By: Christina Di-Marco Crook, Intern and PhD Candidate, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Date: 10/20/11

While the term agriculture immediately brings to mind its primary role to provide food on the table, others challenge us to look beyond the customary definitions.  Dr. Lowell Catlett, Dean of Agriculture at New Mexico State University (NMSU), is one such visionary of the unseen opportunities that lie ahead for the role of agriculture both today and in the future.  Often referred to as a renowned futurist and expert public speaker on agricultural economics, Dr. Catlett did not disappoint attendees when he recently spoke on Capitol Hill for legislative directors and committee staff hosted by the National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research (National C-FAR) made possible by Alliance to Feed the Future.  Here are a few examples of how the future of agriculture is shaping up:

“Today, what is seen as negative, a generation later can be a revolution.”

When offered the family ranch years ago, Catlett wasn’t interested. He didn’t see any value in a “windy dust bowl.”  Years later, upon news of the sale of an adjacent property, he learned it would be equipped with 100 generators that would hone the wind’s power for energy.  Through innovative research, that windy dust bowl became a valuable energy source.

The “theory of the long nose.”

Food and agricultural research enables the discovery of new uses for tools used in other industries, also known as applying the “theory of the long nose” – if it works for them, then why not for us?  For example, conventional satellite mapping has recently been used at NMSU in a new agricultural application to merge three different satellite signals to produce a three dimensional image of plants from space.  Through this technology, we are now able to manage the agricultural environment, such as being able to see where the water flows in a plant.

Farming as a form of healthcare.

Another exciting possibility Catlett spoke about involved the aging baby boomer population. As they get older, many will need assisted care. Some in agriculture are exploring putting nursing homes on their farms where the elderly could interact with animals and take part in planting activities, while at the same time supporting farmers by purchasing milk, vegetables and other farm products.  Other innovative health care solutions being explored by NMSU include having soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq with post-traumatic stress syndrome participate in chores and routines on a farm to help them overcome this condition. 

“This is the golden age of agriculture, says Catlett, “the most phenomenal time to be in agriculture.”

For additional information about careers in agriculture, visit https://www.ffa.org/Pages/default.aspx#