Why being an Agripreneur is more than just being a ‘farmer’ or ‘rancher’

A comment I readily receive from folks asking about the Agriculture Entrepreneurship (AE) degree is whether it is just another “farming or ranching” degree. Though without ‘production’ or farming and ranching we would not have the resources available to feed, clothe, and fuel a growing global population, the AE degree is about connecting the “Agricultural Value Chain Web”. In economics we talk about supply and demand, and the drivers of inputs and consumer prices. Discussions of agricultural inputs, outputs, and the supply/demand drivers change the economic and performance outcomes of the entire agricultural web. Therefore, an Agripreneur needs to understand how the various factors and inputs outside of the traditional agriculture production (i.e. farming and ranching) setting greatly impacts the overall sustainability of agriculture, especially if you just want to be a better farmer or rancher.