NCTA to Offer Urban Ag Classes in Omaha This Fall

July 20, 2015

Omaha, Neb. — Carpentry, Raising Poultry for Profit, and Organic Food Production are three classes that will be offered by the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in Omaha this fall.

The courses are part of a larger Urban Agriculture Program partnership between NCTA, the Omaha Home for Boys (OHB), and Nebraska Extension.

The Urban Agriculture Program is designed to support locally-produced food, prepare job-ready agricultural graduates, and foster social and economic development for youth and adults, said Ron Rosati, dean of NCTA, a University of Nebraska ag college based at Curtis, Neb.

Through this unique program, NCTA courses are offered for high school or college credits at the OHB’s main campus and their Cooper Memorial Farm.

NCTA’s Omaha courses provide hands-on learning for individuals interested in obtaining skills for employment in the growing urban ag sector or starting their own urban ag enterprise, said Connie Fisk, coordinator of the Urban Agriculture Program.

Students may apply coursework toward a certificate or associate degree. High school students should ask their school counselor about taking NCTA’s dual credit course offerings for high school credit. Fall courses begin the week of August 24-29, and require advance application to NCTA at http://ncta.unl.edu along with class registration.

In AEQ 1713 Carpentry, offered Saturday mornings in the wood shop on the main OHB campus, students will learn about materials, tools and techniques for carpentry in an agricultural setting. Students who complete this class will be prepared to take AGR 2103 Building Construction, offered next spring.

Fisk will teach ASI 1752 Raising Poultry for Profit: Small Scale Production on Tuesday evenings at the Cooper Farm Urban Agriculture Center. The course will provide an overview of small-scale poultry production for meat and eggs. Each week’s topic will also be available as a Nebraska Extension workshop for those entrepreneurs, 4-H club members, and urban agriculturalists not interested in earning college credit.

Organic Food Production, AGR 2153, taught by Fisk, is offered online so it is accessible to enrolled students anywhere, including the main NCTA campus in Curtis. It also may appeal to consumers and backyard gardeners, Fisk notes.  The course will provide an introduction to the history, definitions, principles, and practices of organic food production.

For more information about the Urban Agriculture Program or individual courses contact Connie Fisk at connie.fisk@unl.edu.