It’s back: “Take 5” with the 13 enthusiastic faces partnering with Michigan Farm Bureau to host a Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter at their institution. Our Collegiate Farm Bureau advisors offer students a variety of opportunities, preparing them for discussion meets, connecting them with their county Farm Bureau and introducing them to the organization.
Let’s get started…
Who are you and what is your official title?
I’m Matthew Bernia, the program coordinator for Michigan State University’s Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT) at Muskegon Community College (MCC).
What was the path you took to get the position you’re in now?
I started my educational journey as an IAT student in the agricultural industries program, with the plan to transfer into the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Education (AFNRE) program at MSU. Instead, my journey took me to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where I completed my bachelor’s degree and my student teaching.
In June of 2018 my dream became reality when I was hired in as the agriscience teacher and FFA advisor in St. Louis. While working at St. Louis I also enrolled in the AFNRE master’s program, which I completed in 2022. In late 2022 I was approached by a friend and colleague about a job opportunity with IAT, for which I applied, interviewed and accepted, bringing me to Muskegon County in January 2023.
What programs either related to collegiate Farm Bureau or your courses are you most proud of?
Muskegon’s IAT is proud to offer five unique programs: Agricultural Operations, Food Processing Technology & Safety, Fruit and Vegetable Crop Management, Landscape Management and Urban Forest Management.
Diverse options seems only appropriate for the second-most agriculturally diverse state in the nation!
In my section of Career Development in Agriculture, students are embedded in experiences out at various industries, getting a glimpse into the job opportunities which they could be a part of after graduation. Additionally, through the course work we are doing, students explore their wants and needs from a career perspective. They develop resumes, cover letters and gain other soft skills beneficial for professional life after college.
Students in this course often participate in the Collegiate Farm Bureau discussion meet.
What is the most exciting part of working with your students?
Watching them grow and become more certain of themselves — their confidence and skills, and their knowledge base is expanding. You can see their passion start to focus as they prepare to enter the workforce. I also love getting to know them as individuals — who they are and what their hopes and dreams are. It’s a unique opportunity that we coordinators see when we work with them through academic advising, as instructors and as Collegiate Farm Bureau advisors.
How has your county Farm Bureau encouraged member involvement in your Collegiate chapter and how has MFB influenced the chapter involvement?
One of the best ways they’ve supported us is directly through the work they do daily: providing free student memberships, speaking in classes with students, outreach events and their general interactions with the public. They continue to support our mission and goals and provide a network through which our information can be shared.
If you’re a college student interested in where our food comes from, or have a background in agriculture, or just want to help Michigan grow (literally), you should check out Michigan Collegiate Farm Bureau. It helps students like yourself network with peers and ag professionals, build career and leadership skills, and develop their voices as agricultural advocates.
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