Agribusiness Science & Technology Program

Hired at Cropping Central LLC

When Macy Kloos heard of Mid-State Technical College's Agribusiness Science & Technology associate degree during high school, it immediately jumped out as the right fit for her. 

Macy was “raised in ag,” spending her childhood in the country just outside Stratford, Wisconsin, and looking up to her grandfather, who was a farmer. For her, showing pigs and dairy cattle as a kid was a natural extension of her environment, setting the stage for her lifelong interest in agriculture. 

“I love where I’m from and was super interested in staying close to home for college,” she says. “Mid-State just sounded like a better fit for me than a four-year college.”

Fast-forward two years and Macy has not only excelled in her program at Mid-State, she is already hired and working in the industry she loves. With just a few program credits left to complete, Macy was hired in February as a crop insurance salesperson for Cropping Central LLC, an agronomy sales company in Edgar.

Macy's use of dual credit opportunities in high school was part of what made it possible to launch her dream career before graduating from Mid-State. She was able to complete half of her college general education credits alongside her regular high school coursework, saving tuition money and time while she was enrolled full-time at Mid-State. She also took additional dual credit courses over her summer vacations to get even further ahead.

When she started at Mid-State, Macy also took full advantage of the scholarships available, through FFA and other organizations, which covered most of her tuition costs. 

Taking full advantage of opportunities is a theme for Macy. Her first experience with Cropping Central came in a Mid-State agribusiness class, when the owner came in as a guest speaker. At that time Macy inquired about a job with the company and was told initially there were no available openings to apply for. But she persisted, reaching out to the owner again by email. When she was told about a crop insurance opening, Macy wasn’t sure what that would mean, but her response was, “Tell me more.” The result of that conversation was an interview, followed by a starting job of two days per week until Macy would be finished with her Mid-State classes in March. From there, she will increase to full-time.

A few weeks into her job, Macy enjoys helping farmers with their crop insurance, whether she is selling a plan or simply helping them understand it. “I love learning more every day about this industry, and I know my degree and experience so far sets me up well for a variety of options in my future career.”

Her advice to anyone contemplating a degree in agriculture? “If you love ag, don’t wait. If you’re still in high school, Mid-State will come in to share information, and you can even meet the teacher beforehand.”