Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Exploration

The following career exploration days cover a wide variety of careers within the agriculture, food, and natural resources pathway.

Put yourself on the path to achieving your goals. Career fields in this pathway include: conservation, agriculture sales, veterinary medicine, precision agriculture, agronomy, landscaping, heavy equipment mechanics, natural resource preservation, and much more!

Explore the opportunities listed below, when you find the career exploration event you'd like to attend, write down its name so it is handy when you fill out your application.

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Career Exploration Experiences

From concept to finished product, Kinze Manufacturing designs and manufactures planters, grain carts, and tillage equipment at its facility in Williamsburg, Iowa. Join us as we begin our day at Kinze touring the Kinze Innovation Center, which highlights Kinze’s 60 years of innovation and the technology that is shaping the future of farming. We will also have a factory tour to observe how raw materials and other components come together to become a finished product. Throughout the day you will observe and visit with Kinze employees in the areas of welding, machining, assembly, powder coat painting, testing, engineering, sales, marketing, and many more. Join us for this unique opportunity to observe several different agricultural and manufacturing careers under one roof! Held Feb. 10, 9-11 a.m. Cap of 24.

Come experience a day of learning how careers in agriculture have an impact on the future of feeding the world. You will understand the educational requirements needed in the fields of agricultural research, seed manufacturing or operational leadership.  Discover more about Bayer’s cutting-edge product development, from research to creating a final hybrid. If you are interested in crop science, supply chain manufacturing, or people leadership, this would be a great opportunity for you! Cap of 20.

As you evaluate career options and opportunities, job security and career diversity is something you probably have on your mind. The agriculture industry provides just that! Learn how the Stutsman sales team serves diverse sectors of the agriculture industry from local farmers and livestock producers, to feed mills and feed retailers. On top of engaging with agriculture sales representatives from agronomy, feed ingredients and manure equipment, you’ll take a tour of the Stutsman facility in Hills and hear from an agriculture marketing professional. If you are looking for a rewarding career helping people maximize their success with technology, problem solving, and communication/listening skills, make sure to join us for our ag sales discussion. Held December 4, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Cap of 9.

Have you ever wondered what types of farming exist beyond the typical farming methods? Attend this job shadow to see how this business operates for profit on a sustainable small-farm. Experience the grown-not flown flower movement by learning about what it takes to raise, harvest and pick fresh-grown flowers. Come see the beauty for yourself at Promise and Blossom! Held April 29, 2025. Cap of 10.

Explore careers in Public Works which is a broad category of infrastructure projects conducted by local government for health, safety, and recreational benefit for a community. Learn how chemistry and microbiology play a key role in Public Works. Areas of Public Works include: water treatment and management, landscaping and ground maintenance, equipment maintenance, and general public works. Two locations will be visited so students need to transport themselves from one location to the other. Held March 4, 2025. Cap of 10.

Are you interested in organic food production? Learn the process for pasteurizing/processing organic dairy and natural food products at Farmers Creamery and Kalona Creamery. Gain insight on supply chain manufacturing and the unique small batch pasteurization process for our Kalona Supernatural dairy products. Learn about organic farms where the milk comes from and what happens to the products after they leave our creameries. Meet with quality managers and learn how chemical engineering plays a role in food production and quality testing. Learn about how marketing drives demand and sales for the product. Multiple locations will be visited during this shadow. Students will need to transport themselves from one location to another (six miles apart). Cap of 5. Held March 28, 2025 from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Explore the available STEM careers in the agriculture sector. If you know you’re interested in agriculture but you just want to know what opportunities are available, then this is the perfect job shadow for you. Learn more about becoming an agricultural or environmental engineer, agronomist, and a specialist in livestock. Hosted in April or early May 2025. Cap of 10.

Are you looking for a career where you can be out and about, not tied to an office? Do you like to be hands-on? Are you looking for a career where you can gain on the job training? Discover what it means to have a career as a heavy equipment mechanic, a fabricator (welder), a drilling service provider (for water wells) and a pump service provider. Observe a drill rig and a pump rig in action. Plus, learn about wells, aquifers and the importance of groundwater preservation. This is a full day experience from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., multiple job sites may be visited as part of the shadow.


How to Apply

If you are a First Time User follow these instructions
If you are a Returning User filling out a new job shadow application follow these instructions.
If you have already started applying, you may simply continue your existing application.