Education Will Be Important Key To Expanding Nevada Agriculture
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
While attending the recent Nevada Ag Foundation dinner and hearing about the future educational plans for young scholarship recipients it was noteworthy that two-thirds of the students planning to enter college next year, pursuing agricultural educational studies – were going to college out of Nevada. The frustrations over limited agricultural educational opportunities in Nevada are not new and not necessarily linked to the current budget challenges for Nevada Higher Education.
The financial challenges for funding Nevada’s Higher Education System could have more agricultural ramifications for the ag.-related educational curriculum for the Great Basin College, than what might – or might not affect budgets for the state’s Land Grant University (the University of Nevada – Reno). Possible reductions (if any befall the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources at UNR) won’t have serious consequences of limiting agricultural studies (especially those oriented to production agriculture) since there aren’t many production agriculture classes to cut.
Without an educational department offering plant science or related disciplines like soils, the opportunities for learning farming sciences at UNR are slim. Range sciences and some animal science offerings make it somewhat possible for students interested in pursuing ranching careers, although we’re seeing the Great Basin College program excelling in this area as well and drawing student enrollment.
Because of their University status, UNR’s research emphasis is often cited as being a reason for there being reduced abilities for educational courses to be made available for teaching production agriculture. Pursuing research dollars of a more basic science nature and the absence of a plant science department are also the reasons that the agricultural research projects don’t have much relevance to field trials or other systems of research/development for Nevada farmers.
Again, to some extent, range research and livestock research have received a little more attention. Activities being carried out at the University’s Gund Ranch research facility in central Nevada have provided good working insights for Nevada ranchers to consider in their grazing management plans.
Business management training and agricultural economic programs at UNR also provide noteworthy possibilities for agriculturally-inclined students and improved business/marketing skills are critical elements in enhancing agricultural enterprises.
In spite of the desired effect of trying to see the glass as being half-full, the reality of the necessity for hands-on learning for agricultural production techniques require those who will be our next generation of Nevada farmers to go elsewhere for education and research.
Changing the current status of educational opportunities does not seem likely (in spite of those who believe that the agricultural sector could rise up and demand changes).
We do believe that a comprehensive assessment of statewide undergraduate needs for agriculture should be carried out and could be the framework for establishing a working game-plan for making progress. The strategy could and should also consider aspects of what future demands for Nevada agriculture might be – that’s the reason for the conversations we hope to stimulate in looking forward for tomorrow’s farming and ranching production structure.
Strategies for how to acquire knowledge, skills and insights for the state’s agriculture future will not come together without effort and serious consideration. We have what we have today as the result of decisions made and actions carried out in the past regarding education and training. Creating a different outcome demonstrates the necessity for a new plan and course of action.
While attending the recent Nevada Ag Foundation dinner and hearing about the future educational plans for young scholarship recipients it was noteworthy that two-thirds of the students planning to enter college next year, pursuing agricultural educational studies – were going to college out of Nevada. The frustrations over limited agricultural educational opportunities in Nevada are not new and not necessarily linked to the current budget challenges for Nevada Higher Education.
The financial challenges for funding Nevada’s Higher Education System could have more agricultural ramifications for the ag.-related educational curriculum for the Great Basin College, than what might – or might not affect budgets for the state’s Land Grant University (the University of Nevada – Reno). Possible reductions (if any befall the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources at UNR) won’t have serious consequences of limiting agricultural studies (especially those oriented to production agriculture) since there aren’t many production agriculture classes to cut.
Without an educational department offering plant science or related disciplines like soils, the opportunities for learning farming sciences at UNR are slim. Range sciences and some animal science offerings make it somewhat possible for students interested in pursuing ranching careers, although we’re seeing the Great Basin College program excelling in this area as well and drawing student enrollment.
Because of their University status, UNR’s research emphasis is often cited as being a reason for there being reduced abilities for educational courses to be made available for teaching production agriculture. Pursuing research dollars of a more basic science nature and the absence of a plant science department are also the reasons that the agricultural research projects don’t have much relevance to field trials or other systems of research/development for Nevada farmers.
Again, to some extent, range research and livestock research have received a little more attention. Activities being carried out at the University’s Gund Ranch research facility in central Nevada have provided good working insights for Nevada ranchers to consider in their grazing management plans.
Business management training and agricultural economic programs at UNR also provide noteworthy possibilities for agriculturally-inclined students and improved business/marketing skills are critical elements in enhancing agricultural enterprises.
In spite of the desired effect of trying to see the glass as being half-full, the reality of the necessity for hands-on learning for agricultural production techniques require those who will be our next generation of Nevada farmers to go elsewhere for education and research.
Changing the current status of educational opportunities does not seem likely (in spite of those who believe that the agricultural sector could rise up and demand changes).
We do believe that a comprehensive assessment of statewide undergraduate needs for agriculture should be carried out and could be the framework for establishing a working game-plan for making progress. The strategy could and should also consider aspects of what future demands for Nevada agriculture might be – that’s the reason for the conversations we hope to stimulate in looking forward for tomorrow’s farming and ranching production structure.
Strategies for how to acquire knowledge, skills and insights for the state’s agriculture future will not come together without effort and serious consideration. We have what we have today as the result of decisions made and actions carried out in the past regarding education and training. Creating a different outcome demonstrates the necessity for a new plan and course of action.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 4/19/2009 4:12 AM 
Categories: Agriculture
Tags: Nevada UNR Growing Agriculture Colleges For Agricultural Training Improving Higher Education
Categories: Agriculture
Tags: Nevada UNR Growing Agriculture Colleges For Agricultural Training Improving Higher Education
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