LABELLE, Fla — FSW just announced a new Precision Agriculture associate degree program at the Hendry/Glades Curtis Center in LaBelle. They say the goal is to train students in the technologies that are changing farming.
Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, visited the center to see how this program could help grow the next generation of skilled workers.
Watch to hear what types of ag-tech education the new associates degree program will provide:
The program will combine science and technology, teaching everything from soil management to drones, GPS mapping, and smart irrigation. FSW Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Martin McClinton says it’s about giving local farms a workforce ready for the future.
“We’re looking to help the local industry to build up their understanding and knowledge of these and provide people with workers that know how to use these technologies,” McClinton said.
Farmers are increasingly turning to drones, weed spraying bots, and AI tools to spot problems early and save money on chemicals and water. But McClinton says there’s a shortage of people who know how to operate and maintain those tools.
“The workforce is there currently, but they don’t have the skillsets to perhaps go to precision agriculture. So we’re building up that ability that they will have the knowledge to implement the new technologies that farmers are experiencing every day,” McClinton said.
Since Hendry County is a major food distributor, Economic Development Director Keitha Daniels says this program is vital.
“During the winter months we tend to feed much of everyone east of the Mississippi River. So there are a lot of products raised in Hendry County and transported. We are a very important part of the United States food chain,” Daniels said.
As the county grows, Daniels says they’re even looking at an agriculture innovation park. She says it would be a hub for research, processing, and new businesses—all of which will need a tech-skilled workforce.
“We’re very hopeful that students embrace it, and they will continue to stay in our area. We want them to be able to grow up here, work here, and find opportunity here,” Daniels said.
The Precision Agriculture program will officially begin next fall.
