The North Central Missouri College (NCMC) agriculture program was the focal point of the Trenton Rotary Club meeting on Thursday, August 1, at the BTC Bank community room. The meeting presided over by Jackie Soptic, featured Dan Wilford offering the prayer and Jeff Crowley serving as the sergeant at arms.
Kristi Harris, the program chairman, introduced NCMC agriculture instructors Rustin Jumps, Jack Green, and Kurt Meighen. The instructors provided insights into the college’s agriculture program. Jumps, who also manages the Barton Farm Campus, reported that there are 75 to 80 students currently enrolled in the ag program, with 12 students participating in internship opportunities during the spring and summer. He noted that, in addition to their studies, agriculture students engage in various activities, including hosting a high school judging competition that attracted over 1,900 participants from 75 high schools. The students also promote the NCMC ag program and compete in state and national agriculture competitions.
Jack Green, who coaches the livestock judging team, shared that the judging program continues to expand, with both freshman and sophomore teams competing this year. Over the past year, the team participated in events in Wisconsin, the American Royal in Kansas City, Oklahoma, Denver, CO, and Valentine, NE, where they achieved their best finish of the year. The team also hosted a judging clinic for high school students and will be refining their judging skills at the Missouri State Fair this year.
Kurt Meighen, who recently joined the NCMC faculty after teaching at Princeton High School for three years, will focus on precision agriculture and agronomy. He emphasized the importance of training students in technology-driven farming practices. Students will have the opportunity to earn drone certification and CDL licensing, with an eight-week course starting this fall. An agriculture operations certificate is also available for students planning to return to their family farms or enter the agribusiness workforce.
The next Trenton Rotary Club meeting, scheduled for August 8, will feature Brent Stephens, director of the Workforce Development Board of North Missouri, as the speaker.
