Agriculture

agriculture@bigbend.edu

The Agriculture department offers two pathways for students pursuing a degree in agriculture. An Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Agriculture Technology degree prepares students for a direct route to start their careers in the agricultural industry. The transfer pathway, Associate in Applied Science-Transfer degree (AAS-T), allows students to seamlessly transfer to Washington State University and earn a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.

Degrees and Certificates

Courses

AGR 101: Orientation to Agricultural Industries & Careers

Credits 2
This course will explore the Columbia Basins agricultural industries along with the career opportunities available within the industries. This course includes industry tours, career research & planning, personal & professional development, and networking.

AGR 110: Water Management in Agriculture

Credits 3
This course will provide students the opportunity to study water and its management for agronomic purposes. A broad range of topics will be covered including the Columbia Basin Irrigation project, hydrology, basic irrigation principles, water relationships, efficiency, and water quality & supply. Course topics and concepts will be reinforced with hands-on labs and activities

AGR 120: Intro to Precision Agriculture

Credits 5
This course provides an overview of the fundamentals of precision agriculture. Specifically covering Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, data analysis, mapping, and variable rate agriculture technologies. Course concepts will be applied and reinforced through laboratory instruction.

AGR 212: Ag Safety and Pesticides

Credits 5
This course is an overview of safety in the agricultural industry by identifying safety hazards, applying procedures, analyzing safety rules and regulations. Emphasis will be placed on the relation to agricultural operations, technological changes, workplace violence, ethics, diversity, and personal/organizational responsibilities. This course will also focus on agricultural chemical applications, proper pesticide and fertilizer use. Upon completion of this course, students will be prepared for their Washington State Commercial Applicator License Exams.

AGR 241: Farm and Ranch Management

Credits 5
In this course, students will study the management principles for profitable farming operations, ranches, and other agribusiness firms. Topics include economic concept application and analysis, record keeping, creating and evaluating financial statements, budgeting, taxes, and risk management. Course concepts will be reinforced through laboratory instruction.

AGR 251: Integrated Pest Management

Credits 5
In this course, students will learn ecologically based pest management strategies for controlling weeds, insects, pathogens, nematodes, and vertebrate pests as well as how to set up sampling and monitoring programs in the field. The course will cover the biological nature of pests, focusing on how their population dynamics and ecological interactions with other species and how their environments contribute to their detrimental impacts on agriculture and human resources. (Previous Course Title Ecologically Based Pest Management)

AGR 261: Plant Science

Credits 5
This course introduces principles of plant science as it relates to the production and management of crops. Topics will include plant classification, form and function, growth, processes, genetics, and reproduction. Course concepts will be applied through laboratory instruction.

AGR 263: Soils

Credits 5
This course is an introduction to basic concepts of soil science, plant nutrition, and water management. Topics include soil formation and development, soil structure and composition, physical properties of soils, soil minerals, soil chemistry, soil fertility, soil microorganisms, soil ecology, fertilizers, plant, and soil and water relationships.

AGR 265: Crop Production

Credits 5
This course takes an in depth look at the science and processes of crop production. Students will build on their knowledge of plant and soils sciences and apply it to crop production from the beginning stages of soil and seed to the final harvested product. Students are encouraged to take AGR 261 Plant Science and AGR 263 Soils prior to this course

AGR 271: Agriculture Sales and Marketing

Credits 5
This course will provide students the opportunity to study the marketing system for agricultural commodities. Students learn to analyze topics related to market structure, supply, demand, price, price analysis, trade, spatial relationships, market price variation through time, institutional arrangements, and public policy as they relate to agricultural marketing. Additionally, the concept of futures markets is introduced as a tool for price risk management. Theoretical economic frameworks covered in this class are applied to the commodities relevant to the Columbia Basin.

AGR 272: Food Sustainability and Safety

Credits 5
Students will study the challenges and importance of sustainable and safe food production. Topics include history of agriculture, geography of hunger, the sustainability concept, agricultural systems, agroecology, biotechnology, and food safety.

AGR 295: Work-Based Learning-Internship

Credits 1 Max Credits 20

This course provides students with a valuable and practical work experience in Agriculture.  Learned agriculture topics from Agriculture curriculum will be applied to and enhance the work experience.  This is a paid or volunteer experience that is a supervised position both by the employer and the Agriculture instructor. The course may be repeated up to 20 credits. Students must be enrolled in both AGR 295 and AGR 297 in the same quarter.

AGR 297: Work-Based Learning Seminar

Credits 1

This seminar course covers topics related to professional employment in Agriculture. Students will share feedback and discussion to integrate work-based learning experiences with classroom instruction. Students must be enrolled in both AGR 295 and AGR 297 in the same quarter.