NCI Hosts 2nd Annual Summer Ag Academy | June 10-14, 2024

The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) hosted its second Summer Ag Academy from June 10-14, 2024. This year, NCI welcomed 40+ high school students going into grades 10-12 from across the United States to participate in the event. Students were split amongst three tracks: Animal Science, Food Science, and International Trade and Policy. The purpose of the Ag Academy is to inspire students to explore career opportunities in agriculture by interacting with world-class professionals, facilities, and activities within their selected field.

All students arrived on the campus of North Dakota State University on Monday, June 10. There were plenty of welcome activities, yard games, and time to settle into their dorms and meet their roommates. The Ag Academy remained a free event again this year thanks to the generous sponsors of the program. Lodging, meals, and even two college course credits were all included for the students.

Check out the list of sponsors here: https://nciagacademy.com/sponsors/

Students creating muffins during a lab demonstration

The Food Science track provided hands-on experience in food product development, allowing the students to learn about the creative solutions needed to feed the world. Some of the key topics included food processing, quality testing, upcycling, and food safety. A highlight of this track was the hands-on lab time for product development. On one baking day, the students split into groups and baked almond poppy seed muffins following the same recipe, except swapping in different types of flour. On the other lab day, each group had the opportunity to develop and make their own choice of food product.

The Animal Science track explored the livestock industry and gave students opportunities to learn about the processes and ingredients used to feed the livestock of today and tomorrow. Lectures and activities revolved around livestock nutrition, feed rationing, and digestive anatomy. This track did not sit still for long. The group toured NDSU’s livestock barns (swine, sheep, beef, and dairy), the Beef Cattle Research Center, the Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center, and the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.

Students during the stone milling demonstration

The International Trade and Policy track examined how agricultural commodities travel to global destinations and how decisions and events in other parts of the world affect U.S. farmers and the economy. The classroom learning section of this track covered regional agriculture, agricultural supply chain logistics, and supply and demand. This group traveled to NDSU’s Commodity Trading Lab to experience simulated trading in action where they applied their knowledge of global trade and risk management.

On Wednesday, June 12, the entire group loaded onto the vans and started their morning at StartupBREW Fargo. This is a weekly event held at Brewhalla in Fargo with a mission to learn, support, and inspire. This morning meetup is for entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives, and community members alike to come together and explore the entrepreneurial journey. Next, the group traveled to Ulen, MN, to tour West Central Ag Co-op and watch a grain elevator in operation. Lastly, they ventured to Crookston, MN, to tour the Ag Innovation Center, a brand new soy crush facility.

Students in NCI’s bake lab

After the individual track sessions concluded on Thursday, June 13, all students gathered at the NDSU Memorial Union for a career fair and banquet dinner. The career fair provided an opportunity for sponsors to showcase their business and connect with the students.

The 2024 Summer Ag Academy drew to a close on Friday, June 14. All three tracks joined together to present and showcase what they had learned in their respective tracks. The overall common objective was to explore the vast array of career opportunities in agriculture and the potential for meaningful work and feeding the world. Each track accomplished this objective through their own unique lens. NCI would like to thank all the 2024 participants and invite those who will still be in high school next year to return again and try out a different track. Thank you to all the staff, sponsors, presenters, and volunteers who made this event a huge success.