University Coursework for Farmers

The problems of agriculture are rooted in adjustment to changing conditions, most of them economic and caused by changes in technology. Increasingly, proficiency in modern agriculture requires more mental acumen than manual skill.1

Production agriculture has become increasingly complicated. Therefore, farmers today must develop greater depths of knowledge. To provide this opportunity, I initiated an agreement with the regional campus coordinator for continuing education to offer a series of courses appropriate for area farmers.

Agricultural economics or farm management is among the weakest areas of technical competence for farmers.2 Specifically, local needs assessment surveys found grain marketing and financial management the highest priorities for educational programs.3

We began by offering Economics 625, a graduate level grain marketing course on the principles of futures and options. It was offered for five hours graduate/undergraduate credit or continuing education units, during Winter 1991. Several farmers chose to take the course for credit, rather than CEUs since the fees were the same. For some, it was their first college class.

The course content included descriptive, theoretical, and applied concepts designed to improve skills and knowledge of farmers and agribusiness professionals. Twenty-four students completed this extremely successful course. As one farmer said, "Extension meetings are okay, but I don't get the depth I need to understand when to apply the various marketing alternatives." A local grain buyer commented about the improved understanding and higher level of questioning demonstrated by a couple of farmers. They were applying what they'd learned as they were making new crop grain sales.

Students from the grain marketing course were surveyed about their interest for additional courses. The survey instrument included a brief, descriptive listing of various agriculture courses offered by the College of Agriculture. The students were asked to rank the top five course selections they'd want for further study.

Every student indicated a desire to take additional courses. The most requested courses included agricultural business finance, soil fertility, farm records and analysis, soil science, and soybean production. Winter quarter was the only acceptable time for a full 10-week course. Sixty-five percent of the class, however, would consider attending a two-week summer course.

The student survey served as a basis for planning other course offerings, including:

• Crop Pest Management, Summers 1991 and 1992.
• Farm Cash Record Keeping with Microcomputers, Summers 1991 and 1992.
• Agricultural Business Finance, Winter 1992.

Hal Wilson, Extension entomologist, surveyed 11 students from his Summer 1991 class.4 He said, "Our normal programs provide updates on current issues, but rarely provide an indepth treatment of a subject for individuals who need a full curriculum of study over a period of time." He strongly recommended "that OCES specialists consider the option of presenting agricultural production subject matter to our traditional audiences via continuing education programs at branch campuses." He concluded by emphasizing "that personnel in today's agriculture need indepth training that cannot be provided via traditional Extension programs."

Cooperation between local Extension, the regional campus, College of Agriculture faculty, and local clientele has been the key to the success of this continuing education program. This wasn't necessarily a unique situation. Ample opportunities exist to expand this kind of indepth education for commercial farmers.

1. Milo J. Peterson and A. P. Torrence, "The Curriculum: Agricultural Subject Matter," in Teacher Education in Agriculture, 1st ed., V. R. Cardizier, ed. (Danville, Illinois: The Interstate, 1967), p. 137.

2. Donald J. Breece, A Process for the Assessment of the Technical Competency Needs of Agricultural Teachers of Farm Production and Management (Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Education, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, August 1983).

3. Donald J. Breece, "Agricultural Needs Assessment" (Surveys from Delaware and Marion Counties, Ohio, 1991).

4. Harold R. Wilson, Class Evaluation of Course in Field Crop Pest Management, Entomology 693 (Columbus: The Ohio State University-Marion, Summer 1991).