Power
If you've ever secretly wished for your own little fiefdom, being a farm research scientist just might make your dreams come true. We're not even kidding.
First of all, your work involves improving food, something everybody needs and wants. Anytime you can affect many people with what you do, then yes, you're powerful.
Second, when you make that breakthrough (and we know you will), your name will be on the lips of every other person in the food industry. That's a lot of people. Just think about the person who invented Hot Pockets. Genius. Revolutionary. We hear that dude holds some serious sway when it comes to FDA regulations.
As a farm research scientist, you may find yourself in a lab researching soil samples or cow genetics, but you're just as likely to work on a food safety issue in order for a new product to emerge. You won't create the recipe, but you'll make the recipe possible by defining a safe composition, cooking style, or other necessary part of the process.
Buying convenience foods in the grocery store is very popular, but their manufacturing must be carefully managed in order to produce a good product people will want to eat. Keeping up with the standards requires more know-how than just being able to spot the fresh-looking produce to buy for dinner.
That's where the farm researcher's expertise comes in and is the reason those scientists make high salaries.
Companies derive lots of profit from finding better ways to grow more food, and to preserve that food for people to eat for long after it's been harvested. Scientific research allows for better production, less waste, and more natural preservation of the food supply. Consider yourself powerful until people get tired of eating.