Agriculture

The mission of the Agriculture Program is to serve as a partner with the diverse agriculture industry to provide students with the attitudes, abilities, and problem-solving capabilities to meet career responsibilities and lead agriculture into the future.

Jobs related to agriculture in Washington State are as diverse as the crops produced. Learn more about the agriculture industry by visiting the Agriculture Center of Excellence.​

As the number one employer in central Washington, the agriculture industry offers exciting and challenging career opportunities. YVC’s agriculture degrees provide students with the necessary skills and abilities that employers desire.

Job growth projections show an increase of up to 7% within the crop and animal production and supporting industries. This includes jobs on farms, in factories, in laboratories, and on the sales floor.

Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Agricultural Sciences (BASAG)

AAS & AAS-T Degrees

This degree is offered jointly between the Business and Agriculture departments. Students will develop an understanding of basic business management and agriculture production principles. They can apply these principles and skills to the management and operation of agribusiness firms. Examples of career opportunities include crop production managers, sales representatives, farmers and ranchers, agribusiness managers and owners, and record-keeping specialists.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Cultivate skills needed to meet various agriculture career responsibilities.
  • Practice basic business management principles in an agriculture context.
  • Develop a business plan that applies agriculture production principles.
  • Apply workplace safety.
  • Conduct scientific inquiry, data analysis and reporting on agriculture commodity production.
  • Demonstrate problem solving and professional communication skills to meet workplace responsibilities.

This transfer degree prepares you to transfer into the YVC Bachelor of Applied Science in Agricultural Sciences program as well as approved agriculture articulations with Washington State University. Students will develop an understanding of basic business management and agriculture production principles. They can apply these principles and skills to the management and operation of agribusiness firms. Examples of career opportunities include crop production managers, sales representatives, farmers and ranchers, agribusiness managers and owners, and record-keeping specialists.

Students must meet with an advisor as course requirements may alter due to Washington State University and YVC’s requirements.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Cultivate skills needed to meet various agriculture career responsibilities.
  • Practice basic business management principles in an agriculture context.
  • Develop a business plan that applies agriculture production principles.
  • Apply workplace safety.
  • Conduct scientific inquiry, data analysis and reporting on agriculture commodity production.
  • Apply interpersonal communication, cultural awareness, quantitative reasoning, and problem solving skills to agricultural workplaces.

This degree emphasizes the development of horticultural crop production principles with specialization in integrated management of insects, disease and weed pests. Examples of career opportunities include operations supervisors, farmers, technical advisors, field representatives, consultants, orchard mangers and crop managers.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Conduct field scouting operations including pest identification, crop monitoring, and soil testing.
  • Develop a crop management plan.
  • Practice crop production principles including pest and pathogen management (both pre and post harvest), irrigation, crop nutrition and soil management, and cultivation and harvest practices of various agricultural commodities.
  • Apply workplace safety in an agricultural context.
  • Conduct scientific inquiry, data analysis and reporting on agriculture commodity production.
  • Demonstrate problem solving and professional communication skills to meet crop management responsibilities.

The AAS-T degree will transfer into the B.S. in Viticulture and Enology at WSU. The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University is partnering with Yakima Valley College to offer a unique pathway to WSU for students interested in agriculture related fields.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Practice efficient grape production procedures that accounts for seasonal timing in specific vineyard operations
  • Investigate canopy and crop load management in relation to pruning and irrigation methodology
  • Identify insects and diseases and their impact in the vineyard
  • Produce appropriate safety and compliance records while following all safety protocols
  • Model management skills that would be used to supervise vineyard personnel, including providing their training for safety and work requirements.
  • Develop a vineyard business management plan
  • Apply interpersonal communication, cultural awareness, quantitative reasoning, and problem solving skills to agricultural workplaces.

This degree emphasizes the applied principles associated with quality grape and wine production.  Students will learn about grapevine development as well as integrated management of insect, disease and weed pests. In addition, the principles and application of technology associated with wine production will be learned, including wine making using appropriate production, sanitation, and safety methods. Potential career opportunities are available in vineyards (grape production manager, crew supervisor, viticulture technician) and wineries (lab technicians, cellar workers, winemakers, retail sales position).

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Generate quality wines using processes and equipment that include fermentation management, adjustments to the juice/wine, racking and transferring juice/wine, utilizing filtration methods, maintaining barrels, and bottling
  • Perform lab analyses and sensory evaluations of wines as quality assurance practices.
  • Model management skills that would be used to supervise vineyard and winery personnel, including maintaining needed records and providing training for safety and work requirements.
  • Practice efficient grape production procedures that account for seasonal timing in specific vineyard operations and can be used for canopy and crop load management
  • Identify insects and diseases and their impact in the vineyard
  • Develop a vineyard and winery business management plan

Certificates

The following certificates are designed to provide students with a concentration of courses in a specific technical area. The certificates may be suitable for students who wish to increase their knowledge and skills in a particular area. All courses taken for the certificates would apply toward the related associate degree programs.

This certificate is expected to qualify students for positions within the fields of crop management and pest control. It has been developed with input from a diverse group of industry partners currently working in these roles. Students will have the option of taking AG 125 if they wish to obtain their pesticide licensure, or AGSCI 110 if they would prefer irrigation experience.

YVC offers a Tree Fruit Production certificate. Career opportunities include horticulturists, integrated pest management specialists production managers, and processing managers.

YVC offers a certificate in Vineyard Technology. Examples of career opportunities include grape production manager, crew supervisor, technical advisor, and production crew worker.

The Wine Sales Certificate is designed to provide students with a concentration of courses in a specific technical area. The certificate may be suitable for students who wish to increase their knowledge and skills in a particular area. All courses taken for the certificates would apply toward the related associate degree programs. The certificate can stand-alone or be earned as a specialty certificate with the AAS-Agribusiness, AAS-Vineyard & Winery Technology, or AAS-Business Management. Careers include tasting room attendants and wine club managers.

This certificate provides students with an understanding of principles and application of technology associated with wine production. Examples of careers in this area include technician, quality control specialist, wine maker assistant, retail salesperson, and plant operation supervisor and worker.

I-BEST Opportunity

I-BEST opportunities enable students to develop both their literacy and job skills as they prepare for the workforce and continued study in college. I-BEST offerings pair a professional/technical content instructor with an adult basic education instructor to help students progress in reading, writing, and math while also training for a career. I-BEST students can work on improving their basic educational skills while also earning college-level credit. Students participating in I-BEST can receive specialized financial aid and academic support services.

Yakima Valley Vintners

College Winery and Vineyard

YVC has an award-winning teaching winery, complete with tasting rooms located on the Yakima and Grandview campuses, called Yakima Valley Vintners. The Teaching Vineyard was added in 2010 on the Grandview Campus, providing additional practical training opportunities.

Yakima Valley Vintners wines with awards

Contacts

Trent BallAgriculture Department Chair & Faculty
Phone: 509.882.7007
Grandview Campus
Workforce Ed Building, Room 121
Yakima Campus
Skills Center Annex, Room 104
Brian BodahBachelor of Applied Science Faculty
Phone: 509.574.4690
Yakima Campus
Deccio Building, Room 231
Dr. Holly FergusonFaculty Viticulture
Phone: 509.574.4517
Yakima Campus
Deccio Building, Room 229
Stacey Gingras HuffAG Biology Faculty
Phone: 509.882.7033
Grandview Campus
Main Building, Room 136A

Barbara ZimmermannInstructional Tech Winery
Phone: 509.882.7052
Grandview Campus
Workforce Building, Room 183
Lori FergusonProgram Coordinator
Phone: 509.574.6810
Yakima Campus
Technology Complex, Room 100H