Agriculture and Veterinary Technology - Facilities
Student Laboratories
Classes and laboratories for students taking agriculture or veterinary technology courses are held primarily in the Agriculture Science Building and at the College Farm. The Agriculture Science Building contains laboratories specializing in soils, botany, animal handling, animal anatomy and physiology, microbiology, surgery, radiology, vivariums, and kennel areas. A 5,300-square-foot greenhouse produces hydroponic vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs. The greenhouse also contains a tropical room, desert room, and plant propagation areas. Greenhouse plants are used for instruction in the botany, IPM, soils, sustainable vegetable, forage, and nutrition courses.
College Farm
The College Farm is the home to 135 registered Holsteins. Sixty-five lactating cows have a BAA of 108.7 and a rolling herd average of over 28,000 pounds with over 1,100 pounds of fat . Students experience all aspects of herd management from calves to cows. They also have an opportunity to participate in cattle showing as well as have the opportunity to become a member of the ASC Dairy Judging Team that tours during the fall and spring semesters. The farm is also home to a small number of horses, both miniature and full size, alpacas, swine, poultry, and sheep that are used for instruction in animal care and management. The 800-acre farm is also used by soils, botany, nutrition, feeds, field, and forage classes. Students have the opportunity to work and live on the farm as interns.
There is a major rebuilding project at the farm which will be the site for the Center for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture. The farm will house side-by-side conventional and organic dairy herds in the new dairy barns and milking systems which will be constructed. Intensive rotational grazing and organic and conventional row crop and vegetable production techniques will be available for student learning experiences.
Facilities for instruction include the range of laboratories supporting the basic sciences such as chemistry and biology. Field work is done on college-owned properties including the College farm and lake, as well as on a range of nearby state forest lands and other public and private facilities. Additional facilities are being developed at the newly acquired Groveland farm, a 270-acre crop farm near Sonya, NY.
