Students Invited to Precision "Ag" Day on May 21 at GCC

Deadline to Participate is May 10, 2019

Batavia, NY (05/01/2019) — On Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Genesee Community College's BEST Center will host its Fourth Annual Precision Agriculture Day at the College's Batavia Campus. This event is designed to expose the area's youth to the high-tech careers and opportunities in agriculture, precisely, Precision Agriculture. The program, which will run from 9 a.m. till 1:30 p.m., is open to students in grades 9 - 12 from more than 22 high school and BOCES districts across the region.

The 2019 Precision Agriculture Day will feature six stations each designed to host 20 students at a time. The stations will include:

• Electronic Troubleshooting with Seth Conway of Monroe Tractor
• Drones with Dr. Jan van Aardt of the Rochester Institute of Technology
• Fixed Wing Drones with Charles Malone of the Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Apple Production with Mario Miranda Sazo of the Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Nutrient Management with Jodi Putman of the Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Decision Making Tools with Dr. Ali M. Nafchi of the Cornell Cooperative Extension

These emerging technologies are constantly creating new employment opportunities in agriculture, the number one industry in our area. Interested students are encouraged to contact their high school guidance counselors to sign up today! High school representatives must register with Alexandria Misiti of GCC's BEST Center via email to aemisiti@genesee.edu or call (585) 345-6868 before Friday, May 10, 2019.

The Precision Agriculture Committee, comprised of local precision agriculture consultants, agricultural leaders, as well as high school representatives, has been providing guidance and input on the development of programs to address the education and awareness of this burgeoning field of precision agriculture for years. Advances in technology have resulted in agricultural systems collecting data and using it in multiple operations all controlled through a computer, tablet or smart phone. This technology has created education and training opportunities, but there is a lack of skilled workers in the GLOW region.

Continuing GCC's mission to stimulate intellectual and social growth, economic advancement and engaged citizenship, The BEST Center takes this challenge very seriously. Precision Agriculture Day is one way in which The BEST Center is working to provide multiple educational opportunities in this growing arena. Last year, more than 100 students from the following school districts participated: Albion, Alexandra, Attica, Livonia, Keshequa, Mt. Morris, Oakfield-Alabama, Pavilion, Perry, Royalton-Hartland and three regional BOCES districts.

"Students have gained so much from the opportunity to meet experts in the various aspects of precision agriculture and see firsthand how this combination of tech and agriculture is leading to very rewarding new careers," Reid Smalley, executive director of The BEST Center said. "With available grant money becoming ever tighter, we hope school districts will take advantage of this fourth annual event."

To view images from last year's event, go to GCC's Facebook album at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/sunygcc/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10157406373048103

The BEST Center provides businesses and organizations with customized training solutions ranging from supervisory skills to technical training. The Center also offers numerous professional and personal development (non-college credit) courses for individuals, including classroom and on-line opportunities.

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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A photograph of Precision Ag Day 2018, courtesy of GCC, is available at:

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/PrecisionAgDrone2018.jpg

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