October 15, 2024 – Richland Community College, a founding member of the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement (C2A3), has announced an initiative with U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). This $9-million, four-year program is part of a cooperative agreement between C2A3 and USDA-NRCS to create a national agriculture center for two-year colleges and connect more students to agriculture career pathways.
C2A3 is a collaboration of nine schools across eight states that began eight years ago as a 501c3 organization. In addition to Richland, member schools are Central Lakes College, Staples, MN; Clark State College, Springfield, OH; Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL; Ivy Tech Community College, Lafayette, IN; Lake Area Technical College, Watertown, SD; Northcentral Technical College, Wausau, WI; Northeast Community College, Norfolk, NE; and Northeast Iowa Community College, Calmar, IA.
C2A3 will become a national hub for two-year ag education, developing regionally specific programming and curriculum that can be replicated across the country. Through this alliance, member colleges can access these resources and gain assistance in building partnerships with their local and state USDA-NRCS offices.
The expanded C2A3 consortium will also create internship opportunities and student leadership experiences that include real life skills and networking with USDA employees. In addition, it will include travel expenses for faculty and students to attend an annual conference and gain practical experiences and knowledge to put to future use.
Currently, Richland Community College offers degrees and certificates in areas like agribusiness, crop production, and horticulture. The national ag education consortium will expand opportunities for students by encouraging applied research and outreach activities on college farms and urban agriculture facilities. Several C2A3 schools already have continuous projects related to soil quality, water quality, urban agriculture, livestock, and grazing. Proposed projects include artificial intelligence and precision livestock; crop drainage and irrigation management; soil quality, field/pasture renovation, and cover crops; water quality, pond, and wetland management; silvopasture management; and urban agriculture.
“We are thrilled to be part of this transformative initiative,” said the president of Richland Community College, Cristobal “Cris” Valdez, Ed.D. “This collaboration not only reinforces Richland’s commitment to advancing agriculture education but also paves the way for our students to connect with meaningful career pathways. Together, we aim to cultivate innovative solutions and practical skills that will empower the next generation of agricultural leaders.”
“The rapid growth of technology in agriculture requires colleges to be nimble and respond quickly to changes within the industry,” said Tracy Kruse, Executive Director of C2A3. “This alliance will support the colleges and provide them the tools to rapidly respond to the workforce needs within agriculture.”
