In an effort to make sure the best and brightest minds in agriculture stay in agriculture, the National Pork Board in partnership with the National Pork Producers Council and state pork associations joined together to create the Pork Industry Immersion Program.
One of the Immersion program members, Harrison Furlow, joined AgriTalk’s host Chip Flory and Farm Journal’s PORK editor Jennifer Shike to visit about his experience.
“Without our next generation, what do we have? They're so talented,” says Shike, who had the opportunity to hear Furlow speak at the Pork Forum.
“His ability, his composure his knowledge, his past was impressive,” she adds. “And all of that is getting fueled and shaped by the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council who are investing in trying to identify these top young leaders, and help them get experiences in all aspects of the industry.”
Furlow says he looks at the program as the opportunity to see a need and fill a need.
“The need for industry is to develop a pipeline of talent for state leadership in particular, but also at a national level was NPPC and NPB,” he says. “This is an opportunity to get a mile wide and an inch deep on a lot of different topics and industry. My goal is to be a mile wide and a foot deep. I’m digging into all the great content that all of our industry partners have in terms of subject matter, leadership and personal development.”
Flory points out that identifying these young leaders is a great benefit to the industry. Shike agrees.
“The reality is, he's super talented, so any industry is going to want to tap into that. But his heart is in the pork industry. He grew up with pigs. He loves pigs, so we've got to figure out who those kids are and find a way to meet them where they're at, provide them with these opportunities and bring them in,” she says.
When asked about his goals, Furlow says he thinks about what he is rooted in over a particular outcome.
“I grew up with a great family and a great community back home that raised me in agriculture,” he says. “My parents worked in the policy side, but I had a passion for livestock. So for me, not only is this opportunity uniquely catered to work within both of those realms, it also grounds me in the fact that the folks who raised me growing up in the livestock space weren't just my parents, they were local farmers who took a chance on me.
“When I think of my goals, I think of how can I serve the people who initially served me,” he adds. “This is an opportunity where I can take the skill set I grew up with, which is the policy and the livestock, meld it together in a program like the immersion program, and then apply it for our producers. That's what I want to do. I'm not goal oriented, specifically, I just want to serve.”
Furlow thinks that for young professionals today, if you can find something that really lights your heart on fire, set out and do it and chase that, because life is too short to do things that don't really fulfill you.
Furlow recommends this program to anyone who wants to be a servant leader, who is searching for a formative opportunity and not just a job. If anyone wants to be a future leader and likes research, promotion and education, as well as policy, Furlow says this is the spot to be.
“When I look at the role, it's a project-oriented role,” he says. “There are some long-term things that I'm doing, but it's a lot of professional development and networking as well. My goal is to be a competent professional, but then also somebody with a great wealth of industry knowledge and a great network. And I think that's what this program is achieving.”
Flory notes it takes some honing and practice to become an effective leader. The Immersion Program attempts to build those skills through professional development opportunities. Furlow will spend the first eight months of the program with the Pork Board, another eight months with NPPC and a final eight-month rotation with Minnesota Pork.
“When you look at the corporate culture that I'm starting off with at NPB, and really forming me as a young leader and getting to understand how people become talented leaders. You don't just wake up one day just exist as one. All of that honing you mentioned, all of that opportunity is here at NPB,” Furlow says. “I’m looking forward to hearing it on through NPPC and with Minnesota Pork.”
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