I recently had the pleasure of meeting two young people, who are heavily involved in agricultural investment.

Besides being very intelligent and focused young men, another aspect that stuck out to me was their passion for their work. They genuinely enjoy what they do.

These guys were clearly very driven and customer focused. My natural curiosity kicked in and I asked some questions about why they enjoy their work so much.

One thing evident was the collegiate nature of their workplace. In this organisation, there are about 70-80 staff and the business has four main divisions, with a lot of crossover between the different parts of the business.

There were no silos within the organisation, and they genuinely all do work together for the common good.

The energy when you walk through the office was quite evident, and positive. A good vibe as it were.

The other thing they mentioned was the opportunity they have been given and the level of responsibility afforded to them very early on in their careers.

Some may think this is a bit of a sink or swim type of culture, and perhaps it is to some extent. I think someone who isn’t a good fit would recognise this quite quickly. For those the environment suits, however, they will thrive.

Agriculture has finally been seen for what it is – an industry full of opportunities for anyone that wishes to be involved.

The opportunities are many and varied. The traditional on-farm roles are still prevalent but so are the many options in industries that service ag as well.

These complementary businesses may be in supplying merchandise, machinery sales and service and professional services. There are also a myriad of consulting services intrinsically linked to ag.

It’s becoming more common for people involved in agriculture to have some sort of formal education or training.

Clearly industries like accounting and law, which provide services to agriculture, require a certain level of education to practice. But there is training available and being taken up in both on-farm and off-farm roles.

All aspects of ag are becoming increasingly complex and the skills needed to successfully navigate a career in agriculture have also ramped up.

I think the trajectory of ag is on the up and up, and I suspect the general public is getting an appreciation of how important the sector is. Not before time, in my view.

There may well be allied industries that will service agriculture in the future that don’t even exist now. I think this will be the case.

Whatever happens, it seems the word is certainly out, and ag is attracting some fine young people who want to be involved in the sector.

As they say, the tide lifts all boats, and the professionalism within ag will continue its rise, as new people and businesses enter the sector. Onwards and upwards.