Ancilla College President Discusses Agriculture Program

Ancilla College is adding a new two-year degree program in agriculture. President Dr. Ken Zirkle says classes will be offered this fall. Students who complete the program can either transfer to Purdue and get a bachelor’s degree or enter the workforce.

Zirkle says the head of a regional agriculture-related corporation recently told him they need workers with training beyond high school but not a bachelor’s degree. He says that’s a perfect fit for what Ancilla has to offer. School officials will be working with local corporations to develop classes to meet their needs.

Zirkle adds the two-year program at Ancilla will prepare graduates for careers in today’s agriculture industry.

“It’s very highly scientific. It’s very regulated. You’d better have the background to understand how that all fits in,” Zirkle said. “It’s no longer a case of buying a bag of corn to plant and it costs you $25 to $30 for that bag of corn. Now it’s $400 for it, and the fertilizer’s out of sight. You’ve got to maximize production, and that takes a lot of skill, a lot of training.”

Find more information online at www.Ancilla.edu.