Joshua Mumm

Year

Senior

Degree

Agricultural Business Management, Economics

Hometown

Madison, WI

Scholarships

Herbert R. Bird Scholarship, Farm Credit Services Scholarship, Renk Scholarship, Dick Weigle Memorial Scholarship

Future Plans

My career goal is to pursue a career in sustainable animal production and, eventually, agricultural policy. Last year, I knew I wanted to work in agriculture but didn’t see a specific path to go down. While pursuing degrees in economics and ABM increased my interest in policy and farm management, I lacked any real experience. Now, with a year more of experience though poultry classes ISU and an internship with UW-Extension writing curriculum on sustainable animal husbandry, I know I want to work in animal production. As the population grows and environmental degradation worsens, the importance of sustainability in agriculture is becoming a more pressing concern. It’s no secret that large scale animal production has some significant environmental impacts. However, it isn’t going anywhere and it’s an important system that keeps the population fed. After graduation, I hope to work in poultry management learning aspects of the business from hatchery to retailer to gain insight into how to improve industry environmental and financial performance. After gaining real experience in animal production, I hope to either return to school or find a career focused within agricultural policy. If I want to help make changes for a sustainable food system, I must learn the system first.