Agriculture and Veterinary Technology

In addition to its reputation as an excellent hands-on learning facility, the Alfred State College Farm is now also recognized for being attractive and well-maintained after earning a “Dairy of Distinction” award.

According to its website, the Dairy of Distinction program recognizes the hard work and dedication of dairy owners and operators “who have attractive, well-kept farms and promote a good dairy industry image.”

Alfred State College is excited to announce that it will soon launch the first four-year agriculture program in the school’s history.

Classes for the new Bachelor of Technology degree program in agricultural entrepreneurship will begin in the fall of 2019. This new program is designed to provide tomorrow’s agricultural entrepreneurs with the skills to make local agriculture economically viable through the application of traditional production practices and the development of value-added (VA) products.

A one-of-a-kind program that combines the principles of agriculture and engineering in order to prepare students for in-demand careers is coming to Alfred State College.

Several Alfred State College students and employees recently attended the 91^st annual National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, IN, where they set up a recruiting booth and spoke with numerous students about the benefits of an Alfred State education.

Alfred State College (ASC) recently had two of its programs - veterinary technology and health information technology (HIT) – ranked in the top 10 in the nation. In addition, several ranking sites have rated the college highly when comparing all US schools offering these and other programs within the School of Arts and Sciences.

Alfred State College recently hosted 350 Future Farmers of America students from 21 western New York high schools for the 32^nd annual Agriculture Skills Contest.

The contest included a variety of events designed to test students’ knowledge and skills in agronomy, agricultural mechanics, animal science, veterinary science, and tractor operations. Ribbons were awarded in every competition, as well as for overall individual and team placing.

Alfred State agricultural technology student Andrew Richards, of Silver Springs, recently represented the college as a 2018 Ambassador at the 185th New York State Agricultural Society Annual Meeting and Forum in Syracuse.

According to the society’s website, the Ambassador Scholarship program provides professional development opportunities each year to 15 young adults interested in agriculture. The scholarship covers all expenses for attending the annual forum and a yearlong membership in the society.

Over the last few years, Alfred State College has invested nearly $1 million in the College Farm to modernize facilities and infrastructure. The college is committed to maintaining this momentum.

To keep its students competitive in an evolving agricultural industry, Alfred State is diversifying its educational offerings.

A new review of the best veterinary technology programs ranks Alfred State as the third best in the United States. The analysis is based on the likelihood of success for students who want to put their love of animals to work.

Farmers interested in learning how to maximize their grazing systems are invited to attend a daylong conference at Alfred State titled “Show Me the Money: Grazing Strategies for Farm Profitability.”

The conference is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, June 30 in the Allegany Room of the Central Dining Hall of the Alfred campus. Guest speakers for the event include Russ Wilson and Dave Hartman.