Agriculture
Not Just Herding Cattle
By Chris Craddock
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"Just because you major in agriculture, it doesn't mean you will work on a farm. Only two percent of the agriculture business is actually raising and growing food and live stock."
Bob Young
Agriculture Instructor
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Bob Young loves his job—and agriculture. It’s readily apparent by looking around his office, sprawled with agriculture memorabilia from over the decades. From John Deere replica tractors to photos of students he’s taught, there’s a lot of history hanging in his office.
“I have two loves in life,” Young said. “Teaching and working on a farm—and I am lucky enough to get a paycheck to do both.”
Young, in his 18 th year as the agriculture teacher and farm manager at the Kilgore College Agriculture Demonstration Farm, said that his passion for the job has kept him around.
“I do it for the students,” Young said. “It’s great when you get to wake up every day and help kids succeed. I hope to be able to do it for years to come.”
KC offers an Associate’s Degree in Agriculture, which is a two-year program, and Young said that most of his students transfer to four-year institutions.
He also said that there are several misconceptions and stereotypes out there about agriculture.
“Just because you major in agriculture, it doesn't’t mean you will work on a farm,” Young said. “Only two percent of the agriculture business is actually raising and growing food and livestock.”
Young said that jobs in agriculture include marketing, economics and research, among others.
“People don’t really realize that there are careers galore in agriculture,” Young said. “There are even big-paying high-tech jobs out there too.”
Young said that even students interested in computer science can find a job in agriculture.
“Not many people know that the creation of computers was initially intended to manage the accuracy of the agriculture business, and to save money,” Young said. “It’s always been a highly sophisticated business, but it really is now. There are all kinds of jobs available in the field.”
Young said that he has seen several of his students go into a variety of agriculture fields, several of which are involved in the teaching business.
“It’s just so rewarding to see my students succeed,” Young said. “It keeps me motivated.”
A VERY UNIQUE PROGRAM
Young is only the third agriculture teacher KC has had since the program’s conception at the demonstration farm. The first was Wayne Lacy from 1963-1980, and the second was Jeff Grote who taught for 12 years from 1980-92.
“I know there were some agriculture courses offered in the 1940s and ‘50s, but the college really expanded the program in 1963 with the establishment of the demonstration farm,” Young said.
Young lives at the 448-acre demonstration farm in Overton where he said all lectures and demonstrations take place. The farm is about nine miles south of KC’s main campus.
The college acquired the land with financial help from the Bruce McMillian, Jr., Foundation, Young said.
“We’re probably the only junior college in the nation that holds all classes and demonstrations on a farm,” Young said. “And we’re probably the only college in the nation that has the instructor living at the farm.”
Young said the diversity of the farm really sets KC apart from other junior colleges.
“We have cows, sheep, hogs, goats—as well as 25 different forages for feeding purposes.”
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The program has been awarded as the No.1 community college agriculture program in the state of Texas 15 times in the last 18 years.
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A WINNING TRADITION
The KC Agriculture Program has continually racked up the awards over the years. Probably the greatest achievement is that the program has been awarded as the No. 1 junior college agriculture program in the state of Texas 15 times in the last 18 years.
“We’ve been named as the best in the state 11 years running,” said KC agriculture student Micah Tinkle, 18, of Woodville.
Tinkle is a freshman in the Agriculture Program at KC, and said that his family experience of growing up around a farm definitely made him interested in pursuing a degree in agriculture.
“My family raises show cattle and contracts out bucking stock,” Tinkle said. “I also took some agriculture classes in high school which prepared me for the program.”
Tinkle, who also serves as the Cattle Show Team Captain of the Ag Club, said he plans on getting his associate’s degree at KC, then transferring to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
“I plan on teaching agriculture once out of college,” Tinkle said. “It will be enjoyable to teach what I love.”
Not all incoming students, however, have agriculture in their background. And Young said that’s a good thing.
“Just because an incoming student doesn't have agriculture in his or her background, it shouldn’t discourage them from taking agriculture classes,” Young said. “I relish the opportunity to encourage students with limited agricultural backgrounds. Those are extremely satisfying to teach because you can see so much progress being made.”
Also, agriculture students are part of the award-winning KC Ag Club. The Ag Club at KC is student-run to promote agriculture awareness at the college.
“It’s probably the most active organization on campus,” Young said. “We try to attend most of the college’s events to promote our program.”
The agriculture program also takes several trips each year to compete. Annual trips include the Houston Livestock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, the East Texas State Fair in Tyler, the Louisiana State Fair and the Texas Junior College Agriculture Association convention.
“We are very competitive, even against four-year university students,” Young said. “It’s exciting to compete with such schools. And it’s even more exciting when you win.”
Young said the Show Team has earned a First Place Herdsmanship Award the past three years at the Houston Livestock Show.
Our students always compete admirably and do an excellent job,” Young said. “We’ve won numerous Herdsman awards in the Angus Division of numerous livestock shows. It’s really rewarding.”
The club also sponsors numerous Future Farmers of America and 4-H activities, and helps local organizations such as Rotary Club and the local Chamber of Commerce.
“We also participate in Christmas parades around the area,” Young said. “We try to promote the program any way we can.”
Young said, though, that the best part is seeing his students take pride in the program at KC through succeeding.
“The students here have so many opportunities to learn from all of the activities in which we participate, and I love seeing my students succeed,” Young said. “We’ve done really well over the years, and I’ve had some really excellent students. My students truly do become my kids.”
Robert "Bob" G. Young
Instructor and Demonstration Farm Manager.
B. S., M. Ed., Sam Houston State University
State Advisor for the Texas Junior College Agriculture Association
Kilgore College (Agricultural Farm)
2211 Hwy. 135 East, Overton, Texas 75684
Phone: (903) 834-6255
ryoung@kilgore.edu
