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Farm Business & Production Management Program Code 300901

Technical Diploma

Offered throughout the District. For information in Green Bay: (920) 498-5444. For information in Marinette: (715) 735-9361. For information in Sturgeon Bay: (920) 746-4900. Toll-free: (888) 385-6982.

This program is not eligible for financial aid.

Farm Business and Production Management covers basic farming production and business management principles needed to be an efficient farmer. Formal classes are delivered District-wide at locations convenient for the farmers.

Employment Potential

A graduate of the program will have basic skills necessary to own and operate or be employed on a farm.

With additional education and/or work experience, graduates may find other opportunities for employment.

. Dairy Herdsperson
. General Farm Manager
. Farm Records Manager
. Crop Supervisor
. Livestock Feeding Specialist
. Farm Equipment and Facilities Maintenance Manager
. Farm Service Employee
. Field Equipment Operator

Program Outcomes

. Calculate farm business cost of production for forage, grain, beef, pork, and milk.
. Prepare and assess a livestock management plan that is environmentally friendly.
. Prepare and assess a business financial plan.
. Develop and assess a soil and crop management plan that is environmentally friendly.
. Own, operate, and/or be employed in an agriculture-related industry.
. Implement a business, soil, crop, and livestock management plan that is environmentally friendly.

Requirements for Program Entry

. Completed application.
. High school transcript or equivalent. (For a list of equivalents, go to www.nwtc.edu/gettingstarted.)
. Communications: ability to listen, write complete sentences, spell accurately, and express ideas well verbally.
. Science: basic plant and animal biology, chemistry, and applied physics.
. Ability to use computer operating skills: keyboarding at 30 words per minute.
. Basic math defined as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Students should have mastered basic math skills. For a description of basic math, see the Basic Education section of this catalog.
. As a requirement for program entry, an Academic Skills Assessment (Accuplacer) with appropriate benchmark scores is necessary. Program Benchmarks are: Reading Comprehension: 55; Arithmetic: 34; Sentence Skills: 60. Equivalent assessment scores are acceptable. To learn more about these assessments and program benchmark scores, please contact a Counselor (920) 498-5444 or (888) 385-6982.

Note

Tuition assistance is available through the Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture and the Wisconsin Technical College Categorical Funding Tuition Assistance Grant; other local scholarships are available.

Curriculum

The Farm Business and Production Management Technical Diploma is a six-year, part-time program. Upon graduation, a student will have completed 24 credits.

FIRST SEMESTER
30-090-387 Farm Record/Business Analysis
4
30-090-388 Crop Management
4
30-090-391 Livestock Management
4
30-090-392 Livestock Nutrition
4
30-090-393 Soil Management
4
30-090-394 Farm Business Operation
4
SEMESTER TOTAL
24
TOTAL CREDITS
24

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

These courses provide an opportunity for students to develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding required for employment in this field.

30-090-387 FARM RECORD/BUSINESS ANALYSIS ...Farm Business mission, objectives, goals, use of farm credit, farm business arrangements, orderly farm transfer, farm estate planning, farm income tax preparation, computer records and Farm Business Analysis.

30-090-388 CROP MANAGEMENT ...economics, alternative crop strategies, production management, variety selection, maintenance fertilization, pest controls and weed chemicals, harvesting, storage, marketing and Farm Business Analysis, specialty crops, government programs and developing crop budgets.

30-090-391LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT ...livestock selection, breeding management, herd health, young stock management, selection, operation and maintenance of milking, feeding, ventilation and manure handling systems, farm buildings, feed storage and Farm Business Analysis.

30-090-392 LIVESTOCK NUTRITION ...nutritional terminology feeding management, economics of feeds, nutritional terminology requirements for maintenance, estimating feed consumption, feed tag labels for protein, energy, minerals and vitamins, evaluate feeding programs and metabolic diseases.

30-090-393 SOIL MANAGEMENT ...preparing and implementing a land use plan, soil testing procedures and reports, corrective fertilizers, soil conservation, tillage operations, nutrient management plan and implementations Farm Business business analysis.

30-090-394 FARM BUSINESS OPERATION ...farm organization, budgeting, cash flow, financial statements, record keeping systems, tax issues, business structure for farm operation, credit needs, Farm Business Analysis, farm safety, employee management, marketing plan.