If youāre ready to get your hands dirty, roll up your sleeves and come see what Deltaās agriculture program has to offer.
From dairy and poultry farms to cherry and apple orchards, Michigan is second only to California with a diversity of over 300 agricultural commodities. With so many options, itās no wonder over 805,000 Michiganders have found successful careers in the industry that contributes $104.7 billion to our stateās annual economy.
āA lot of people, when they think of agriculture, think farming cows, plows and sows. But agriculture is more than that,ā shares Lance Fowler, program coordinator. āI have students who are seeking careers in greenhouse management, grass management, education, forestry, urban farming and dairy management. Our program is designed to meet the needs of our students.ā
Why choose a college program over on-the-job training?
Contrary to popular belief, you donāt have to come from a long line of farmers to choose a career in agriculture. Whether youāre a sixth-generation farmer or green to the industry, itās good to consider a technical education to keep up with the changes and advancements in the industry.
āYouāre going to learn different things in the classroom than you are on the farm. Agriculture is everchanging,ā says Izzy Diehl, student. āThings are different now than what they were 10 years ago, even five years ago. If youāre open to learning and growing, youāre gonna succeed and youāre gonna have a lot of fun.ā
In addition, receiving a formal education in agriculture provides opportunities to build crucial relationships within the industry, helps connect you with employers through internships and opens the door for advanced career options such as agricultural engineer, inspector, educator, manager and more.
āWithin the world of agriculture, itās those connections that we build. I always tell students, itās not just what you know in agriculture, itās also who you know in agriculture,ā advised Fowler. āIn our program, students are required to complete an internship, and many of our students end up getting hired back at that location.ā
Why choose Delta?
The agriculture technology program at 51ĀŅĀ× is uniquely partnered with Michigan State University (MSU). Students dual enroll at Delta and MSUās Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT) and choose from two program tracks, Agricultural Technology or Food Processing, Technology and Safety. Students who complete the program leave with an associate in science, an advanced certificate from MSU and several other valuable certifications and licensures including CPR, drone, pesticide and fungicide certificationāall while saving money and staying close to home.
Students may then choose to enter the workforce or easily transfer to MSU or any other four-year institution to pursue their bachelorās degree in their chosen field of study.
Learn more
Watch the featuring current students and faculty at Delta or visit Deltaās webpage for more information.
