On the Farm: Agriculture makes the world go round

Once it’s gone, it’ll never be back. A bridge that is burned, crumbles, and you can never cross that bridge again. Agriculture is like a bridge that connects the world. From transportation to technology to construction, agriculture plays a key role in everyday life. When most people think about agriculture, they think about farming. What most do not realize is that agriculture is no longer the typical “cows, plows, and sows”. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, farming and farm families account for only two percent of the US population. To find out what agriculture has to offer, I caught up with Stuart Byrd, the agriculture teacher at Lord Botetourt High School.

Stuart Byrd has been the agriculture teacher at Lord Botetourt High School for the past twenty-five plus years. He has had hundreds of kids enter his classroom with little to no agriculture background and leave with a broader understanding of the industry. His classes teach students life skills imperative to the real world. In his classes, students learn not only about the 300 plus careers within the agricultural field, but they also learn key skills like how to fill out a job application, simple plumbing, simple electrical work and much more. He teaches students how to apply, accept, and keep a career.

I asked Mr. Byrd several questions regarding the agriculture world. Even though I grew up in the industry, his answers and insights helped to bring a whole new view to the industry I call home. I asked his what careers in agriculture are not the stereotypical, “cows, plows, and sows”. His response was that many people do not consider transportation, robotics, life sciences, biologists, bankers and loan officers to be in the agricultural industry. All these careers are linked to the agriculture industry in some way. I asked him what he meant by “all of them are linked to agriculture”, and his response put a whole new look on the agricultural world.

He responded, “Well, let’s think about this. The number one industry in Botetourt is still agriculture, alright? Well, the number one industry in Virginia is still agriculture. Let’s go a little further. The number one industry in the United States is still agriculture. And, if we take it a step further, the number one industry in the world is agriculture. You can’t drive a car without agriculture. It took mining and farming to provide the materials to build the car and fuel the engine. Everything originated from one plant source or animal source, so everything is tied to agriculture. The unity of the industries begins and ends with agriculture.”

As a person deeply involved in agriculture, I never thought about agriculture being a way to unify the world. Each industry starts and ends in the same manor. By having a better understanding of where everything comes from, we can better understand the opportunities and possibilities of agriculture.

A huge thank you to Stuart Byrd for taking time to meet with me.

Story by Courtney Henderson

Photo: Courtesy of Courtney Henderson. LBHS Ag teacher Stuart Byrd with Courtney Henderson.