Agricultural Business Management major James Thomas may only be in his first year at the University of Maryland’s Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA), but he’s already stealing the student-success spotlight. Thomas, who attended the Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences (NRAS) Magnet Program at North Harford High School, has been selected to attend the National 4-H Congress in recognition of his hard work and outstanding achievement at the State 4-H Program level. Thomas joined 20 other distinguished 4-Hers in representing Maryland at the five-day national Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 27 to December 1, 2015. He gained teambuilding and vital leadership skills.
“I am excited about attending National 4-H Congress because it is truly an honor to represent Baltimore County 4-H at this prestigious event,” said Thomas. “As I am coming close to the end of my 4-H career, I feel this trip will give me an opportunity to share what I have learned as a 4-Her with other delegates and also give me an opportunity to learn from them.”
Thomas, a member of the second NRAS graduating class, is the first NRAS student to attend the IAA. As part of his IAA course work, Thomas he recently presented his high school capstone research work on breeding dairy cows. His capstone project, titled "Analyzing the effect of heterosis on growth rates of Jersey-Red Angus crossbred calves,” showed that heterosis can be a major factor to increase weight gain in beef and dairy cattle. The research will help farmers increase the amount of beef on the market by raising dairy-beef crossbred calves. Sustainable Agriculture lecturer Meredith Epstein was thoroughly impressed by Thomas’ work.
“It is clear that James’ experience in the capstone program has prepared him well for college. He was thorough and professional, and his love for agriculture runs deep,” said Epstein.
IAA instructor Roy Walls, a 1970 alumnus of North Harford, was also impressed with Thomas’ knowledge. “I was particularly pleased with James’ capstone presentation,” said Walls. “He had an excellent presentation that provided IAA faculty with a review of his four-year high school AgriScience program.”
The NRAS program at North Harford provides students with the opportunity to experience challenging course work with emphasis on career development and real world application. Greg Murrell, who oversees the program, had nothing but positive thoughts to share about Thomas’ performance.
“James was a worker and a great example of a student who applied his knowledge and practical experience to make our campus farm run smoothly,” said Murrell. “He took on the academic challenge that comes with being a part of a magnet program. He once told our supervisor that he would not have been successful in high school without the hands-on opportunities found in the magnet program.”
“The Institute of Applied Agriculture provides excellent hands-on education that opens doors to successful careers,” commented IAA Director Glori Hyman, who serves on the NRAS program advisory committee. “And, we’re pleased to have James as a student. The North Harford magnet program prepared him well. We look forward having more NRAS graduates apply to the IAA.”
Now Thomas has taken the diligence and dedication he had for his work in the North Harford magnet program and applied it at the IAA, where he has chosen to pursue a career in animal agriculture.
“My family has a small farm in Baltimore County where we raise hay, small grains, and sheep,” he said. “The program at the IAA is definitely giving me the background that I need in order to go back to my family farm and make production agriculture profitable!”
