Equipment Rodeo: Students learn about agriculture through working heavy machinery

BOAZ, Ala. (WAFF) - Friday morning, students from across North Alabama learned of the agriculture industry through an Equipment Rodeo hosted by the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association.

“I got to run some excavators, some skid steers some tractors out here. All the kids are having a good time,” said junior student Trace Curry.

Russell Wood is the Executive Director of the Nursery and Landscape Association. He says events like these help develop more professionals in the agriculture industry.

“The nursery and landscape industry needs students to come into the industry and work. So, we’re bringing them out here and showing them a lot of the tools and equipment that we use in our industry on a day to day basis to hopefully peak their interest to come in work in some of our careers,” Wood said.

Wood says the number of students interested in agriculture has decreased and offering these events helps spark that interest among students.

“There is a gap out there of knowledge. Kids are growing up with an Xbox controller or a laptop or a phone in their hands all the time and not getting outside. We’re trying plant that seed with students again to kind of get back out there and learn what hard work and work ethic is,” Wood said.

Curry agrees that more students should pursue a career in agriculture.

“We need people to be raising our crops for us to eat and people to be building houses and running equipment. If nobody does it, the world is just gonna be a bad place,” Curry said.

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