Many Illinois junior colleges have expanded or retooled their agriculture and horticulture programs to meet the needs of modern-day farms and other food-related employers.
McHenry County College (MCC) represents the latest. The school begins its second year this fall of an associate degree program in Entrepreneurial Agriculture.
“It’s very unique because we’ve combined foundational business classes with foundational food production,” says Sheri Doyel director of the two new MCC ag-related initiatives. “Those people will come out of that program possibly poised to launch a farm business especially if they have maturity on their side so, they have some life experience. If they don’t, it’s likely that they’ll be a good candidate for a management position on a diversified vegetable farm, they could become a produce buyer for a grocery store.”
The school also launched a Center for Agrarian Learning to serve as a regional resource hub to connect existing and prospective farmers with what it calls “food economy leaders.” Since its start in early 2020, the center has held seminars on topics, such as “A Toolkit for Women Farmers,” “Farm Law” and “Regenerative Agriculture: A Profitable Journey.”
“We’re bringing farmers in to do a lot of the education, says Doyel. “Connecting with a network of farmers, being able to ask directly from farmers is a really powerful way to learn.”
Watch video and hear a podcast on the new programs here.
