Careers in Production Agriculture

Crop Farmer

Job Description

Farmers grow cash crops and raise livestock. Farmers who grow crops use their knowledge of soils and plants to determine fertilizer and irrigation needs, obtain seeds for planting, prepare the soil for planting, combat plant diseases and insect pests, harvest crops and sell them. Farmers who raise livestock use their knowledge of animal husbandry to develop sound breeding programs for animals which they raise for meat, milk and eggs. A vegetable farmer must plan carefully to have a crop through all of Oklahoma's growing seasons—spring, summer and fall. Some even grow vegetables through the winter and sell them at winter farmers markets. Farmer must keep their machinery and other equipment in good working order and make repairs on farm buildings, fences and other structures. Keeping accurate records of supplies, purchases, sales, planting, breeding and production is another part of the farmer's job.

Skills

• A farmer should like working outdoors with crops, livestock and machinery
• He or she should have good business sense and be able to make good management decisions
• The work requires knowledge of soil chemistry, plant and animal physiology, genetics, nutrition, entomology, farm management and economics

Preparation

High school courses in agriculture and a college degree in some field of agriculture, along with work experience on a farm.