By: Myfanwy Purslow, 2nd Year BAgSc Student, Waite Campus, The University of Adelaide, Ag Institute SA Division member and mentee of the AIA Mentoring Program.
Integrating the Adelaide University Agricultural Science students with their future industries has never been as successful. Such success is thanks to AIA who run a mentoring program and other organisations enthusiastic about offering work experience, internships and grad programs. Students, like myself, Deanna Blesing and Sophie Nuske are able to benefit from this inclusion. The three of us, along with additional agricultural science students and over 40 others attended the AgTech Focus Farm Field Day at Keyneton Station on June 10th.
Our knowledge of the opportunities within the industry expanded over five presentations and one in-paddock demonstration. Learning about the future of the agricultural industry from professionals currently immersed in areas such as genetics, flock profiling, containment feeding, and pregnancy scanning was extremely beneficial. As future agricultural science graduates, we are attentive to where career success can be found, whilst maintaining passion for the subjects we love. Although we already had a thorough understanding, the AgTech Focus Farm Field Day only solidified the fact that the livestock industry is an eminent industry to be involved in both now and in the future.
I encourage all agricultural science students to involve themselves in industry events advertised through both university affiliates and independent business. Student membership of the Ag Institute, participating in the AIA Mentoring program and access to the 2022 Student Compendium are facilitating this engagement. Meeting new people and engaging in conversation can be daunting, but the benefits such engagement can yield can be of immense value. We were incredibly grateful to be a part of the AgTech Focus Farm Field Day and hope to attend more events in the future.