02/23/07 Educating for the Future

Educating for the future. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. There's a major push in the United States to create and expand sources of renewable energy. A technical school in Watertown, South Dakota is creating a new course to help ensure that there's an educated workforce for those industries. Myron Johnson - with Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown - says the Institute will offer an Energy Technology course this fall. JOHNSON: We build these plants, whether it's an ethanol plant, whether it's a coal fire plant, whether it's wind energy or a digester we're creating energy from ag products but once these industries are up and running, who's going to take care of them? Who's going to run them? That's why we are starting this program. Johnson - who has worked with the agricultural courses at LATI for over 30 years - says the Energy Technology course is a natural fit. JOHNSON: A by-product of agriculture is energy. What a fantastic by-product. We used to look out and we would see a corn field or we would see soybeans or whatever out there and we'd think about the livestock industry and feed and eventually we went and moved into the food area. But now when you look out and you see a field of corn or a field of beans you know the thing we are thinking about is ethanol, soy oil, bio-diesel  energy. According to Johnson - it's an exciting time for people to start working in agriculture. JOHNSON: For young people or anybody that is just starting out that is looking at agriculture as a future, they have a very, very bright future. Lots of opportunities. And given current enrollment for the class - it appears folks in South Dakota recognize that. Johnson says the class - which again - won't start until this fall - is already half full. LATI is also looking for an instructor for the course. Those interested should contact the Dean of Instruction, Kim Bellum. With the increased call for more and more biofuels alternatives from both the political and private sectors local colleges and universities should take a hard look at providing not only courses but degree programs in various energy technologies. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.