Wisconsin Ag Education Centers Bridge Generational Gap
In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
In the early 1900s, nearly 40% of America’s workforce was involved in agriculture. Today, that national statistic has decreased to a staggering 1.5%.
“It’s pretty significant how far removed we are from agriculture,” says Richard Pavelski, founder-president of Food + Farm Exploration Center’s board of directors. “At our center, we hope to give a new perspective on careers in food and production agriculture.”
To address industry-related issues, two state-of-the-art nonprofit interactive agriculture education facilities were funded, built and opened to the public – the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center in 2018 and the Food + Farm Exploration Center in 2023.
“Our discovery center serves an important role in closing the gap from field to fork,” says Abigail Winkel, brand manager at Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center. “It offers an opportunity for older generations to reconnect with their farming roots and younger generations to consider potential career pathways.”
Both centers emphasize education and engagement with students of all ages. Each features interactive exhibits, life-size farm equipment and live demonstrations, inviting everyone to dig in and learn.
“Our primary focus is education followed by workforce development,” Pavelski says. “We’ve hired five former teachers to work on programming for the center and local schools.”
From farmers to food scientists and agriculture lenders to loggers, countless career opportunities are highlighted.
See more: Wisconsin Ag Connects Producers to Processors
“Our exhibit space is designed to inspire and encourage guests – especially students – to consider
a path into the agriculture field,” Winkel says. “Specifically, two career quest monitors offer up potential career suggestions based on responses to the user’s interests.”
Various careers are spotlighted when industry experts visit Farm Wisconsin for special events, field trips and group tours. Such career experts have included beekeepers, livestock nutritionists, soil scientists and mechanical engineers.
“As visitors interact with the exhibits and technology, we call out all the skill sets that are needed on the modern farm and play an important role in agriculture that most people do not realize, such as drone pilots, engineers, mechanics, accountants and heavy machine operators,” Pavelski says.
Both centers engage in strategic partnerships with local farms, agribusinesses, commodity groups, higher education institutions and agriculture organizations throughout Wisconsin to help bring career opportunities to life.
To learn more about the centers, visit explorefoodandfarm.org and farmwisconsin.org.