Agribusiness

PROGRAM HAS STRONG YIELD IN FIRST YEAR

It all seemed set in stone for Dalton Blaha. After high school graduation, Blaha would head for diesel mechanic school and in two years, be ready to embark on his career.

Another opportunity soon presented itself, and Blaha began to realize that even the best laid plans can be altered. For Blaha, a Midland University freshman, the implementation of an Agribusiness program at Midland University set him on a new four-year journey. “I loved the thought of being a diesel mechanic, but then I started to question whether this was a 100 percent fit for me,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine myself doing this for the rest of my life, but it would be difficult for me to go in another direction. It got me looking at other options.”

As he began the process of taking another direction in his collegiate journey, Blaha began to realize the Agribusiness program would offer him a variety of career options. “It wasn’t an easy decision to give up diesel mechanic school,” he said. “I sat down with my parents and started weighing all the pros and cons. It would allow me to get a degree with a broad overview and would give me the opportunity to be a member of the shotgun sports team. My dad and I took a look at the curriculum, and it made me realize this would give me many different routes to find a job. In the two-year diesel program, it would have limited my knowledge to just fixing equipment. Coming to Midland has broadened my expansion of everything involving agriculture. I would like to be a technician for precision equipment, and the opportunities for that line of work exist in the area.”

Midland’s Agribusiness program was rolled out in the fall of 2021, and Blaha was the first of 15 students to declare it as their major. Nick Schreck, Director of Undergraduate Business, is excited to see that even though the program is in its growth stage, it is clearly gaining some early momentum. “We’ve got strong numbers and we’ve experienced great engagement from the agricultural community,” he said. “The goal now is to build off that and continue to foster business connections and get students in those businesses.”

As he began to research and identify what an Agribusiness program at Midland would look like, Schreck quickly identified that he could lean on area businesses, and ag industry leaders, as the program began to take shape. “We wouldn’t have been able to have this program without the support from local businesses,” he said. “I know people were excited to see Midland start an ag program. Midland is known for putting people in the workforce who will work hard and make a difference. Those businesses want talented people to stay in Nebraska and work for them.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MIDLAND UNIVERSITY AGRIBUSINESS PROGRAM, VISIT MIDLANDU.EDU/AGRIBUSINESS

Blaha’s father, Leo, owner of a 3,000-head cattle operation near Dodge, Nebraska, saw immediate value in Midland’s plan for its Agribusiness program. “Nebraska is at the heart of agriculture in this country,” Blaha, a 1992 Midland graduate, said. “There’s a shrinking demographic on the agricultural side and we need to get students geared back toward working in agriculture. Nick and I had several discussions regarding the program. I was able to offer my suggestions, and he came up with a great plan. Talking with other people in the area was a great step.”

Schreck was also able to lean on local industry leaders to serve as adjunct instructors. Kim Brammer, who teaches Survey of Ag Careers, works as Director of Development and Recruitment with Ag Processing (AGP), an Omaha-based company that is engaged in procuring, marketing, and transporting oilseeds, grain, and related products. In her role of bringing the next generation of workers into the ag industry, Brammer believes a wide skill set is a valuable commodity to any future employer. “We’re looking for teamwork, strong communication, critical thinking and problem solving, leadership, positive interpersonal skills, initiative, and learning/adaptability skills.”

Brammer believes Midland’s Agribusiness program provides the structure that will equip them with the skills to succeed at the next level. “It’s helping them develop a mix of technical skills and knowledge, along with business ethics and principles,” she said. “This blend will allow students to approach a variety of careers with the understanding of agriculture and business fundamentals.”

Many institutions across the Midwest offer some form of agricultural studies. Schreck’s vision was to find a way to make Midland’s program unique. One way for that to happen was to create more “hands-on” experiences for students, where they could see and learn how the work is done in person, as opposed to only reading it out of a textbook. “Our plan is to start rolling out those experiences next semester,” he said. “We talked with many area businesses who like the development process and now, they can envision it a little more and recognize how it can help them. We want to take those experiences to other businesses and students and create great employees for different companies.”

Brammer said that approach will be beneficial to employers and students as it gives them an up-close view of what their future may look like. “It prepares students to hit the ground running,” she said. “When companies are looking for the best fit, candidates who have first-hand industry experience are highly sought after. Practical experience is a huge plus, and Midland’s program provides that for students.”

It’s also providing students like Dalton the opportunity to live the full college experience. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to come here and shoot,” he said. “It’s allowed me to connect with people from all over the country who I would never have met if I had gone somewhere else. It’s been a good fit for me.”

Leo sees the opportunity at Midland as a great learning experience for his son and other students who enter into the Agribusiness program. “When you’re 18, you’re not sure what you want to do, so you hate to get too involved in something that you might not like,” he said. “This gives students the opportunity to view many different sectors of the agriculture industry. It’s a great learning experience, and that’s what college is all about.”

The end goal of the college experience is to have a job waiting for you after four years. There is a gap that exists between the needs of the market, and finding qualified candidates to fill those roles, that Schreck hopes will be bridged in the near future. “The ag industry has been facing those needs for several years,” he said. “Not everyone is cut out to be able to think critically and communicate effectively, but also work with their hands. It takes special people to work in agriculture, and I think this program helps develop those people.”

Those students who are ready to work shouldn’t have to wait long in line for their opportunity. “There is a shortage of industry-ready individuals,” Brammer said. “Jobs ranging from farm management to commodity sales to agronomy sales are all readily available for those with an Agribusiness degree.”

“WHEN COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR THE BEST FIT, CANDIDATES WHO HAVE FIRST-HAND INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER. MIDLAND’S PROGRAM PROVIDES THAT FOR STUDENTS.” -KIM BRAMMER

Agribusiness

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