2 answers
Bailey
Student
Menifee, California
1
Question
Updated
309 views
What is the best way to get experience within agriculture if I am unable to be directly outdoors or using a large amount of physical labor?
Agriculture question, physical limitation, disability
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2 answers
Laura Rose Dailey
Farmer & Food Advocate
25
Answers
Haslet, Texas
Updated
Laura Rose’s Answer
could do seeding in a greenhouse, you could try any kind of indoor growing like aquaponics or hydroponics. but unfortunately it is a pretty physical job - unless you're on the tech side of it!
Kirthi KN
Computers
35
Answers
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Updated
Kirthi’s Answer
Hello Bailey,
Please do not worry even for a minute. Many people think agriculture is only about driving tractors or sweating in the sun, but let me tell you, that is just the tip of the iceberg. The "brains" of agriculture are just as important as the "hands," and there is a huge demand for people who can work from a desk or a lab.
Since you are in California, you are actually in the best place for this. Here is how you can build a brilliant career in agriculture without physical strain:
1. AgTech and Data Analysis (Precision Agriculture) This is the future, my friend. Modern farms generate terabytes of data. They need people to sit at computers and analyze soil health data, satellite imagery, and crop yields to tell the farmers what to do.
How to start: Learn about GIS (Geographic Information Systems). If you can learn to map fields on a computer and analyze data, you become indispensable to large farms without ever stepping in the mud.
2. Agricultural Supply Chain & Logistics Agriculture is a business of moving perishable goods. Figuring out how to get strawberries from a field in California to a supermarket in New York before they spoil is a massive puzzle.
How to start: Look for internships in Agri-business operations or Purchasing. You will be working with spreadsheets and phones, coordinating shipments.
3. Lab Work and Food Safety If you like science, this is perfect. A lot of agriculture happens in clean, climate-controlled laboratories. This could involve testing seeds, checking produce for safety standards, or researching plant genetics.
How to start: Look for roles in Quality Assurance (QA) or lab technician roles at seed companies. It is precise, seated work.
4. Agricultural Communications and Policy The industry needs a voice. Farmers need people to write grants, manage their social media, or lobby for better water policies.
How to start: Since you are in Menifee, check if the University of California Cooperative Extension has any office-based volunteer roles or internships. They do a lot of education and community work that happens indoors.
My advice to you: Focus on the software and the systems used in farming. If you become an expert in the software that farmers use to manage their accounts or their crops, you can work entirely remotely.
Do not let physical limitations stop you. The industry needs your mind more than it needs your muscle.
All the very best!
Please do not worry even for a minute. Many people think agriculture is only about driving tractors or sweating in the sun, but let me tell you, that is just the tip of the iceberg. The "brains" of agriculture are just as important as the "hands," and there is a huge demand for people who can work from a desk or a lab.
Since you are in California, you are actually in the best place for this. Here is how you can build a brilliant career in agriculture without physical strain:
1. AgTech and Data Analysis (Precision Agriculture) This is the future, my friend. Modern farms generate terabytes of data. They need people to sit at computers and analyze soil health data, satellite imagery, and crop yields to tell the farmers what to do.
How to start: Learn about GIS (Geographic Information Systems). If you can learn to map fields on a computer and analyze data, you become indispensable to large farms without ever stepping in the mud.
2. Agricultural Supply Chain & Logistics Agriculture is a business of moving perishable goods. Figuring out how to get strawberries from a field in California to a supermarket in New York before they spoil is a massive puzzle.
How to start: Look for internships in Agri-business operations or Purchasing. You will be working with spreadsheets and phones, coordinating shipments.
3. Lab Work and Food Safety If you like science, this is perfect. A lot of agriculture happens in clean, climate-controlled laboratories. This could involve testing seeds, checking produce for safety standards, or researching plant genetics.
How to start: Look for roles in Quality Assurance (QA) or lab technician roles at seed companies. It is precise, seated work.
4. Agricultural Communications and Policy The industry needs a voice. Farmers need people to write grants, manage their social media, or lobby for better water policies.
How to start: Since you are in Menifee, check if the University of California Cooperative Extension has any office-based volunteer roles or internships. They do a lot of education and community work that happens indoors.
My advice to you: Focus on the software and the systems used in farming. If you become an expert in the software that farmers use to manage their accounts or their crops, you can work entirely remotely.
Do not let physical limitations stop you. The industry needs your mind more than it needs your muscle.
All the very best!