Agricultural Awareness Day Exposes Students to Career Possibilities

April 20th, 2026

On April 14, 2026, students from Ellicott Mills (EMMS), Hammond (HMS) and Mount View (MVMS) middle schools were invited to attend the third-annual Agricultural Awareness Day at the Howard County Fairgrounds hosted by the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) and Howard County Farm Bureau (HCFB).

The goal of the event was to provide students with hands-on learning and small group structured interactions with professionals working in a broad range of agricultural roles. Students are exposed to career pathways in the agriculture industry through interactive sessions.

To open the day, Joe Dymek, a member of the HCFB and chair of the Agricultural Awareness Day, emphasized the importance of appreciating the farmers in our community. Howard County has 345 farms spanning 37,639 acres, which is roughly 23% of the total land in the County. “Whenever you have a meal, you need to thank a farmer,” said Dymek.

Students spent the day circulating through eight stations where they learned about various topics including farmland preservation, the use of drones in agriculture, the equine industry, Maryland’s food production, dairy cattle nutrition, soil conservation, farm animal care, farming equipment and much more.

“I learned a lot of cool things at the Maryland Agricultural Education Showcase station and how we spend 77 million [dollars] to produce wheat in Maryland,” said Jonah, a student from MVMS.

Natalie from EMMS shared, “I’ve enjoyed seeing the positive treatment of animals that we’ve met, and it was interesting to learn about the dairy cows and milk production.”

Several students expressed interest in pursuing careers in the industry. “I volunteer at small homesteads in Howard County, and I could see myself pursuing a career in biosciences and nutrition and having my own animals tested on,” said Clara from HMS.

Sagan from MVMS shared, “I was very interested in the veterinary studies and learning about the different gauges of needles and animal surgeries.”

This event was also an opportunity to educate students about programs and organizations they could explore during their time in middle and high school and beyond, including the National FFA Organization and Howard County 4-H program.

In addition, HCPSS Superintendent Bill Barnes encouraged students to consider the Agricultural Sciences Academy in the HCPSS Career and Technical Education program. Barnes said, “Agriculture is an important part of who we are in Howard County, it’s in our origin story, it’s who we are, it’s our soil.”

HCPSS is appreciative of the Howard County Farm Bureau and Howard County Government for providing funding and resources to host the event.