Building Agriculture Programs at Community Colleges on a Platform of Farm Business Management

Building Agriculture Programs at Community Colleges on a Platform of Farm Business Management

The economic base of rural America continues to be AGRICULTURE (Farming, Ranching and the associated Agriculture Businesses). Rural community colleges and their associated academic programs are woven into rural economies. Over the past decade Agriculture has been a solid economic driver in our nation’s economy and is attracting students to careers in agriculture and related academic degrees.

Snow College has successfully built on its rural Utah agriculture base a viable and dynamic Agri Business program. Over the past six years student enrollment in the Agri Business program has grown from six students to over 90. The success in the program is based on number of foundational corner stones, with the key corner stone being an active and vibrant Farm Business Management program. Collaborative partnerships with USDA, Extension Risk Management Education, USDA/NIFA Farm Business & Benchmarking program, numerous land grant universities, and a network of farm business management programs across the nation have given support and direction to Snow College’s Agri Business program.

Snow College is excited to host a symposium focused on rural agriculture and rural agriculture education. The symposium will focus on identifying key partnerships and resources for building both farm business management for the agriculture community and on campus agriculture academic opportunities.

Participants include:

·  Snow College - Jay Olsen Agri Business faculty, Kendra Sagers Agri Business staff and Farm Business Management faculty. Other Snow College Administrators (Pres. V.P, Division Deans, and Department Heads)

·  Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA), Dr. Randy Smith - President

·  American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Jennifer Worth - Senior Vice President, Workforce and Economic Development,

Dr. Randy Smith (RCCA) and Jen Worth (AACC) have jointly managed: The Rural Community College Agricultural Cooperative Initiative is managed by the Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The purpose is to support a small group of pilot colleges to better support, coordinate and collaborate with local and state level agricultural cooperatives.

·  Kevin Klair & Dale Nordquist – Directors of the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota. CFFM is committed to help colleges succeed with Farm Business Management programs throughout the Untied States.

·  Representative from USDA Rural Development

Others Invited:

o  Dr. Shannon Neibergs, Director Western Center Extension Risk Management Education and Jo Ann Warner Assistant Director/Grants Specialist Western Center Extension Risk Management Education.

o  Dr. Michael Wolfe, Dean of Business Northwest State Community College, Ohio