Inside ExploreAg: How High School Students Are Shaping the Future of Agriculture Today
At 10:00 p.m. on the night before their final trade show presentation at Ohio State University ATI, Owen Gebers and his project group scrapped their entire week’s worth of notes.
Discarding their initial concept, the team decided to design a digital feed scoop scale and construct a mock company website from scratch before morning.
“We spent all week tossing around ideas, but it was not until the night before the fair that we completely pivoted and decided to build our concept for the digital feed scoop and build out the website,” said camper and Liberty Center, OH FFA Chapter Treasurer Owen Gebers. “It was definitely a rush to get everything ready, but seeing it all come together when the parents and industry people walked through the room was so rewarding.”
Gebers was one of 30 high school students at the Ohio Farm Bureau ExploreAg camp hosted at Ohio State University ATI in Wooster, spending six days stepping beyond classroom walls and into the facilities, labs, and businesses powering the state’s largest industry.
“At first I was a little nervous because I didn’t know anyone there and six days felt like a really long time, but those days flew by,” said camper Jayla Winkler. “Every day we got to see so many different aspects of agriculture. The stops I enjoyed the most were Paint Valley Farms and RMD Dairy. Paint Valley Farms is a Shorthorn cattle operation that specializes in breeding for quality Shorthorns, where we learned a lot about artificial insemination, selective breeding, and embryo transfer. RMD Dairy is a large Holstein dairy farm that uses an automated Lely robotic milking system. As a dairy farmer myself, it was neat to see how the same operation is performed in different ways. Overall, I had an amazing experience at camp. I made new friends, learned a lot about agriculture, and gained clarity for my future.”
Funded by the Ohio Farm Bureau, the weeklong camp offers high schoolers a free front-row look at modern agriculture. Over six days, campers traveled across the region to explore career pathways ranging from livestock equipment manufacturing at Weaver Leather to retail horticulture at Boyert’s Greenhouse & Farm, alongside things like insurance, veterinary science, turfgrass management, and even legal advocacy.
Along with industry tours, the camp placed a heavy focus on professional development. College student counselors led workshops each evening covering vital life skills, such as resume building, professional business attire, elevator pitches, and proper post-interview communication. These sessions gave students tools to navigate college admissions, interview for jobs, and stand out in the workforce.
“It was really meaningful to see how engaged the students were and how willing they were to ask questions,” said Katie Woodruff, an agricultural education student at The Ohio State University who served as a camp counselor. “Sometimes students just need someone to take the time to explain these things, answer their questions and show them that they are capable of putting themselves out there. Giving students the opportunity to practice elevator pitches, build a resume and learn how to network before they graduate can make a bigger difference than we realize.” Woodruff also shared that “Students may not always have someone to ask about these things, so being able to provide that support and watch them grow in confidence throughout the week was really special.”
Campers combined those skills with what they learned on industry tours to build a solution to a problem facing agriculture in the state of Ohio. Student projects ranged from a horse identification system and Gebers’ feed scoop concept to an agricultural social media platform designed to educate the public.
The week culminated in a trade-show-style project fair, where students presented their finished concepts, mock websites, and business strategies directly to visiting agricultural industry professionals, parents, and Ohio Farm Bureau staff for direct feedback.
By the end of the showcase, the students had built something real to take home: tested business ideas, professional connections, and a clearer understanding of where their skills fit in agriculture today.
“I would want students to take home a better understanding of how agriculture impacts their everyday lives and how many different career opportunities are available in the agriculture industry,” said Delaney Bell, an Agribusiness student at The Ohio State University who served as a camp counselor. “I hope they bring back new ideas and knowledge to share with their schools, FFA chapters, and communities. Most importantly, I want them to feel inspired to get more involved in agriculture and realize that they can make a difference in the future of the industry.”
If you are a high school student looking to discover where your interests fit in modern agriculture, or want to learn more about upcoming camp sessions, visit exploreag.org.
