CSUCI learns about the need for diversity in agricultural careers with a fellowship in Washington D.C.

Camarillo, California (Aug. 10, 2023)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the world of agriculture in general need workers, and not always in a field of crops or livestock. Workers are needed in scores of other areas outside of the farm, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture itself.

“You don’t have to be a scientist or a farmer,” said CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Assistant Vice President for Student Academic Success & Equity Initiatives Michelle Hasendonckx. “The USDA needs people with experience in human resources, communication specialists, accountants, project managers—people from a wide variety of disciplines and backgrounds make up this huge department. And these are career opportunities nationwide.”

Hasendonckx learned about the current needs of agriculture industry when she was selected as one of 30 staff and faculty from Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) around the nation to be a part of the 2023 class of E. Kika De La Garza fellows.

Named after 16-term former U.S. Representative Eligio “Kika” De La Garza, the fellowship is designed to enable representatives from HSI campuses to travel to Washington D.C. for a week to learn about USDA services and programs that will benefit them and their students. The fellowship is also aimed at advancing equity and promoting diversity in the field of agriculture.

De La Garza was a democrat from the Rio Grande Valley area and served as chair of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee from 1981 to 1995.

“It was a great opportunity to learn more about this enormous agency,” Hasendonckx said. “Abraham Lincoln called it ‘The People’s Department’ because he knew how important agriculture was to the nation’s prosperity. We learned about all the ways the department is trying to diversify the workforce. In the next few years about 50% of the workforce is due to retire, so they’re looking for young people from different majors to fill those roles.”

Hasendonckx had the opportunity to meet U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and tour a farmer’s market during her stay. Vilsack stressed the department’s commitment to equity and to right some historical wrongs among underserved communities.

“New programs are focused increasing access to funding for farmers who are veterans, women and farmers of color,” Hasendonckx said. “There is an interest in diversifying the farmers who want to farm more sustainably, too.”

Hasendonckx returned with ideas on research opportunities for faculty and job and internship opportunities for CSUCI students who might be interested in a career in agriculture.

“For example, recent college graduates can apply to the Pathways program and many of the positions come with ‘conversion,’ which means, when the internship ends, it could convert to a full-time federal job. This is great news for our students who might be wondering if a college degree will pay off—it absolutely will!” Hasendonckx said.

She added that one of the proposed new majors at CSUCI is Sustainable Agriculture, so this is an ideal time to educate students and faculty about all of the varied opportunities in the industry.