Farm Director, KC Sheperd, caught up with Alisen Anderson and talked about the Agricultural Immersion and Mentorship program. Anderson is co-founder of AIM, a member of the Ottawa County Farm Bureau, and serves on the AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.
The AIM program was created to meet a need that Anderson and Kelli Payne saw for students majoring in agriculture who are looking for their niche in Oklahoma ag.
“I think we are calling it the labor of love,” Anderson said. “We saw a need in Oklahoma agriculture between that 10 to 21, maybe 22 range where students can come to us and be a part of our cohort or summits and realize there are so much more things in agriculture through sows, plows, and cows.”
Students are given the opportunity to network with individuals in the agriculture community and gain experiences, Anderson said, that will help to open their eyes to the broad diversity of Oklahoma agriculture.
Anderson said there is a small application process including questions, a resume, and a cover letter, then students are implemented into either the fall or spring cohort. There will be a summer cohort for 2024, Anderson added, that is still in the works.
“We want to be able to give students the opportunity to make sure they are exposed to all of Oklahoma agriculture,” Anderson said.
There will be anywhere between 20 and 30 students in each spring and fall cohort, Anderson said, and the summer numbers will be reduced slightly depending on funding and available facilities.
The idea for this program came about, Anderson said, when speaking to her students at NEO. Many students, she added, feel they do not know what career they want to pursue within the agriculture industry, even after they have chosen their college major.
“We really started to figure out that all these kids need is a hand,” Anderson said. “They just need somebody that will take them to all these places. They have gotten to meet over 30 people that would be able to offer them jobs when they graduate with their bachelor’s degree that they would not have gotten to meet if it wasn’t for this program.”
Not only does the program help students network within the agricultural community in Oklahoma, Anderson said, but it also exposes them to the abundance of career options in the state.
“It is an opportunity for them to realize that they can make a difference in Oklahoma agriculture, and they can make an impact, and they can be a part of feeding the world in 2050 within Oklahoma ag,” Anderson said.
Individuals working in production and corporate agriculture, Anderson said, must prioritize making time for students because they are the future of agriculture in the state.
“We find those kids that are the diamonds, and we get to keep them in Oklahoma agriculture to solve problems, to think critically, and to be problem solvers throughout the state and the nation,” Anderson said.
Application information for the next cohort will be posted on the AIM Facebook Page. To find out more information, visit their Facebook page for all the latest news and events.
