: d l e fi e h t m Advice fro KEVIN MALLOW KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO ENJOY A CAREER IN AGRICULTURE
management, insect management, rodent management, forestry and small acreage agriculture. He also managed the 4-H livestock program. “My advice to college students is when you choose a degree, spread it out,” Mallow says. “Learn as much as you can in the different areas of agriculture. Everyone wanted an animal science degree, but it’s hard to find jobs in animal science. There are more jobs in crop science. I have a B.S. in agriculture with a concentration in agronomy and an animal science minor. That opened up more opportunities. Don’t corner yourself too much in one area.”
For CU alumnus Kevin Mallow, being raised on a farm near Walters set the stage for a career in agriculture. After earning a Cameron degree in 1988, he started his career as an Extension agent in Oklahoma, moved to Colorado to take on the same role, and now runs the agriculture program for the Southern Ute Indian tribe. He has practical advice to offer college students who want to enjoy a similar career. “When I graduated from Cameron and people asked what I wanted to be, I said I never wanted to work in an office,” Mallow says. “I laugh now because you never know what you’re gonna do until you go do it. I’ve been in the field a lot, but there’s a lot of office time too.”
CAMERON UNIVERSITY
While some may not see the link between agriculture and technology, Mallow says it just isn’t so. The challenge today is keeping up with technology. “The technology is changing so quickly, and the hard part is knowing when that change is needed. When someone says they bought a drone, I have to ask if they know how to use that drone. I look at when is a drone a tool and when is it a toy. In many cases, it’s a toy. In many other cases, it’s a fabulous tool. People say they’re using a drone and a computer system and GIS to inject fertilizer using all that technology. My question is, how has the bottom line changed? If they say, 'What?', the drone is a toy. If they say, 'Yes, I’m able to put on less fertilizer, I’m able to save money
"I feel like everything I have done and continue to do goes back to my time at Cameron."
When he started his career as an Extension agent in Oklahoma, he relates that he was primarily a 4-H agent in Coal and Atoka counties, working with kids, schools and livestock. When he moved to Colorado to be an Extension agent in 1992, he was an agricultural agent, completing programs in crop production, livestock production, horticulture, master gardener, weed 24
He also stresses the importance of working in the field. “It’s important to go out and get some experience. I was raised on a farm, so I was driving tractors when I was 9 years old. By the time I was 17, I was working for the neighbor, taking care of his cattle, doing a real job. So many kids today go to college with an idea of what they want to be, but they’ve never really done it. It’s important to get some experience and utilize that experience to know what you want to do.”
