With the farming economy looking more prosperous in Pennsylvania, local farmers are going back to school to be able to compete with the rising industry.

"All of a sudden we have a bright ray of sunshine on the farm economy," said Greg Hanson, agricultural economics professor.

Pennsylvania's farming industry is doing better than Iowa's, Hanson said. Producers are in good shape, and dairy prices are coming back stronger.

"Farmers might see the best profit in years or get out of financial difficulty," Hanson said.

Because farming is a tough business in which farms are getting bigger and international competition is rising, many prospective farmers are going to school before entering the farming industry, Hanson said.

"A lot of farmers are advising their kids to get an education and work outside of the farm for a while," he said.

For some students such as Katherine Hetherington (sophomore-agricultural business management), forgoing school was not an option because it takes a lot to be a farmer.

"To be a farmer it's not just having dirt on your hands ... you have to have an education to run a successful business," Hetherington said.

Farming now is a real business, and other skills are very much needed, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology department head Stephen Smith said.

"Learning business management skills can apply anywhere ... you also need technology management skills," Smith said.

Pursuing further education is important because having a good grasp with the product aspect of farming is not enough anymore, said Andrew Flinchbaugh, president of the National Agri-Marketing Association.

"The success or failure of a farm relies on how that person can do business," Flinchbaugh said.

Even though more graduate students are coming back to school because there are fewer jobs available, Smith said he has not noticed an influx in students wanting to be farmers.

However, since jobs in agribusiness have not been bad, it is now easier for Penn State agriculture graduates to find jobs.

"Grads here are finding jobs if they want," Smith said.

Some students plan on getting jobs in the farming industry or other fields.

"I plan to also have a professional job within the government because there's not enough money in farming," Hetherington said.

Generally, the agriculture economy works opposite of the rest of the U.S. economy, Flinchbaugh said.

Another factor that is helping the farming business is China's demand for more products, he said.

"The increase in China's economy has greatly affected our economy," Flinchbaugh said. Now that the Chinese have more money they are buying more meat, soy and corn to feed the livestock.

Since the agriculture economy has just begun to change, it's hard to say if more students will be interested in the farming business, Flinchbaugh said.

Some students who plan to go into the farming industry are going to college so they can establish connections in the field.

"It's hard to start by yourself ... since my parents already have an establishment, it's a lot easier," Jeremy Simmons (sophomore-horticulture) said.

However, not everyone can be part of the farming industry. It all depends on a person's interest, Simmons said.

"I like being able to work outside, do some physical stuff, work with my hands," he said.

"It changes throughout the year so it's not the same thing all the time," Simmons added.