Author: Sameed Naushad
Editor: Emily Usprich-Couture
Graphic Designer: Alessia Carpino
Publisher: Rayna Almas
Agricultural engineers apply technological advances to the workplace by designing solutions for problems occurring in agriculture. They develop, examine, and install farm equipment as solutions to these problems. Agricultural engineers are responsible for a variety of other tasks as well, based on the many environments they travel to. This makes an agricultural engineer’s job very exciting and full of new experiences.
Agricultural engineers are important for the growth of agriculture as they play a role in making farming safe and sustainable. They work to make sure there is enough crop production of good quality for farmers and consumers, while also trying to conserve as much soil and water as possible. Agricultural engineers have been successful in advancing agriculture. They have now developed GPS systems to help farmers get the biggest possible crops from the land and water they use.
The Workplace
Agricultural engineers get to work in a variety of environments, indoors and outdoors. They may work in worksites to supervise ongoing projects and travel to rural areas to ensure equipment and machinery are functioning as intended. Examples of some worksites they may work in include: buildings of irrigation, drainage, flood and water-control systems, and construction sites of agricultural buildings and storage facilities. Agricultural engineers may also do some work in research and development laboratories, classrooms, and offices. As you can tell, agricultural engineers may get to travel a good amount throughout their careers and adapt to new work environments.
When working on the field, agricultural engineers can be seen touring and inspecting sites, testing designs, recording data, installing equipment, and troubleshooting. In the office, agricultural engineers draft blueprints and manage plans on the computer, communicate with others in meetings and on the phone, research, plan projects, and develop educational programs to improve agricultural productivity.
Getting into the field
To become an agricultural engineer, a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree or doctorate in a similar engineering program are required. This includes mechanical engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or chemical engineering. Agricultural engineers must also be licensed by Ontario’s association of provincial engineers to approve engineering drawings and reports, and to practice as Professional Engineers (P.Eng.). Personal interest is a major motivator when getting into any career. In high school, any interest in subjects like math, physics, chemistry, calculus, and biology could be motivators for getting into agricultural engineering. Those inspired to make positive changes to the future of agriculture would make for great agricultural engineers as well.
Agricultural engineers spend a lot of time working with different people and traveling. Therefore, they should be able to adapt to new working environments, and be confident when meeting with others and presenting ideas. When approaching new projects, agricultural engineers need keen decision-making skills for designing their equipment. When leading projects, interpersonal skills are useful to get the most work out of co-workers. Knowledge of agricultural regulations, tools and equipment, and coding computer software are also crucial.
An Overview by a Professional
Patrick Ménard is an agricultural engineer working in Canada. He was interviewed by Eco Canada to give an inside of his occupation. Patrick’s favorite part about being an agricultural engineer is the “human element”. He has been able to develop good relationships with his clients and farmers. He loves how diverse the job is as seasons change, and loves how he can work outdoors in the summer.
When working outdoors in the summer, Patrick spends lots of time checking on clients and farmers. He also works on projects that focus on conserving resource-preventing soil erosion. In the winter, Patrick works with farmers to produce their farming plans. He spends three days to a week working with each farmer. On the computer, he analyzes photos of a farmer’s land generated by GPS systems to make the plans.
Patrick’s job focuses on bringing changes to agriculture over the long term, doing lots of testing and training to do so. To get to his position, he went through a three-year college program and studied at an agricultural college in Quebec.
Important Things to Know About Agricultural Engineering
If you are interested in getting into agricultural engineering, then there is more about the occupation that you may want to know. First off, the field is very broad. In fact, agricultural engineering can be broken down into multiple specializations. This includes soil and water engineering, food engineering, farm power and machinery engineering, and more. Since the field is so broad, many end up with a profession indirectly connected to agricultural engineering.
Next, an agricultural engineer’s work overlaps with others in the industry. This is because there are a relatively small number of agricultural engineers around, and much of the work they do is for the benefit of farms. They may not always work with one another, but instead farmers, agricultural technicians, and companies in the industry. The lack of agricultural engineers puts more pressure and value on their work and decisions.
Lastly, agricultural engineering can be very hands-on compared to other engineering fields. This is because agricultural engineers tend to work very closely with farmers and are commonly seen in fields.
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