Grounded In Ag and AgCareers Partner Creating The Ag Onboarding Academy

• June 29, 2026
• Media Article

Grounded in Ag and AgCareers have partnered to launch the Ag Onboarding Academy, a new training program designed to help agricultural employers onboard employees with little or no agricultural background. Featuring practical lessons from farmers and industry experts, the program aims to improve employee readiness, strengthen retention, and build more confident teams across the agriculture industry.

---

Grounded in Ag and AgCareers are partnering to address the experience and market knowledge gap that many employees and new hires have – fewer have lived on farms, studied agriculture in college or worked in the industry with the new Ag Onboarding Academy.

 

“The wide variety of careers in the agricultural industry today invites people from different experiences, education, and backgrounds who may not have agricultural knowledge, said Bonnie Johnson, Marketing & Communications Manager, AgCareers. “Our latest analysis indicates nearly 40 percent of AgCareers.com’s job applicants do not have an ag-based education, and 30 percent of them are not currently working in agriculture.”

 

The Ag Onboarding Academy will expand access to practical onboarding resources that help agricultural businesses strengthen employee readiness, improve retention, and build more confident teams.

 

“Good onboarding is one of the simplest and most effective ways to help someone feel welcome, confident and capable in a new role,” said Janice Person, founder of Grounded in Ag. “Helping people understand and appreciate agriculture and the farmers many of us serve is the focus of our programming. Participants hear directly from trusted farmers and experts who impart expertise in the business, farm practices and culture as they deliver the lessons. This collaboration with Ag Careers makes practical training tools more accessible so more businesses can add that industry lens, improve understanding, and set employees up for success.”

 

Johnson continues, “Employers are increasingly welcoming new hires from non-ag backgrounds and looking for opportunities to fill that knowledge gap. They are exploring better ways to support new hires, especially as more people enter the industry. By expanding access to onboarding resources, we can help employers enhance the experience for employees and strengthen their teams over time.”

 

With the Ag Onboarding Academy, farmers and ag professionals deliver lessons to provide an engaging and real-world connection with customers. There are a few course combinations offered that provide foundational knowledge about agriculture and farming, which can be augmented by optional courses in crops or livestock. All the courses are delivered via videos (web & app), which are paired with downloadables, quizzes and vetted resources. There are additional packages available via Grounded in Ag that provide greater depth of knowledge by focusing on specific commodities.

 

A free preview is available for people who are interested in learning more.

 

The collaboration comes as Person prepares to speak about upskilling at the AgCareers Agriculture and Food Roundtable Conference this summer, where workforce development, retention, and employee readiness will be among the topics of discussion.

 

 

About Grounded in Ag: Grounded in Ag helps agricultural businesses strengthen onboarding and employee success through practical training resources built for the realities of the industry. Trusted experts and vetted resources are core elements to every program. Grounded in Ag is developed by Grounded Communications, LLC, a communications & training firm based in St. Louis, Missouri.