UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and several staff members of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau recently teamed up to create a new club, the Penn State Collegiate Farm Bureau.

While most collegiate farm bureaus are at universities located in the southern and midwestern United States, Penn State students felt the need for a club that will provide them with professional development and service-learning opportunities, as well as give them a glimpse into the agricultural side of state and federal politics.

Students believe the Collegiate Farm Bureau will bridge the gap between students and professionals within the agricultural industry, creating new opportunities for students wishing to pursue a career in the field, according to Mike Hess, sophomore in agricultural and extension education from Lancaster.

“Midwestern states are more agricultural based with less of a population, so the students at those universities are more inclined towards agriculture,” he says. “A relationship with the state farm bureau here is just as important for students in agriculture at Penn State.”

Morgan Firestine, a junior from Womelsdorf majoring in agribusiness management, is excited about the direction of the club. “We are still in the developmental stages, but we already have about 40 interested members,” she says. “The strong response to the club from the students within the College of Agricultural Sciences has been a boost for the organizers.

“In addition to our interaction with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, we will be involved in community-service projects and participate in ‘collegiate discussion meets,’” she adds. “The discussion meets are meant to help build the development of public speaking and problem-solving skills along with the ability to debate. The group will also participate in a variety of activities geared toward student involvement.”

Students interested in becoming a part of the Collegiate Farm Bureau at Penn State should contact Nicole Cassel, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Committee director, at (717) 731-3514 or by email at necassel@pfb.com. To speak with a student representative at Penn State, contact Laura Grove at leg162@psu.edu.

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Leia Hopson: Writer Jeff Mulhollem: Editor 814-863-2719 jjm29@psu.edu