The Vision
Agriculture & Water Center of Excellence
Why Now?
The Agriculture and Water Center of Excellence at Northeast Community College will educate farmer and rancher scientists with the hands-on experience and problem-solving skills needed to meet the demands of the future.
Educating more agricultural graduates to implement best practices and the latest technologies ensures potential employees will have the necessary skills to increase production, conserve natural resources, and sustain rural communities.
Along with updating and expanding current facilities, plans for the Agriculture & Water Center of Excellence will extend programming in all aspects of production agriculture, precision technologies, and conservation practices.
Why Agriculture & Water?
The impact of Nebraska agriculture goes beyond crop and livestock production.
Water is an essential component to every part of Northeast’s agriculture curriculum including optimizing usage, water regulations, water management, water law, runoff and water quality, and climate changes.
- Campus has 4 center pivot irrigation systems
- Conducts applied research with variable rate irrigation and soil moisture probes to conserve water and learn about the latest technology
Local to Global
Nebraska agriculture provides people with jobs, significantly contributes to the economy, and as the “bread basket of the world”, feeds many.
Investing in agriculture helps sustain and grow our rural economy, address food and water security concerns, and protect our resources for future generations.
The 2050 Effect
To keep up with rising populations, global food production must increase by 70 percent to feed the world. Nebraska’s future agricultural success will rely on its ability to implement precision techniques and produce more crop per drop while maintaining productive soils.
Farmers and ranchers will need to increase production, either by increasing the amount of agricultural land to grow crops and raise livestock, or by enhancing productivity on existing agricultural lands through adopting new methods like precision farming.
Globally Competitive Workforce
For communities, businesses, manufacturers, and producers, a highly qualified workforce with expert skills and hands-on experience is needed to grow and meet the demands of today’s competitive agricultural environment.
The Agriculture & Water Center of Excellence will have an impact on the workforce that reaches across the country and the world helping to create a sustainable future.
Innovation & Applied Technology
We have the opportunity to make a difference at Northeast and in our communities using science and technology innovations to address critical agriculture issues that will have a profound effect.
Through applied research and experiential learning opportunities, producers can use new technology and analytics to help make data-driven decisions to conserve natural resources and increase production.