An agriculture college in southwestern Nebraska is bringing a little bit of country to the city, and to a farm where urban youth can learn about raising crops and livestock. This fall, high school students from Omaha area schools and adult learners interested in boosting their knowledge of horticulture and farm animals can enroll in courses offered by the University of Nebraska-Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) and the Omaha Home for Boys at the Cooper Memorial Farm, 8502 Mormon Bridge Road.
Courses offered this fall will be organic and alternative agriculture, and livestock and carcass evaluation. Spring, 2015, classes will include plant propagation and seed stock preparation and marketing (feeding and fitting livestock to show in 4-H or FFA). In future semesters, if students garner sufficient hours of college credits, they may be eligible for a college certificate or an associate of science degree. Livestock classes will include a summer camp in preparation for showing and grooming (fitting) livestock for county fairs. In the Omaha program, NCTA will provide faculty, curriculum and supplies. The Omaha Home for Boys provides the site, farm manager and laboratory support.
For further information on the OHB-NCTA Collaborative Agricultural Education Program, see www.ncta.unl.edu or contact 1-800-3CURTIS.
For more information about the Omaha Home for Boys, please visit www.omahahomeforboys.org.