ENSURING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS ARE ADEQUATELY TRAINED IS IMPERATIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 57,900 JOBS WILL BE AVAILABLE EACH YEAR FOR AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRADUATES UNTIL 2020, WITH GREATER DEMAND FOR GRADUATES WITH WORK RELATED EXPERIENCES AND/OR INTERNSHIPS. MANY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS MAJORING IN AGRICULTURAL DISCIPLINES HAVE LIMITED OR NO WORK RELATED OR INTERN EXPERIENCES WITH MODERN AGRONOMIC PRACTICES. UPON GRADUATION, THESE STUDENTS OFTEN STRUGGLE TO CONFIDENTLY COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR CLIENTELE AND STAKEHOLDERS. FURTHER, THEY LACK EXPOSURE TO APPLIED FIELD RESEARCH, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET AND COMMUNICATE RESULTS OF REPLICATED FIELD TRIALS, UNREPLICATED DEMONSTRATIONS, OR PRODUCER TESTIMONIALS. THIS PROJECT WILL RECRUIT UNDERGRADUATE FELLOWSTO COMPLETE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND/OR EXTENSION PROJECTS TO GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR APPLIED AGRICULTURAL DISCIPLINES, BECAUSE TRADITIONAL 'TEXTBOOK' EXAMPLES RARELY OCCUR IN THE FIELD. THE FELLOWS WILL PRESENT FINDINGS OF THEIR WORK AT A COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE FIELD DAY AND IN RESEARCH REPORTS, WHICH WILL BE POSTED ONLINE. IN YEAR 4, CURRICULA FOR AN UNDERGRADUATE COURSE WILL BE DEVELOPED BASED UPON THE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES OF THIS PROJECT.