Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture integrates information and production systems in order to increase and improve efficiencies as well as profitability on farms. In this program, students will learn how to incorporate technology in production agriculture by means of equipment and software.

This hands on pathway exposes students to: GPS guidance and auto-steer technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), variable rate planting, rate controlled sprayers, yield monitors, and state of the art soil sampling systems.

Upon graduating with a Production Agriculture degree in Precision Agriculture, students will be prepared for a career in a wide array of positions including: crop consulting, precision farm management, equipment technicians, sales support, and more.

Don’t settle for pure lecture based program, get hands on experience in precision agriculture at Northeastern Junior College.

Labs & Classrooms

Northeastern is making a large investment in our precision agriculture program because we see the value in teaching this technology to farmers, technicians, sales staff, agronomists, and anyone interested in production agriculture. Specifically, students will learn about agronomy, electrical and hydraulic systems which will all be incorporated into hands on learning with equipment such as: GPS receivers and monitors, RTK signal base stations, auto-steer systems, variable rate corn planters, rate controlled sprayers, yield monitors, unmanned aerial vehicles including quadcopters and fixed wing drones equipped with RBG, NIR, and thermal cameras, and soil moisture sensors.

Check out the Applied Technology Campus Project!

Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics overall employment of agricultural and food science technicians is projected to grow 9 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 4,900 openings for agricultural and food science technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Salary

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median annual wage for agricultural technicians was $40,430 in May 2021. The median annual wage for food science technicians was $46,590 in May 2021.

Accreditation / Affiliations

Agriculture Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Produce a written document that clearly explains an agricultural concept.
Analyze information and use critical thinking to solve an agricultural problem.
Explain how agriculture relates to global, social, and cultural concepts.
Develop skills useful in the agriculture industry or transfer to an agricultural degree.
Apply scientific information and the scientific method to explain agricultural concepts.

Program Requirements / Classes

Precision Agriculture-Advanced	CERT
Precision Agriculture	CERT

Degree Descriptions

Associate of Arts Degree (A.A.) and Associate of Science Degree (A.S.)

The AA and the AS degrees are traditional 2-year degrees specifically designed to transfer to 4-year institutions for the purpose of completing a BA or a BS. They are often referred to as university parallel degrees. The general education requirements are what actually permit the degrees to be called Associates or Arts or Science. The difference between the AS and AA is minimal, with the AA permitting math courses and a science course that are not recognized under the AS degree. Read Colorado's Guaranteed Transfer Policy here.

Associate of General Studies (A.G.S.)

The AGS degree is, at times, articulated to transfer to certain 4-year institutions and programs. There is more room for flexibility in this degree. Generally, if a student decides to transfer to a 4-year school to pursue a BA or BS after earning the AGS, they may be short some of the general education requirements.

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)

The Associate of Applied Science degree is rarely pursued by a student who intends to transfer to a 4-year school. It is primarily a degree that prepares a student to go directly into the workforce. It is typically a specific technical career that the student who seeks the AAS is seeking. Again, the general education requirements are less rigid with the AAS degree.

Certificate Programs

Certificates are 1-year technical programs that require no general education courses. Auto Tech, Agri-business, and Cosmetology are Certificate programs. English, math, science, etc. are not required to complete a certificate, although some students choose to take preparatory classes that might help them succeed in the program.