The agriculture/natural resources program at North Central Missouri College (NCMC) of Trenton is one of only six individual programs nationwide which received the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Outstanding Postsecondary/Adult Agricultural Education Program Award last week in St. Louis.  The award is sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, USA.

The NCMC Agriculture and Natural Resources department offers Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Arts transfer degrees for students pursuing careers related to agriculture, natural resources and equine management. 

The AAS in Agriculture and Natural Resources degree is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in agribusiness or the management of agricultural and natural resources.  The Equine Management Emphasis option is designed for students who wish to seek a career in equine production or equine operations.  The program provides hands-on instruction in horse training and management. Following completion of either AAS program, students can enter the workforce or pursue a Bachelors of Technology Degree at Northwest Missouri State University. 

The Associate of Arts degree is designed for students planning to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in the areas of agribusiness or the management of agricultural and natural resources at a four-year college or university.  Students earning this degree complete a general education core plus 17 credit hours of electives in agriculture and natural resources.  Specific transfer agreements have been developed with Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The NCMC Agriculture and Natural Resources program currently provides instruction at the main NCMC campus, the Indian Creek Equine Center, internship experience sites, and the Elizabeth and Arthur Barton Farm Campus.   The Barton Campus serves as an applied learning environment that demonstrates the management and conservation of agricultural and natural resources. Barton Campus construction began in 2010, and the campus was officially dedicated in August 2011.   Rustin Jumps and David Nowland are the instructors and Ag Club/PAS advisors, and NCMC Professor Emeritus Bill Hinkebein teaches the equine management courses.

Each of the six regional Outstanding Postsecondary/ Adult Program Award winners received a plaque and expense-paid trip to the NAAE convention in St. Louis.  NAAE is a professional association for agricultural educators with a mission to support “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.”  Its headquarters is in Lexington, Kentucky.

Pictured left to right:  Will Nicklaus, Corporate Manager of Procurement and Administrative Services for Toyota Motor Sales, USA; and Rustin Jumps and David Nowland, NCMC agriculture/natural resources instructors.