OZARK, Ala. — More than 500 students, educators and industry professionals from across southeast Alabama gathered April 8 for the Ag Career Expo. Now in its third year, the event is hosted by Wiregrass RC&D in partnership with the southeast region of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

With 35 vendors spread across the Wiregrass Research Extension Center and Dothan’s Landmark Park, students rotated through a variety of stations. Those included a college fair, transport vehicles, raptor exhibit, calf-pulling opportunity and drone flight observation, among others. A farm safety demonstration and a beehive visualization were popular stops, as was the Wiregrass Electric Lineman tabletop competition. Each experience was related to various careers and services in agriculture.

Alabama 4-H agents served as tour guides for each group of schools. Extension agents and specialists, along with local businesspeople, helped conduct interactive educational exhibits.

Capturing the Experience

Jack Harris, who represents Alabama FFA Foundation Region 7, moved through the exhibits speaking to vendors. He said he felt the experience succeeded in presenting attendees with new options in agriculture.

“It is so beneficial that students can come to one place and get the experiences of a wide range of agriculture,” Harris reflected. “As I walked around, I learned, too, because I saw that so many things are changing. I don’t know of any other event where you could have this opportunity. It is a huge benefit for the Wiregrass students.”

During the event, Alabama Forestry Commission representative Thomas Moss spoke to students. He explained that Alabama is a top state for forestry production and diversity of plants. Plus, the state is No. 1 in aquatic animal diversity.

“There was some great interaction with kids who just want to absorb more knowledge about our forests,” Moss said. “They didn’t realize all the technology we use, like drones, GIS locators and fire indicators. There has been a lot of benefits to us having time to talk to students at this event.”

Careers That Make a Difference

Throughout the day, Capitol Tractor’s Nathan McCall provided students with insight related to his own career. McCall said his job has allowed him to learn about farming through the years, and he enjoyed sharing that knowledge with students.

“The best thing about my job is being able to partner with farms and different small businesses to help provide equipment that makes their lives better and their chores easier,” McCall said. “We know why it’s important to be part of helping people deal with the frustrations that can happen in farm life.”

Alabama Poultry and Egg Association Associate Director Ray Hilburn spent a good amount of time listening to his student groups.

“I just love hearing from these young people,” Hilburn said. “They are so much smarter than I was at this age. We are trying to tell them some things they haven’t thought about, like how big our poultry and egg industry is. There are such good people in our industry and the ag industry overall. There is a lot of excitement in these careers, and we want these high school students to think about their careers while they have time to make plans.”

Hilburn, who is a poultry grower, recommended that students participate in internships students to discover what they might want — or not want — to do for a career.

Perspective from a Young Farmer

Likewise, Will Meadows of Alabama Young Farmers spoke about gaining experience. Meadows has achieved success through his ag-dedicated social media.

“My agriculture career is all about social media and influencing, and I wish more people knew the amount of reach and traction you can get through social media,” Meadows said. “People want to see and learn about where their food comes from. Social media can help explain so much about eggs, beef and more.”

Meadows said he felt the event was a big success.

“With vendors like banks, Extension, real estate, colleges — it just shows these students that you need to really get out there, ask questions and just talk to someone,” Meadows said. “Maybe you will end up being mind-blown by the many options and organizations we have that support agriculture.”

Reflecting on the Event

At the conclusion of the day, students boarded buses and provided general reflections on their favorite learning experiences. They shared numerous highlights. Those included the tech tools featured at the Alabama Forestry Commission booth, the veterinarians who work with service animals and the emergency services personnel who talked about training and responding to farm incidents involving large equipment.

With the wide range of experiences provided, staff of Alabama Extension and Wiregrass RC&D said they hope to see a new crop of ag producers arise in the Wiregrass region soon.

Partnerships Make It Possible

The Ag Career Expo is made possible through a $27,000 grant from Wiregrass RC&D. This support reflects the organization’s continued investment in workforce development and agricultural education across the region.

Wiregrass RC&D extended appreciation to local and state legislators whose continued support helps make investments like this possible. Their commitment to rural communities and agricultural education plays a vital role in preparing the next generation workforce.

Beyond the career expo, students are encouraged to reach out to their commercial and residential Extension agents, who are available by calling the local county Extension office.