In just a few hours, I’ll be loading up in a bus that will take a group of college students majoring in the science and agricultural fields, some with their parents and college mentors, to tour three of the most influential agri-businesses in the St. Louis, MO. area: Novus International, Monsanto and Pfizer.

Novus is sponsoring the Undergraduate Networking Day to give these recipients of the Missouri Colleges Fund scholarships a firsthand look at how these businesses actually work. In addition, the students will learn just how diverse of an employment field agri-business can be.

One of those who will be touring around the three companies’ facilities will be Carol Waeckerle, a junior majoring in biology at Missouri Baptist University. She is excited to see all of the different fields these companies offer… so she can know where she wants to work when her schooling is done. Waeckerle says it’s not surprising that a city girl like her would be interested in an agricultural job, especially considering the wide variety of employment available.

“St. Louis has these three large companies involved in agriculture, so that’s kind of one of the areas where biological jobs are present.”

Waeckerle seems to recognize just how important good science will be, as we try to get more food and fuel out of less and less farmland everyday. She admits it is daunting but believes science is up to the task.

“We need to learn to use those areas efficiently, so that we can [keep doing] what we’re here doing… [feeding and feuling the world].”

You can hear my entire conversation with Carol here: CarolWaeckerle1.mp3

2009 Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day Photo Set