Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Tour

By: Kate Stone

Applying for the Ag Alumni Mentor program at the beginning of the school year allows students a chance to learn with College of Agriculture graduates of the same major and gain new experience over the school year. Through this program some of our writers were able to go to Montgomery to tour on-site facilities and meet members of the staff at the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industry.

Mentors Amy Belcher, Laura Jean McCurdy and Mary Kendall Dixon gave the Auburn students an opportunity to meet with Commissioner Rick Pate, Assistant Commissioner Bob Plaster, State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier, and Meredith Casey director of Sweet Grown Alabama. Each talked about what they do, how they got to where they are now, their pasts in the field of agriculture and gave advice for a future in agriculture.

Following the introductory meeting, we toured the seed lab where we learned more about the depth of seed inspections. We then went to the food and drug lab where we learned about different items that are being and have been tested. The last lab we toured was the weights and measures lab. Here we saw the importance of weighing items and learned about the need of precision in the lab.

Why show students all of this?

Belcher, communications director, states, “Several ADAI staff members graduated from Auburn’s College of Agriculture and participated in the Ag Alumni Mentoring Program. We invite our mentees every year to visit the department in Montgomery for a tour of the on-site labs and to meet with division directors who provide a better understanding of our role in Alabama Agriculture. The tour also provides insights into jobs available in the department. As mentors we develop a relationship with students in hopes they can call upon us for advice as they begin their career in agriculture.”

Through the Ag Alumni Mentoring program, students get chances like these to make new connections and learn about the various fields of agriculture while learning how to build a resume, interview and network. The application for the program opens at the beginning of the school year and is followed by different monthly activities for mentors and mentees to participate in.

For more information on the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries or the labs visit https://agi.alabama.gov/divisions/