Published: October 26, 2007 08:03 am            

Ag education in good hands with new MnSCU director

Originally published in the October 19, 2007, print edition.

As the newly appointed system director for agriculture and small business management programs with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Richard Joerger said he is excited to keep agricultural education strong.

“My role is to work with all aspects of agricultural education as well as natural resources,” Joerger said. “This is something I really enjoy.”

Joerger, an associate professor of agricultural education at the University of Minnesota, joined the system full time Oct. 1.

Position of leadership

“This is a newly expanded position,” said Melinda Voss, public relations director for MnSCU. “He will be involved in leadership and coordination of all programs, in both high schools and colleges.”

Joerger will help students make a seamless transition from high school to post-secondary programs and then into careers, Voss said.

“He (Joerger) has been an outstanding leader in teacher preparation, teacher induction and professional development for agricultural education,” Joel Larsen, state supervisor for ag education with the Minnesota Department of Education, said in an e-mail.

“I am hoping that as Dr. Joerger moves into his new role within MnSCU that we will be able to concentrate efforts on developing a stronger relationship and focus on ‘Programs of Study in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources.’ The Programs of Study is a major initiative of the federal Perkins legislation.”

According to the Academic Pathways to Access and Student Success website, the Perkins legislation gives students the opportunity to prepare for college or technical schools while still in high school.

“He (Joerger) will enhance the coordination of all programs,” Voss said. “We are already operating at a pretty high level, but we believe in continuous improvement.”

Business management

Joerger also is involved with programs that help farmers and small businesspeople. “The biggest share of my job is to work with the Farm Business Management and Small Business Management programs,” he said.

These programs are available through the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. According to the Minnesota Management Education Programs website, the courses are offered at eight college campuses with 85 different sites across Minnesota.

There are 105 FBM instructors. They often meet with the students individually to discuss business and educational plans. The instructors also teach using other methods, including small group meetings, classroom lecture, tours and field trips.

“These programs teach people how to keep accurate records and use records to make sound business decisions,” Joerger said.

The SBM program includes courses in employee management, computerized accounting, financial management and more. Thirty-nine credits are required to graduate. Students must be small business operators or obtain consent from an instructor to enroll.

Among other things, the FBM classes teach how to interpret trends in business planning, develop strategies for data management and manage a farm system in a global economy. This program has 60 credits, and students must be farm business managers or operators or have instructor permission.

The FBM education program began more than 50 years ago, and the Small Business Management education program has been around for more than 30 years. For more information about these programs, log on to www.mgt.org.

Not just for farmers

The MnSCU system also has many academic programs for people who choose not to become farmers but still want to be involved in agriculture. Joerger said that although only a small percentage of people are farmers, agricultural careers are in high demand.

“People are needed for processing, marketing and distributing agricultural products,” he said. “There is a lot of demand for jobs.”

In a news release on the MnSCU website, Joerger said that higher education is becoming more important for agricultural and business careers. Besides being knowledgeable about agriculture, farmers and small business leaders must be informed and educated about business, economics, legal matters, politics and technology, he said.

“There are a whole host of majors that will provide career opportunities for people interested in the agriculture, food and natural resources area,” Larsen said.

“The focus today is to identify those careers that are high-skill, high-wage and high-demand occupations in Minnesota. In today’s market the opportunities and the demand for qualified people to work in biotechnology, renewable energy, agri-business, food products and processing, and production agriculture are outstanding. Employers are actively pursuing individuals with the post secondary education and the training required for their businesses.”

High school prep

In high school, there are many classes students can take to prepare for agricultural careers, Joerger said, including animal sciences, horticulture, agricultural mechanics, natural resources, environmental resources, agri-business management and farm management, alternative fuels and food science. Although the coursework planning is left to the instructors and institutions, Joerger said he will assist them by giving ideas.

Students can also participate in extra-curricular activities such as FFA, Post-secondary Agriculture Student Organization and 4-H.

“Leadership activities are the real key for students today,” Larsen said. “Any organizations or activities that can give them an opportunity to work with people, to develop personal skills — speaking, serving on a committee or team, and to provide a community service are of tremendous value.”

“I think there are a lot of opportunities in agricultural education for youth and adults in the MnSCU system,” Joerger said. “At all levels, leadership development and personal growth are critical.”

There are 32 state universities and community and technical colleges in the MnSCU system. Enrollment in the system’s ag and farm business management programs is up nine percent since 2005, with more than 3,500 students.

        

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