Thirty-five students from BYU-Idaho traveled more than 11 hours to Central Valley, California, this
Faculty within the Department of Economics' agribusiness program have been putting on these tours since 2005.
Blake Willis, an agriculture and food science faculty member who has been teaching for nearly 35 years and helps lead the tours, said the department alternates destinations each year. On even years, students visit California, and on odd years, they tour the Pacific Northwest region.
"The goal is to get the students exposed to some of the most productive, innovative and technologically advanced agriculture facilities in the world," Willis said.
The Public Policy Institute of California issued a policy brief in April 2022 stating that California's agricultural sector is the nation's largest, generating more than $50 billion in annual revenue and employing more than 420,000 people.
"Networking and seeing how different areas of the companies worked together was really cool and helped things click in my head," said Brianne Weekes, an agriculture business major, who attended the tour. "It helps give you an idea of what you really want to do."
Networking is the central focus of these agriculture tours.
"Our students have done internships or are now fully employed at almost every single one of the different locations that we stop at, and it is because of the trips that we go on," Willis said.
Isaac Christiansen, an agriculture business management major who also attended the California tour, said that the trip expanded his understanding of the scale and complexity behind these businesses.
"Understanding the inputs into even just the beginning of the planting process is incredible to see," Christiansen said. "There's definitely a lot more that goes into a farm than people realize."
Brent Thatcher, a horticulture major who attended the California tour, said that the trip deepened his interest in orchard production and fueled his dream to one day own an orchard of his own.
"Even though I do plan to go to law school, my life dream is to own a small orchard of my own, and so since we were touring a bunch of orchards, that was the main drive to attend," Thatcher said.
Students repeatedly emphasized that connections, both professional and personal, were the most valuable part of the experience.
"Just getting to know the people, both in the professional world and also getting to know your peers and building friendships and networking, was super important," Weekes said.
Cooper Kent, an agriculture business major who attended the agriculture tour this semester, grew up on an onion farm in Columbia Basin, Washington. He said the week-long trip taught him that the opportunities in the agriculture industry are endless.
"There is a lot of money in agriculture," Kent said. "There's some big operations, and there's a lot of opportunities and access to lots of different jobs."
Kent said that meeting Agriland Farming Company owner Jim Maxwell stood out to him because of Maxwell's emphasis on integrity and faith.
"He's a member [of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], and hearing how he built his operation in a truthful, honest way while sticking to his values was really cool," Kent said.
Willis said that beyond education and experience, employers consistently value the character of BYUI students.
"You can go to a lot of schools and get an education," Willis said. "But to go to BYUI, where you get an education as well as gospel principles, is a big deal. Companies recognize that our students have integrity [and] that they are honest and hardworking."
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