Whether you want to work the land, raise livestock or help others do it better, NDSCS is a great place to start.
The NDSCS Agriculture department began in 1976 to provide students training in mechanics and farm management. Keeping up with technology and current workforce demands, programs have evolved to include Ag Business, Animal Science, Farm Management, Precision Agronomy, Precision Ag Technician, Ranch Management and a 9-month Meat Processing certificate. These programs are designed to help students gain employment in a the Agriculture industry or to help prepare students to operate a farm or ranch in the future.
Class sizes are kept smaller to allow students to benefit from lab activities, personalized instruction, and classroom interaction. Multiple programs allow for students to choose from a wide array of elective options to reach their career goals. Students who choose to continue their education find their coursework transferable to other institutions.
Ag Business focuses on core business concepts such as accounting, sales, management and marketing, while providing a diverse agriculture background.
Students who enroll in Precision Agronomy will seek employment m the areas of farm equipment operators. Typically, these jobs could be farm labor or applicators and operators for agronomy centers. Upon completion students will be prepared for their CDL testing, have their commercial applicator license and be ready to operate large agriculture equipment.
The Agriculture Education curriculum plan is designed for students who plan to continue their studies toward a bachelor's degree in agriculture from one of the area universities.
In Animal Science you can choose between careers in diversified crop and livestock production, sales of livestock feed and supplies, and employment in a livestock operation.
The Farm Management option focuses on farm management, record keeping and other agricultural topics such as precision agriculture, ag marketing, crop production, computerized records and soil fertility.
The Meat Processing option is a collaboration offering between NDSCS and NDSU. Students who enroll in the Meat Processing certificate program at NDSCS will have the opportunity to gain skills in a high-demand career field.
Students who enroll in the Precision Agriculture Technician program will seek employment in the agriculture equipment industry. Students will find many challenging courses, including agronomic fundamentals, sales, data analysis, data management, electrical fundamentals, hydraulic systems, and more.
Students who enroll in Precision Agronomy will seek employment in the agriculture retail industry. Course work is designed to provide instruction in crop production, soils, field crop scouting, precision ag, agriculture sales, and business management. Cutting edge agricultural technology is infused into this curriculum.
The Ranch Management option is designed to provide the student returning to the ranch or diversified livestock operation with the management and production skills necessary to be successful.
Right now, there are more great agriculture career options than there are people to fill them, and the same goes for the future.
We’re helping our students jump into outstanding ag careers through hands-on experience with the latest information, advanced technologies and best management practices.
September 2018 - AM 890 AgNews Interviews NDSCS Ag Department Chair Craig Zimprich about land donated to NDSCS for a Land Lab. Click here to listen.
October 2017 - AM 890 AgNews Interviews NDSCS Ag Department Chair Craig Zimprich and NDSCS Associate Professor Dr. Anissa Hoffman about the new Ag Land Lab. Click here to listen.
NDSCS KOSEL FAMILY AGRICULTURE LAND LAB
In 2018, the NDSCS Agriculture department was gifted the lease for the NDSCS Kosel Family Agriculture Land Lab. This is a 90+ acre piece of land on the edge of Wahpeton. The acreage is used to demonstrate different crops, tillage, and management. Several courses in the Agriculture Department utilize this land and the data collected to create applied learning opportunities.