Mitchell Community College – Agribusiness Building

Agribusiness is Growing at Mitchell Community College

Like many American’s, the leadership at Mitchell Community College saw the decline in family-owned farms in North Carolina and across the United States as an alarming trend. In response to that need, the College created their new Agribusiness curriculum to encourage students to consider a career in farming and agribusiness.

While many people see agriculture as just a labor of love taking place in dusty fields and barns, Mitchell Community College’s Agribusiness program focuses on the business side of agriculture. The curriculum emphasizes building knowledge of agricultural marketing, law, and finance along with the basics of soil and animal science.

Mitchell Community College commissioned the architects and engineers of LaBella Associates to design their new Agribusiness Building. The 4,000 sq. ft. building features a large classroom space, an indoor/outdoor soils and planting lab, and a drive-through bay to house tractors and other types of farm equipment for the students to study. In addition, the building contains a student lounge and instructor offices.

Groudbreaking

Mitchell Community College celebrated the groundbreaking for the College’s new Agribusiness Building, the latest addition to their continuing education campus in Statesville, North Carolina, in June 2018. The event was attended by a number of college administration and dignitaries as well as friends of the college.

Funded by the 2016 Connect NC state bond, this new construction provides a multi-functional space for the Agribusiness Systems curriculum while expanding the capabilities of the program. The curriculum is designed to provide the technical and entrepreneurial skills necessary to manage a profitable, sustainable, community-based farm or agriculture business.