A new initiative is aimed to better bring together students and agriculture.
It's called AgCentric, and it's a partnership between Central Lakes College (CLC), Ridgewater College in Willmar and Northland College in Thief River Falls, in an effort to become an Agriculture Center of Excellence.
The plan for AgCentric was unveiled Tuesday at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in St. Paul, by officials from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU), as well as state lawmakers and other officials.
"It's a way we can leverage our resources," said CLC President Larry Lundblad. "Each college brings a unique set of programs and emphasis."
As for CLC, the college is the lead institution and partner, being the fiscal host to support the center.
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Keith Olander, a CLC educator, will direct the center.
"People aren't aware of the job demand and compensation available (in agriculture)," he said, adding that the partnership will promote that information.
It will also help meet the food demand of a growing population, MnSCU officials say.
As the fifth largest industry in the state of Minnesota, agriculture is underrepresented by education, officials said.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in the last five years, there have been more jobs in agriculture and food systems, renewable energy, and the environment, than qualified graduates to fill them.
The partnership is an opportunity to share curriculum and connect students with other schools, Lundblad said.
It'll also benefit the schools when applying for grants, as there's "strength in numbers," he said.
AgCentric will provide advanced curriculum, career opportunities, technical training and the information needed to advance agriculture, officials say.
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It'll be done online, in the classroom and in the field.
Agriculture's influence will broaden in central Minnesota with the help of this center, Lundblad said.
CLC is adding agriculture degrees to its curriculum. With the help of the partner schools, the school will explore using drones in its programs.
It will help promote the local food movement, from gardeners to small farmers. It will bring more jobs to the local market and pull in more people to the field of agriculture, Lundblad said, whether it be through year-round farming or raising seasonal tomatoes.
"There's a lot of things we haven't even thought of yet in agriculture," Lundblad said. "That's the exciting part."
