GREEN AG TEAMS: URBAN-RURAL DATA AND TECHNOLOGY AGRICULTURAL TRAINING EXCHANGE (URDATA)

The global quantity of food required by human populations is expected to double by 2050, which leads to an urgent demand to optimize agricultural production to meet this rising need. Technology will play a significant role in achieving efficient agricultural practices with increased food production. Yet while technical careers in agriculture are expected to increase in the coming decade, traditional farm and ranch labor will decrease by the same amount. To make technology available to all and provide job equity, we plan to train a new generation of agriculture professionals that must include tech-savvy experts in data science and automation. Furthermore, to achieve efficient production, it is becoming increasingly important to adopt sustainable practices across all economic sectors. Advances in computer sciences, automation or mechanization, and remote sensing can help to optimize production advance towards increased sustainability. The sustainability-minded agriculturalists of the future will need experience with sustainable agriculture intensification, advancements in data science and data collection, and automation processes to respond to industry needs.The Green Ag Teams project will train participants to enter the agricultural industry and prepare them to be competitive for advanced agricultural science and related technology degrees. The project will: 1) recruit participants to join a paid experiential learning opportunity; 2) connect participants directly with agricultural organizations to experience different modes of agriculture and meet industry-prescribed needs; and 3) develop college-career pipelines via training in sustainability and data sciences tailored to the needs of the agricultural industry. This project will develop an urban-rural (New Jersey-Kansas) exchange program. By studying the relationship between both settings, students can recommend sustainable and ethical ways to affirm environmental awareness for the future of technology in the farming industry. Participants will learn the procedures for conducting agriculture on-site with agricultural industry partners. They will work to address industry- and site-specific sustainability needs that originate from the industry partners. Participants will receive training in data collection and data analysis for process-optimization. The project will recruit participants each year from from diverse backgrounds.The project will directly impact 50 students with agriculture-specific experiential, project-oriented training opportunities, and will indirectly impact 1,500 additional students involved in concurrent training and partner programs, providing increased exposure to potential agricultural careers and the need for sustainability and data science professionals within the industry. Outcomes will include greater awareness and preparedness for technology degrees related to agriculture and incorporation of technology skills in agriculture degree recipients. Agriculturalists will be exposed to and provided with solutions to implement for their processes to become more sustainable. Resource use will decrease as production increases through these technologically advanced applications by a diverse and well-trained workforce.