MORROW, Ohio – How to keep the kids down on the farm has long been a topic of discussion. Many children who grow up on farms leave after high school. 

Businesses, schools and even farms have taken note of the dwindling number of students who choose not to remain on the farm and are taking action to alter the trend.

The Little Miami School District in Morrow has implemented a new agricultural pre-apprentice program (Panther Success Academy) that introduces students to careers in agriculture and encourages workforce development ahead of graduation. The program was approved by the state of Ohio and has been in place at the school district this school year.

With the help and support of several partners, or ag-related businesses, students at Little Miami High School now have an opportunity to explore agricultural careers and opportunities, in addition to other industries available in the career experience pathway.

Dustin Goldie, Panther Success Academy educator, played a major part in the agricultural pre-apprenticeship’s initial founding. Goldie owns Goldie Beef, a 21-acre farm that raises cattle and hay, corn and soybeans. He assumes a dual role in the community, a first-generation cattle farmer in southwest Ohio and a 23-year educator for the Little Miami School District.

In its first official school year, Goldie said the purpose of the program was simple: introduce students to ag careers and help them find purpose. Currently, the program has 20 students.

“Agriculture brings us together,” Goldie said. “There is an opportunity for every student to discover agriculture and find a purpose. I’m excited for the opportunities ahead for both students and partnering businesses.”

Many partners have taken an interest in the agricultural pre-apprenticeship program at Little Miami High School, opening doors and opportunities for students to learn and work in agricultural settings:

• Buckley Brothers – with three locations and one not far from the high school – employs students and offers tours of its agriculture supply retail and grain storage facilities.

• Goldie Beef invites students to learn about raising cattle on its farm. The farm features a cattle barn and four cattle pens. The farm grows corn, soybeans and hay, and sells grass and grain-fed, free-range beef.

• Southern Equine Services offers students tours of its equine facility, introducing students to equine therapy and careers in the equine business.

• Findlay Market near downtown Cincinnati teaches students about fresh produce and teaching them the farm-to-market philosophy and entrepreneurship.

• Cincinnati State Community College is the state-approved sponsor for Little Miami School District’s agricultural pre-apprenticeship program, and Ohio State Apprenticeship Council operates Apprentice Ohio that provides oversight, support and registration for registered apprenticeship programs and apprentices in Ohio.

“Farming isn’t just working outside or sitting in a tractor and growing row crops,” Goldie said. “It’s a diverse field especially in southwest Ohio where we have a mix of city and rural life, farmers, agricultural businesses, and a growing community that will continuously need workers for generations to come.”

Goldie said that students receive a 12-point credential that allows them the alternative pathway to graduation.

“Ohio schools are now turning to workforce development and giving opportunities to students who prefer to opt out of testing and gain career experience instead,” Goldie said.

Other organizations are working to get help for those high school seniors who have intentions of remaining on the farm upon graduation. For instance, the Miami County Farm Bureau in Ohio is accepting applications for First Harvest Grants, created for students who are choosing to remain on the farm after high school. The grant is designed to offset farm operation costs, such as fertilizer, equipment repairs, land rent and others. The First Harvest Grant encourages the next generation to remain involved in agriculture.