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Optimism for agriculture’s future workforce

Wisconsin Ag Secretary Randy Romanski says enhancing the ag industry’s workforce is one of his biggest priorities heading into 2024.

“Everybody’s talking about how they’re looking for people now in the workforce,” he said. “The thing that we’ve focused on is that no matter where you come from, no matter what your background is, if you’re interested in agriculture, agriculture is going to have a place for you.”

He says he’s optimistic about the next generation of workers who pursue a career in agriculture. “Investing in our schools, investing in our technical colleges and our universities is really key to prepare that workforce for the future.”

And, Romanski tells Brownfield, “We need farmers for sure, no question about that, but we need veterinarians,” he said. “We need agronomists. We need accountants. We need marketers.”

Romanski says maintaining strong 4-H and FFA programs will be critical to the industry.