Agriculture

Associate degree/certificate

Oregon is ideally situated for growing wine grapes and its vineyards are expanding at a rate of about ten percent per year. Oregon now ranks second in the U.S. for the number of wineries and sixth in the nation for production. Chemeketa's service district, which includes Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties, is home to almost 40 percent of Oregon's vineyards, 46 percent of the planted acreage and 47 percent of the state's wine grape production. To meet the increasing demand for skilled workers this growth has created, Chemeketa began its Vineyard Management/ Winemaking program in 1999.

Chemeketa's program provides real-world job training and practice that brings you in contact with professionals in the field. You can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in either Vineyard Management, Winemaking, or Wine Marketing which will prepare you for successful employment in the wine industry. The one-year certificates in Vineyard Operations is appropriate for vineyard technicians. Training includes hands-on activities in the basic knowledge and technical skills required for successful employment in the cool-climate wine industry. Students gain practical skills through on-the-job work experience.

Northwest Viticulture Center

Chemeketa's Northwest Viticulture Center, located in West Salem, provides a teaching vineyard and an on-site laboratory for students. The center includes five classrooms, a teaching winery, laboratory, wine cellar, temperature control room, and a resource library.

Associate degree

Another expanding area of agriculture is the nursery greenhouse business, and acreage for growing nursery stock has expanded 20 percent since 1995. The nursery business has flourished in Oregon for more than 100 years, and now is the largest agricultural commodity group in the state. Chemeketa's Horticulture progam will give a broad view of the horticulture industry, with an emphasis on greenhouse and nursery production; the basic environmental factors that influence horticulture; and the theory and methodology for reproducing plants by seed and a variety of cloning methods.

Non-credit courses

Chemeketa's non-credit Continuing Education program focuses on training and certification in nursery/greenhouse, landscape and pesticide areas. Its three-term series of classes on Greenhouse Practices has been taken by many current nursery/greenhouse owners and their employees. The program's unique pesticide training, held in at least six different licensing areas, prepares students for licensing exams and conducts recertification classes for renewing licenses.

Other courses offered include Pasture Management, Lambing School and Small Gas Engine Repair. The program strives to be responsive to the agricultural community by adjusting course offerings regularly. Suggestions are welcome.

The Agribusiness Management program teaches full-time farmers and their managers the basic principles of record keeping and helps them improve their financial management skills. It focuses on the development and maintenance of a complete set of computerized farm financial records and the skills necessary to interpret the records and use the information to make sound management decisions. Upon completion of the annual farm records, a year-end financial analysis is provided to eligible farms. This calculates cost of production for each crop or livestock enterprise and provides information for making production, marketing, and other decisions. During class sessions and one-on-one consultations, professional farm management specialists provide instruction and assistance in record keeping, income tax management, obtaining financing, labor regulations and other timely topics. The program is designed for a minimum commitment of three years.

Agricultural Leadership Development is designed to provide the skills necessary to be an effective leader in the workplace. Participants will complete training exercises, either individually or in small groups, followed by large group discussions. Positive workplace behaviors and attitudes are modeled through open communication and mutual respect. Topics covered include building confidence, social skills, decision-making, planning and organizing, coaching and team building, conflict resolution, as well as legal and safety issues. Total instruction time is 40 hours. Training is offered in either English or Spanish and on Chemeketa's Salem, Woodburn, Santiam, Dallas and McMinnville campuses. Training can also be conducted at your workplace and tailored specifically to your workforce needs. .