Feeding the future takes people who build things

You can’t feed the future without the people who build it. Behind every farm, hatchery, and processing plant is a welder, technician, and truck driver who builds it, fixes it, and takes it to market. In agriculture, especially in the poultry industry, these skilled workers are essential to our success.

That’s why The Poultry Federation is a proud partner of Be Pro, Be Proud, a workforce initiative created by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce. This program exposes students to hands-on careers that pay well, keep them close to home, and are critical to Arkansas’ future.

Agriculture is our state’s leading industry, supporting nearly 250,000 jobs. Arkansas ranks 3rd in chicken production, 3rd in turkey production, and 7th in egg production nationally. Poultry alone generates $6.7 billion in cash receipts and employs more than 150,000 Arkansans, positioning our state as an agricultural powerhouse.

However, we face a pressing challenge: the skilled workforce we depend on is aging rapidly, with more than 20% of Arkansans over the age of 60. Too few young people realize that high-paying, purpose-driven careers are available outside of a four-year college degree. That disconnect is costing our state opportunity and depriving our industry of needed talent.

Be Pro, Be Proud is changing that.

Through cutting-edge mobile workshops and hands-on demonstrations, Be Pro, Be Proud is introducing students to high-demand (and high-paying) careers in automation, robotics, construction, transportation, welding, plumbing, and many other fields. Students learn about these professions, test equipment, and can even interview for open positions with strong Arkansas companies. This isn’t just about career awareness; it’s about building a pipeline to prosperity.

Our country is in a rare moment of consensus. America must bring more manufacturing and essential industries, including food, energy, and critical infrastructure, back to the United States. Arkansas has a golden opportunity to lead this reshoring movement, not just in what we produce, but by how well we prepare our workforce to build what’s next.

The future of the poultry industry depends on a skilled labor force, and these aren’t fallback jobs. They’re critical, high-tech, high-paying roles that keep our farms, hatcheries, and processing facilities running every day. And they’re available right now in communities across Arkansas.

Be Pro, Be Proud is launching the next generation of skilled, driven Arkansans into the workforce, ready to build Arkansas’ economic future. That’s why The Poultry Federation is proud to champion Be Pro, Be Proud.

If we want to keep feeding the future, we need the workforce to build it.

Editor’s note: Blake Rollins is executive vice president of The Poultry Federation and previously served as USDA’s deputy chief of staff. The opinions expressed are those of the author.