Who has better advice for a college student looking to make a career in ag than a recent graduate?
We asked ASFMRA Student Member Delaney Drost, a 2017 graduate of Colorado State University how she navigated college and began her career in ag. Originally, from Carlsbad, California she graduated with a degree in agricultural business and is currently training to be a rural appraiser at McCarty Land & Water Valuation, Inc.
Q: What got you interested in ag/made you want to pursue a career in it?
A: My family has been ranching since the early 1900s in western Colorado, so I spent time every summer near Craig and Steamboat. Being around the sheep industry and hunting industry was always so interesting to me. I spent the rest of my time in San Diego, and I always felt like I was living in the wrong place for my interests. When I started applying for colleges, I applied exclusively to schools in more rural areas. Even though Fort Collins is growing into a big city, it still felt close enough to a strong rural community. The agricultural roots in the college were evident.
Q: How did you choose your major?
A: I actually started as a broadcast journalism major. After spending a semester at CSU, I explored other majors and settled on dietetics and nutrition. I then took an elective course called "Food: From Farm to Table" taught by Jack Avens. The course was all about commercial food processing and food safety, with a large emphasis on the livestock industry. I was so interested in that aspect; I immediately met with an agricultural sciences adviser and switched majors to agricultural business. It took me five years to graduate since I switched majors many times but during my first semester in the Agricultural Sciences College, I knew I made the right decision. My parents always say that I should have majored in agriculture all along, since that was what attracted me to CSU and Colorado in the first place.
Q: How did you find your current job? What was the application/interview process like?
A: Shiloh Wittler and Sara Wilson, ARA spoke in my Agricultural Production Management course at CSU, taught by Marshall Frasier. They discussed the rural appraisal career path and how large portions of today’s appraisers were from an older generation. I was already enrolled in two beginning appraisal courses and was interested in the career path they described so I emailed them. Shiloh directed me to reach out to his boss, Kevin McCarty. I went down to Loveland to speak with Kevin about career advice and to discuss how to start my appraisal training. The next day he called and offered to train me. While I tried to remain calm and collected on the phone, I was jumping up and down. This was exactly what I wanted to do; he focused on big ranch appraisals and conservation easement appraisals- something I am familiar with already. I was happy to take the job.
There did not end up being a formal application or interview, I just reached out. I think in an industry like real estate appraisal, there isn't a clear cut path to training so you have to put yourself out there if you want to end up as an appraiser. I have Shiloh and Sara to thank; if they had not come into my class there's no way I would have known to reach out to Kevin. I also have to thank Kevin for taking on the responsibility of training me. I will always be grateful for that.
Q: Do you have a dream job? If so what is it?
A: I'm sure this sounds cheesy, but I feel like I am working in my dream job. I am currently training to be a rural appraiser at McCarty Land & Water Valuation in Loveland, Colorado. I have only been at it for 3 months, but I am always excited to come to work. I have tagged along on a few consultations already and seeing beautiful, expansive farms and ranches all over Colorado is so fascinating. I also enjoy the research and writing aspect, it is a great way to learn about all the counties in Colorado and Wyoming. I am never doing the same thing, and it's always interesting and new. When I am a certified general appraiser, I cannot imagine I’d get tired of this. The fact that some of the time is spent in the office, while some is spent outside experiencing beautiful Colorado is something most jobs don't offer. I'm learning a lot really quickly and I feel very blessed that Shiloh and Sarah from ASFMRA came to speak in one of my courses at CSU. That allowed me to find this opportunity.
Q: What advice would you give to a current college student who wants to have a career in ag?
A: I think a career in agriculture is unique because there are thousands of ways you can be involved. Around 50-60% of the students I graduated with were going back to work on their family ranches and farms. That was not my plan, so I had to be very involved in the college to open career paths. I was involved in Agricultural Adventure at CSU (an event bringing together Poudre School District 3rd graders and CSU Agricultural Sciences students). It was an amazing way to meet other people with similar interests. Whatever clubs you can join, join. Whatever events you can volunteer for, whether it be Agricultural Adventure, Ag Day or the Stock Show do it. You should be as involved in you can. Take electives that sound interesting to you. They are there so you can try new things. I am so happy I chose to take appraisal courses for my electives, which I knew nothing about. Going to career fairs and maintaining good relationships with your professors is also a great way to get connections. Put yourself out there, even if you are not sure how the interview/application/job will turn out. There is no reason to be stuck in an 8-5 job you hate or that stresses you out when you are in your 20s. You can always switch careers later in life, but it's better to work in a career you are passionate about.
Q: Why are you a member of ASFMRA?
A: After Shiloh and Sarah came to speak in my class, I joined immediately because I was interested in the rural appraisal world. The emails and newsletters are great ways to stay connected. In the future, I hope to become even more involved in recruiting younger members and helping college students get started on the appraisal training process. I will start my appraisal training courses in the spring of 2018, and I will take all those through ASFMRA. My boss is actively involved in the ASFMRA so he can properly direct my appraisal training path.
Outside of work, Delaney is passionate about big game hunting, hiking and camping with friends and tending to the laying hens her and her boyfriend own. She hopes to be able to buy land and grow her hobby farm in the future. Being able to live in a rural environment while working in one makes this career choice even more enticing to her.