News Article

New program gets to the roots of farming and beyond


12/8/2004 1:17:28 PM


FULL STEAM AHEAD - Chris Turpin is coordinating the new Agribusiness Development program at College of the North Atlantic, Carbonear. The secondary processing facility on campus, with its large kettles and drying ovens will be incorporated into the course. ~ Photo by Lillian Simmons/The Compass

By Lillian Simmons
Printed with permission from The Compas

Although Newfoundlanders have always managed to sustain themselves on "this rock within the sea", farming has been far from a booming business.

But these days a shrinking world and innovative technologies open up a new dimension for those inclined towards agriculture.

The Carbonear campus of the College of the North Atlantic is introducing a new agriculture course, the first of its kind in the province.

The 60-week course, to start in January 2005 teaches farming from research to business to crop production and beyond.

Chris Turpin is coordinating the Agribusiness Development program. A portion of the course will include working at Spruce Hill, an experimental farm in Heart's Content. It will also revolve around the campus's secondary processing facility.

"There are three components: research on what crops are viable for growing and export; the business of farming, financial management; and hands on crop production with Spruce Hill Farms - go out and grow things and then come back here to look at secondary processing," the coordinator said.

And a business plan will be an ongoing part of the course.

"The program is based mainly on crops, but the industry is just so diverse, so there will be some focus on sheep, dairy, beef. We customize the training to what people want."

The course will also include specifics such as soil analysis and the use of pesticides. "We'll have experts come in for a two to three day period."

The college's business development officer, Michelle Yetman, says the program is a multi-skill approach to farming.

"Students will know what it takes to run a farm operation." The college got into agricultural training in the early 1990s, but the new program takes a broader approach.

"There's so much potential in the agriculture industry. Two years ago we said it's time to go back to the Federation of Agriculture and see what the needs are," said Ms. Yetman.

Last fall the college hired Andrea Bourne to carry out a needs assessment in partnership with the provincial Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods and the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture.

The upcoming program is a result of that needs assessment. "It's about customizing, responding to the needs of industry and focusing on the actual skills needed," Ms. Yetman said.

The courses are set up to run with the seasons with the business component starting in January. Spring will be spent at the farm. The college has received about 10 applications so far and has room for about 20 students.

"The response has been good," Ms. Yetman said. "We've got quite a few young people with their own ideas who have a genuine interest in agriculture. This is a first. Nowhere else on the island can you do this training and we can move it to any of the other campuses where there is a need," she said.

Students taking the program will learn among other things, business planning, market research, proposal development, greenhouse operations, crop production, farm operations, product development, packaging, labelling and graphic design.

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For more information contact:

Stephen Lee
Communications Manager
(709) 643.7929