Dakota College Receives NIFA Investment

Dakota College at Bottineau is one of 12 recipients of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) investment of $4.8 million to support workforce training by community colleges. These awards are made possible through the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) Agricultural Workforce Training program priority area. This is the first time that the NIFA has specifically targeted community colleges to increase training opportunities for the food and agricultural workforce sector.

Dakota College’s main objective is to develop a curriculum for a hemp production program. The hemp production program will focus on commercial propagation, cultivation and processing of hemp, in addition to state and federal compliance and regulations relating to the hemp industry. Dakota College has the largest applied research facility in the US North Central Region for specialty crop production that includes three greenhouse structures, 6 high tunnels and open field production. Moreover, the project will provide technical assistance and education for alternative crop options and incomes to farmers in rural communities.

Dakota College faculty and staff will develop a curriculum for the hemp production program. Students who enroll in the hemp production program will have the option to receive a Certification of Completion, Certificate, or Associate of Applied Science degree. Students may be prepared for a career in 6 months or less. Internships will be a major learning activity in the instructional program. Dakota College anticipates enrolling 5 - 10 students per year during the first three years of the program offering which will become self-sustaining by the end of the third year.

The cannabis industry is expected to have a total economic output of $40 billion and support 414,000 jobs across the country by 2021 (Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, January 2018). The agriculture industry is experiencing a new opportunity due to the 2018 Farm Bill legalization of hemp production. The hemp industry is looking for individuals who will provide technical assistance in hemp production and processing. Thus, it is necessary to provide students with the opportunity to acquire the education and training to grow and process industrial hemp for commercial purposes.

NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture making Dakota College an excellent award investment.