AGA 114 Principles of Agronomy -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

A lecture/laboratory class that serves as a base for several subsequent courses. Crop growth and development along with soil management principles are emphasized. Additional topics include: diseases, insects, weeds, weather, tillage, harvesting, and grain storage and handling. An interactive computer based system serves as a basis for the laboratory portion of the course.

AGA 212 Grain and Forage Crops -- 4 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisite: AGA 114 Principles of Agronomy. This course emphasizes production and management of corn, soybeans, oats, and forage crops in Iowa. Determination of plant characteristics, growth and development, management practices, and crop utilization are explored with the college farm used as a lab setting.

AGA 450 Issues in Sustainable Agriculture -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

The transformation from subsistence to industrialized agriculture is examined to determine the agroecological consequences. The college farm is used to determine current practices and possible improvements in sustainability. Field trips to sustainable farms and guest speakers highlight this course.

AGB 235 Introduction to Agriculture Markets -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisite: ECN 130 Principles of Microeconomics. An introduction to the economic principles of marketing farm products including their movement through processing firms, food manufacturers, and retailers. The prices and marketing costs incurred by farms and agribusiness are explored along with functional and organizational issues of these farms and agribusinesses. An introduction to the commodities future markets includes the mechanics of hedging and the use of forward pricing to manage price risk. A commodity trading simulation is utilized and students help manage the sales of a portion of the college farm products.

AGB 330 Farm Business Management -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisites: AGA 212 Grain and Forage Crops, AGS 226 Beef Cattle Science, ACC 131 Principles of Accounting I and ECN 130 Principles of Microeconomics. This capstone course incorporates the production and financial decisions of farm operation with record keeping through a farm accounting package. Decisions obtained through problem solving techniques utilizing the college farm will be learned. Students will prepare a farm plan including production and financial information for a farm operation of their choice.

AGB 336 Agricultural Selling -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisite: ECN 130 Principles of Microeconomics. Principles of selling applied to agricultural settings. Examination of agricultural consumers’ buying habits and the development of sales strategies to meet these consumers’ needs and wants serves as a foundation of this course. Two main activities dominate this course. Students spend a day shadowing an agricultural sales professional to observe and report on specific practices. In a final activity, Ready-Set-Sell, students prepare and deliver a sales presentation to an agricultural sales professional.

AGB 337 Advanced Ag Commodities -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisite: AGB 235 Introduction to Agriculture Markets and ECN 130 Principles of Microeconomics or current involvement in agricultural marketing activities. A two-week workshop featuring the following topics: Development of a personalized farm-marketing plan, current and future outlooks for the prices and production of agricultural products, an introduction to the fundamental and technical analysis of commodities futures markets, and sources of farm market information.

AGB 932 Internship I -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Employment experience in an agribusiness.

AGB 942 Internship II -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Employment experience in an agribusiness.

AGC 308 Agricultural Applications of Computers -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisite: CSC 110 Introduction to Computers. This course features the design and use of agribusiness decision aids. Students will design a variety of spreadsheets for common production and financial decision making plus explore the use of existing spreadsheets from commercial, educational, and governmental agencies. The creation and utilization of databases for farm record keeping will also be covered. Students will be introduced to stand-alone programs for specific tasks such as ration balancing. The course concludes with the familiarization of GIS technology and the transfer of GIS data from agricultural machines, and handheld devices, to standard computing equipment.

AGC 315 Leadership In Agriculture -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Students learn leadership theories and strategies applied to an agricultural setting in this course. Development and practice of leadership skills is achieved through the required participation in a community or professional organization. Contains the introductory skills of parliamentary procedure, with an analysis of their use in a local organization.

AGS 101 Working With Animals -- 2 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisite: Credit or current enrollment in AGS 114 Survey of the Animal Industry. Hands-on animal husbandry is explored in this lecture/laboratory based class. Exposure to beef, equine, poultry, swine, and specialty animals will be demonstrated and practiced. Health, care and handling, environmental impact, and management decisions will be discussed. Special emphasis will be placed on the college beef herd in addition to several field trips to livestock producers in Southwest Iowa.

AGS 114 Survey of Animal Industry -- 2 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Students are encouraged to concurrently enroll in AGS 101 Working with Animals. The history of animals and their interaction with mankind will start the course. The progression of the animal industry relating to U.S. agriculture from its conception to modern time follows. Terminology, care, breeding, production and marketing will be explored for the following species: beef, equine, poultry, swine, and specialty animals.

AGS 226 Beef Cattle Science -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisite: AGS 114 Survey of the Animal Industry. The breeding, health, nutrition, facilities, and marketing of beef cattle are examined in this course. Issues in the production segments of: seedstock, cow-calf, yearling/stocker, and feedlot operations are emphasized in the context of production management. Hands-on exposure to artificial insemination will be demonstrated. Students will select a beef operation, determine an existing analysis, and offer recommendations for improvement as a capstone activity.

AGS 280 Livestock Merchandising -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Merchandizing non-market animals is explored in this course. Students are exposed to various methods of merchandizing high quality animals including private treaty sales, consignment sales, and production sales. The planning and administration of the Southwestern Community College Breeders Classic, an annual club-calf sale, is a major requirement of students.

AGS 305 Livestock Evaluation -- 3 Sem. Hrs. Cr.

Prerequisites: AGS 101 Working with Animals, AGS 114 Survey of the Animal Industry and AGS 226 Beef Cattle Science OR past livestock judging experience. Beef, swine, and sheep are used to determine suitability of breeding and market animals. Tools and techniques of livestock judging are taught and practiced. Involvement in the college’s livestock judging team is possible with concurrent enrollment in this course.