Protect The Harvest | The Great Divide – Agriculture Colleges at Universities

Point of View Article by Oklahoma State University Sophmore Studying Agricultural Communications and Business

Land Grant Schools Seem to Have Forgotten Their Purpose

I eat, sleep, and breathe agriculture — as do many of my peers. However, agriculture is often forgotten by students at the university I attend. The same can also be said of the students at other universities which were founded to promote and support agriculture. What also seems to be forgotten as well are the morals, skills, and ideals that those in agriculture encompass and hold with them.

From the start of my higher education journey, I have observed an exceedingly clear gap between students whose interests fall under agriculture and those who do not. It is my opinion that this is made possible by allowing extremist groups and their false and negative connotations to perpetuate at the university level. I also believe that many of these negative and false perceptions about agriculture are started at universities which widen the gap that many can see throughout agriculture and non-agriculture industries.

I will never forget the day I realized that agriculture-based schools at the university level needed to do a better job promoting the principles upon which their institutions were founded. It was also clear that they needed to do a better job bridging the gap between students of every interest and department.