Edison State to Offer New Ag Program at Greenville Location

Edison State Community College launched its new Agricultural Maintenance program at the beginning of the fall semester, which started August 23, 2021.

This program offers a blended study of agricultural science and business with industrial maintenance and systems integration training. Graduates will be able to install, program, maintain, and repair various systems and components used across the industry. The program will prepare them for a variety of careers, such as family farming and industrial maintenance. Other potential jobs include agriculture field service technician, safety coordinator, and production manager, to name a few.

Edison State’s Agriculture Program Advisory Committee developed the program after discussions about the industry’s current trajectory. The committee felt it was important to ensure students were prepared for the technological aspects required in the career field.

“No matter what level you are involved with in agriculture, it is all becoming very technical. The main goal is to prepare students for careers, whether that be returning to a family farm or going into the industry,” said Brad Lentz, director of the program. “This degree will help them with all the technical aspects: engineering, manufacturing, robotics, automation, programming, and troubleshooting.”

Available exclusively through Edison State at Greenville, this program serves students in Darke, Miami, Shelby, and the surrounding counties. The program includes courses in agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural communication, agronomy, animal science, and more. Students will also complete an internship during their final semester.

“We have been in discussion with larger agriculture companies, mainly grain handling and livestock facilities, and they are very excited to see what this program will produce. Many of these companies are starving for help, and we hope this program will be able to provide them with easily trainable employees,” Lentz said.

Seth Swallow, Regional Extension Associate at Central State University and a member of Edison State’s Agriculture Program Advisory Committee, added, “Technology and systems within agriculture, and all industries, are changing constantly and rapidly, and it is imperative that companies have a pool of individuals who know enough about the whole system to be able to adapt and continually learn in order to keep up.In many ways, I see this as creating the new generation of the jack-of-all-trades.”