Farm of the Future - Part 2

Tim Hammerich

News Reporter

West Hills College’s Farm of the Future is a unique program that provides students with practical, hands-on farming experience.

Director Terry Brase also envisions it as a chance to work with companies where in addition to hands-on learning, students can test new agricultural technologies.

Brase.. “We also have another side of the farm where we've got close to a hundred acres that are made up of smaller plots. Those are the areas that are reserved for student projects. And that currently we're actually looking for funding where the project or the company that wants to maybe demonstrate a product will pay us. And pay a group of students to run a demonstration on one of these fields. And the students are directly responsible for the decisions and using the product, coming up with little research demonstration against the control part of the plot to see if it works or not.”

Brase says this gives companies early exposure for up-and-coming products, and the students a career related job during school.

Brase… “But I think what it really provides, the real value, is that the students are being paid through like a scholarship to work here on the farm. So they're making money while they're working on the farm. This way they're getting the experience and we're helping them through school.”

Interested students or companies can visit West Hills College’s website for more information.