FFA officers discuss future of Nebraska agriculture with Gov. Pillen

Nebraska FFA Officers had a chance to ask Gov. Jim Pillen his thoughts on the future of agriculture in Nebraska on Wednesday during a forum at the state’s largest ag show.

Pillen and Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton took the stage at Husker Harvest Days, the world’s largest irrigated working farm show.

The annual event west of Grand Island draws an estimated 100,000 visitors each year over a three-day period.

Thousands of FFA members from Nebraska attended the show on Wednesday, and four officers sat with Pillen to discuss the future generation of farmers’ impact on the state.

Peyton Hinrichs, State FFA Vice President from Meridian, asked what officials are doing to keep young producers in the state.

“We’re here at Husker Harvest Days and we’re surrounded by many young producers, the new, young agriculturalists of the next generation,” she said. “How are we supposed to keep those young agriculturalists with their passion for agriculture here, rooted in Nebraska? What are you guys doing to help promote that?”

Pillen estimated that if the students asked their classmates if they want to live in Nebraska as adults, nine out of 10 would say yes. But Pillen added he feels economic development has been lacking and he would like to see tax credits used to give young people advantages as they launch careers in the state. He said the government should stay out of the way, but help fill any gaps.

Pillen added that efforts to keep young people in the state start at home.

“Grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, have to spend more time on multi-generational planning and making sure that your family’s business will be successful for generations to come,” he said. “My generation hasn’t been very excited about doing that as much, or my father’s generation, and you don’t have generational success today unless you work on it, you plan and you invest in it.”

Pillen also discussed the need for livestock veterinarians, and highlighted Nebraska’s Elite 11 Veterinary Program.

“The hardcore reality is that things have changed dramatically in veterinary medicine,” he said. “Almost every young student that comes out of veterinary medicine goes into small animal medicine. Why? Because it’s an easier life and it’s a very lucrative business.”

The scholarship program offers financial assistance to Nebraska students pursuing degrees in animal science or veterinary science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources who have a passion for the health and wellbeing of production animals.

“It’s a tough lifestyle and not everybody is made for it,” Vinton added. “It’s to recruit our kids from rural Nebraska that didn’t think that they or their families would be able to afford the burden of attending vet school. It’s as much as med school. It’s well over a quarter of a million dollars, so this is a great investment in our youth and our livestock industry. It’s been a wonderful partnership with the university.”

When asked how young producers can prepare for the future, Pillen stressed the importance of technology on the changing landscape for farmers who are “fully engaged in technology, and we just happen to raise corn,” and being prepared for new jobs that don’t currently exist, citing second-generation ethanol production as an example.

“All the things we’re used to using that came from carbon below ground now will be coming from carbon above the ground,” he said. “There are careers that none of us can comprehend today that are going to happen from that… Now we just have to do a great job of marketing that. We have to make it happen and we’re working hard on that, then getting education so the careers are developed.”