educator based in Van Buren County. “We want to get the youth to think about all of the careers that are available within the agriculture industry and how to be safe on a farm.”
MI Ag Ideas to Grow With conference will be held virtually, February 15-19, 2021. The cumulative weeklong program, encompassing many aspects of the agricultural industry and offering a full array of educational sessions, is suited for farmers and homeowners interested in food production along with those considering agricultural endeavors. While there is no cost to participate, attendees must register to receive access to the necessary Zoom links. Attendees are able to participate in as many sessions as they wish and are also able to jump between tracks. RUP and CCA credits will be offered for several of the sessions. More information can be found at https://www.canr.msu.edu/miagideas/ .
Contact Veronica Bolhuis at bolhuisv@msu.edu for more information!
— Michigan State University Extension
For more articles out of Michigan, click here.