INA, Ill. (December 13, 2024) — Rend Lake College is excited to announce a brand new certificate in Agricultural Automation.
This new certificate has been developed and funded through a Title III grant and involves connecting new technologies with agriculture in order to make an operation more efficient.
"This year we were able to offer these four courses to high school students from Webber and Woodlawn," said Addison Page, RLC Sustainable Agriculture Specialist. "This is a unique opportunity for these students to get lots of hands-on experience with equipment that is on the cutting edge of current farming technologies."
David Schrum, a senior at Webber High School, shared a bit about the work the class has been doing so far.
"We have done a bunch of harvesting out there, and a lot of work with the sprayers," Schrum said. "We have worked with the tractors and did calibration, set up lines on computers and drove those lines."
Dual Credit students learning the equipment.
This certificate consists of four courses:
- Intro to Ag Engineering
- Ag Technology Software Applications
- Circuit Fundamentals and Digital Logic
- Autonomous Applications in Ag
Students have been able to get valuable time in the combine, sprayer and planting tractor as they operate in real-life field conditions, as well as learn about how the technology works and how it can be used properly to benefit a farming operation.
Michael DaSilva, a senior from Woodlawn High School, shares that he is able to apply himself and gain new experiences through these courses.
"We have made lines that we ran along fields, that we made on computers," DaSilva said. "We then took a tractor and rode along those lines we made on a computer."
Students learning the sprayer.
The RLC Title III Strengthening Institutions program has entered its second year after a successful first year. This success comes from the development of the Automated Agricultural Certificate. The Title III grant has several objectives that must be met over a five-year period. The automated ag objective was clear — develop a program and have it ready to be piloted beginning in Fall 2024.
"We are able to use new John Deere equipment that is housed at the Agronomy Innovation Center as well as some precision agriculture equipment that has been purchased through the Title III grant," said Page. "We are able to give students plenty of hands-on experience in real-world applications."
"That [hands-on experience] and driving the equipment have been my favorite parts of the classes," said Cale Sneed, a junior from Webber High School. "We get to drive something new, rather than the old stuff."
Dual Cred students driving tractors and harvesters.
For more information about the Agricultural Automation Certificate, please contact Addison Page at 618-437-5321 ext. 1355 or by email at pagea@rlc.edu.
