Community Colleges Offer Developmental Element

Just as farm teams develop baseball talent to feed into the major leagues, community college “farm teams” may offer a unique element of expertise for the 2010 Yield Challenge.  Several teams are anticipated to participate in the program statewide.

“Community colleges are a key link in the state’s agricultural education programs.  They are where some of our best major league agricultural talent is developed,” says Mike Levin, Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) director of legislative affairs and special projects.  “We need more crop science graduates, and we hope this will help attract future ag leaders as they supply valuable, local information.  Many community college graduates will go directly into agribusiness, while others may step into four-year programs and go on to graduate work in a professional field.”

Levin says many community colleges already provide field days and grower training updates, and are viewed as reputable agents for information on local growing conditions and practices.  He sees the 2010 Yield Challenge as a natural extension of ways students can compete, learn and gain that research experience.  Community colleges can establish their own local sites and eventually receive and use the results for further testing.

Jeff Wessel, who manages the research farm at Joliet Junior College, shares that perspective.  “Students can explore what practices might increase yields, as well as learn important information they can take back to their home farms,” he says.  “Since many of our students are not necessarily familiar with how all equipment works and what the best management practices are, they can explore those areas through the 2010 Yield Challenge.”

Wessel anticipates Joliet Junior College will have a select group of students interested in crop management that will work on the project and experiment on a small scale.

“The 2010 Yield Challenge will have something of interest for many of our students and it is something they should be prepared to do –explore yield potential,” he says.  ” We have a sizeable agriculture program with 100-plus students and 100 acres of productive farmland to perform cropping management studies and try to help increase soybean yields.”

Community college chapters are challenged to produce the highest yielding soybeans they can grow.  ISA will pay the entry fee for student teams.  Jim Nelson, Yield Challenge coordinator, is currently meeting with various colleges to build interest in the program.

Community college teams can enter a minimum of two, two-acre plots on private- or public-owned land.  The yield, cropping history and production information collected from the plots will be included in the 2010 Yield Challenge management summary.  In addition, the team with the highest percent yield increase over their local county average will win cash awards for their school.  Other rewards and recognition also will be made.

More information can be found on the 2010 Yield Challenge Web site, www.soyyieldchallenge.com.

*Content Funded by the Soybean Checkoff