MONROE — The region celebrated National Agriculture Day with a major event Thursday that brought Wisconsin’s agriculture secretary to Blackhawk Technical College’s Monroe Campus.
Blackhawk hosted the Wisconsin Technical College System’s National Agriculture Day event and it was a chance for industry, academic and educational leaders to tout the state’s vital agriculture industry.
“The ag sector is a big deal in Wisconsin,” said BTC President Tracy Pierner, adding that ag is also “a big deal in Green County,” where there are more than 1,400 working farms, employing thousands across all aspects of the industry.
It also was an opportunity for the Monroe campus to showcase its history of agriculture education, through numerous BTC programs covering everything agriculture — from the lab to heavy equipment. And that’s the type of activity that should help keep the state thriving in the future.
Among other targeted ag programs, officials touted those educational opportunities, including a program that provides new students in the ag system to receive a $1,000 scholarship. That will go a long way to help give someone the technical skills vital to succeed in an industry that has become increasingly technology dependent.
Examples of that technology Thursday include the numerous ag simulators and the actual state-of-the-art equipment used on the campus to teach students various ag processes and activities in a classroom setting.
According to experts, one of every nine people in Wisconsin is in a job or field related to the state’s vast agriculture industries — from cheese to ginseng and from crops to large-scale dairy production.
“It’s really an exciting time to be involved in agriculture,” said Morna Foy, the WTCS president. “When the needs for our communities change, so do the technical college offerings.”
The agriculture industry totals nearly $1.5 billion in the state, said Randy Romanski the state’s secretary of agriculture.
“If you like to eat it, chances are we produce it in the state of Wisconsin,” said Romanski. “There’s a place for everyone in agriculture…the opportunities are there and they are bright.”
For about 15 years Blackhawk Tech has provided a comprehensive program of agricultural education, culminating in the establishment of the agribusiness science and technical degree program in 2016, according to officials.
“This day means a lot to me,” said Dusty Williams, the lead agriculture instructor at Blackhawk’s campus. “It took all of you to build this.”
Sponsors of this year’s event included Colony Brands, Compeer Financial, Badger State Ethanol, Kuhn International, Alp and Dell and Emi Roth Cheese.
Started in 1973, the actual NationalAg Day was March 21. The annual event is organized by theAgriculture Council ofAmerica, a non-profit that heavily promotes the country’s agriculture economy.
