AgCentric adds new partner to the Center of Excellence Council
On Thursday, May 17, 2018 St. Cloud Community and Technical College will become the newest Member of AgCentric. AgCentric was formed in 2014 by founding partners of Minnesota State: Central Lakes College, (Staples & Brainerd), Northland Community and Technical College (Thief River Falls & East Grand Forks), and Ridgewater College (Willmar & Hutchinson).
AgCentric works in four major areas to support the agriculture industry. First, agriculture career pathway development is core to supporting our industry partners in finding necessary talent to bring food from field to table. Second, we partner with the Southern Center of Agriculture to orchestrate the Farm Business Management program across eight colleges within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. With nearly 3,000 farmers enrolled in the program Minnesota FBM helps to support the largest national database for farm benchmarking. Third, we advocate. AgCentric advocates with legislators to promote agricultural education in our schools and with consumers. We advocate for literacy of our food and fiber system. Finally, we educate and train. We foster education and training in eight career pathways of agriculture with our partner colleges. From online introduction to agriculture courses to UAS (drone) operations and management training we find and fill voids in our education programs to better serve Minnesota agriculture.
St Cloud Technical and Community College will contribute to the AgCentric work, by bringing in additional industry partners; additional Farm Business Management experience; Advocacy opportunities to a diversity urban audience and through offerings of programs that enhance and support current programs in partner schools.
AgCentric is one of eight Centers of Excellence for Minnesota State. Our mission is: We Develop and Support Excellence Agricultural, Food Natural Resources, And Horticulture Programs and Career Pathways in Partnership with K-12, Government, Other Academic Institutions, And the industry.
“We believe in education. We connect the technology. We are strong advocates for agriculture. We are the link from campus to industry.”
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