News

Baker College of Owosso officials announce the addition of a new agriculture technology associate degree program to its fall curriculum. In addition to general education and core agriculture classes, the program will include a precision agriculture track.

“Precision agriculture is very pertinent to the Owosso area, where agriculture is primarily a large-crop operation that uses advanced planting and land management technologies,” said Tom Kurtz, Baker College of Owosso CIS and Technology Dean. “We are very pleased to offer an agriculture program that focuses on precision agriculture and provides our students with the advanced training necessary to compete in today’s technology-driven farming industry.”

Classes will be held on the main campus, at the Auto/Diesel Institute of Michigan (ADI) and on site at a local farm.

“In addition to classrooms set up with agriculture-specific software and equipment, there will be presentations by representatives from farm co-ops and training on agriculture equipment at ADI,” said Kurtz. “Our students will also have the opportunity to develop their skills through hands-on training at a local farm.”

Students completing the program will have acquired the knowledge and skills to select, install, service and maintain agriculture technology equipment including global positioning systems (GPS), auto-steering systems, soil sampling and mapping systems, along with various computer software and hardware systems.

Although the new program officially begins this fall, Kurtz urges students to sign up for the program now.

“Students can get a head start by enrolling now in the general education courses,” said Kurtz. “By fall, they will be well on their way toward a new and exciting career.”

For more information about the new agriculture technology associate degree program at Baker College of Owosso, please contact Mike Konopacke.

In addition to Baker’s Owosso campus, Baker College of Cadillac will also offer the new agriculture technology program with an animal science track. In the Cadillac area, the primary forms of agriculture are dairy, fruit and tree farming.