College

Some students enter college with ideas about their future, and those ideas change. The students are exposed to subjects that they haven't learned about before, and these subjects help shape their future career choice. For me, in the first semester, I learned a lot of new things, but I still want to pursue agriculture as my career, because I continue to see the problems in the food system, and I still want to change them. Yahoo News posted an article about the most "useless" majors. This elitist attitude completely ignores the fact that people need to eat, and food will only be provided through agriculture. When I mention my continued interest in agriculture to family or friends, I find it to be dismissed, often due to the fact that I'm "only" a first-year student in college, and that my interests will potentially change. Whenever someone implies this, I see the true insinuation. They're trying to subtly express disapproval of my career goal. Honestly, it doesn't matter. It's my career goal. Yahoo Article. http://education.yahoo.net/articles/most_useless_degrees.htm

Another update

Over the past month, I've been busy at school, working hard in all subjects. In addition, I've done some work on an organic farm in Connecticut. There, I've learned goat milking, and done other tasks, such as planting garlic, spreading mulch, and weeding. The work I've done there has already been a valuable experience, and I hope to continue doing work there. I am still aiming and aspiring to go into agriculture as a career, and I hope to gain more skills and knowledge. Next summer, I'll most likely be doing an agricultural apprenticeship. In the meantime, I'm looking for more experience that I can gain. I have a long vacation in December-January, five weeks, and I think it would be helpful for me to gain some farming experience during that period. Working during that time would be a valuable and productive use of my time. It will most likely be challenging to find work on a farm, at least in the US, over break, because it will be the winter, which is usually the time when there is the least amount of activity, and thus the least amount of need for apprentices.

Update after two months.

It's been over two months. I'm now a first year in university, and it's going quite well.
I have been trying to find opportunities on local farms, in the Berkshires.
Last week, I learned how to milk a goat. This was quite a rewarding experience.
Learning how to milk a goat, and then doing academic work made me ponder education.
There are two parts of education.
There is the theoretical part, which consists of reading classic books.
This is in addition to the practical component of education, which teaches students how to fulfill necessary practical tasks.
If all the students with the highest SAT scores were put on a dairy farm, they would, most likely, not know how to be useful.
I'll continue finding work on local farms.
Eventually, I hope to be at a school where agriculture is a component of the curriculum.

Irked

I'm still feeling irked by the results of the trip. I had a fantastic time, and learned a lot. The other attendees complained about the level of work, and are now asking for a certificate of community service for the 2 hours that they worked. 
I planned this trip to be a learning and volunteering experience. 
It seems like the participants would find a piece of paper to be more fulfilling than the work itself. 
I'm feeling unappreciated for all my efforts. Even if I do get them certificates, I feel that I still won't be appreciated. So, what's the point? 

Work

I just took a trip to neighboring farm with my camp.
I organized the entire trip.
I personally thought that the trip went well.
We helped with weeding, and learned about composting.
It was my idea of a perfect afternoon.
However, I found out that some participants felt that they worked too much, and werent prepared for this quantity of work.
I had specifically told them that I was planning a trip to a farm, where we would be doing work.
Also, I am being asked to arrange for certificates of community service to be give out to all participants.
For me, doing farm work is so rewarding, that I don't need any recognition or certificates.
This is irksome.

Return to the blog.

So, I am at camp this summer, which is why I haven't written. I am still planning and thinking about agriculture and my goals. 
I'm currently helping plan a workshop and lecture about agriculture for next week. 
The goal of the workshop is to increase awareness among my generation about the problems with our food system. 
I might get a farming internship for next summer, because it's important for me to start gaining experience.  
I've been reading agricultural blogs, and spending time thinking about these issues which I care greatly about.
I'll try to write soon.

Two Years.

I'll be attending college, starting in the fall.
I'll attend this college for two years.
After two years, I will either switch colleges, or start farming/apprenticing.
I feel that getting straight to work on my farm, or apprenticing, would be a better use of my time. It would allow me to get straight to work, without being so fiscally burdensome.
However, if I do stay in college, I would transfer to a school with a program in agriculture that offered internship opportunities.
I feel that there's a lot of societal pressure to attend college for 4 years, even though it might not be completely beneficial.