Agriculture

The agriculture program at Trinity Valley Community College provides students with a solid background in cutting edge technologies and traditional management strategies to provide leadership for the agriculture industry of the future. The combination of progressive instruction with applied labs on our working ranch delivers an exceptional educational experience that provides our graduates with a competitive edge above their peers in the marketplace.

For those students who wish to complete a transfer degree in agriculture with a different emphasis such as agricultural business or animal science, etc., please consult with a faculty member/advisor in the Agriculture Department prior to registration. Potential career paths for students pursuing an Agriculture degree can be in the nursery/greenhouse management, farm/ranch management, animal scientists, agricultural inspection, or agricultural education area.

What Agricultural Workers Do

Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend to livestock. They perform physical labor and operate machinery under the supervision of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.

Duties

Agricultural workers typically do the following:

• Harvest and inspect crops by hand
• Irrigate farm soil and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps
• Operate and service farm machinery and tools
• Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungi, and weeds
• Move shrubs, plants, and trees with wheelbarrows or tractors
• Feed livestock and clean and disinfect their pens, cages, yards, and hutches
• Examine animals to detect symptoms of illnesses or injuries and administer vaccines to protect animals from diseases
• Use brands, tags, or tattoos to mark livestock in order to identify ownership and grade
• Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures

The following are examples of types of agricultural workers:

Agricultural equipment operators use a variety of farm equipment to plow and sow seeds, as well as maintain and harvest crops. They may use tractors, fertilizer spreaders, balers, combines, threshers, and trucks. These workers also operate machines such as conveyor belts, loading machines, separators, cleaners, and dryers. Workers may make adjustments and minor repairs to equipment.

Animal breeders use their knowledge of genetics and animal science to select and breed animals that will produce offspring with desired traits and characteristics. For example, they breed chickens that lay more eggs, pigs that produce leaner meat, and sheep with more desirable wool. Others breed and raise cats, dogs, and other household pets.

To know which animals to breed and when to breed them, animal breeders keep detailed records. Breeders note animals’ health, size, and weight, as well as the amount and quality of the product they produce. Animal breeders also track the traits of animals’ offspring.

Some animal breeders may consult with farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers about their livestock.

Crop, nursery, and greenhouse farmworkers and laborers perform numerous tasks related to growing and harvesting grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other crops. They plant, seed, prune, irrigate, and harvest crops and pack and load them for shipment.

Farmworkers also apply pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to crops. They repair fences and some farm equipment.

Nursery and greenhouse workers prepare land or greenhouse beds for growing horticultural products such as trees, plants, flowers, and sod. They also plant, water, prune, weed, and spray the plants. They may cut, roll, and stack sod; stake trees; tie, wrap, and pack plants to fill orders; and dig up or move field-grown shrubs and trees.

Farm and ranch animal farmworkers care for live animals, including cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, poultry, finfish, shellfish, and bees. These animals usually are raised to supply meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, or honey.

These farmworkers may feed, herd, brand, weigh, and load animals. They also keep records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides.

Many workers clean and maintain animal housing areas every day. On dairy farms, animal farmworkers operate milking machines.

SUMMARY

• Agricultural workers
• 2022 Median Pay: $33,290 per year; $16.00 per hour
• Typical Entry-Level Education: See How to Become One
• Work Experience in a Related Occupation: None
• On-the-job Training: See How to Become One
• Number of Jobs, 2022: 804,600
• Job Outlook, 2022-2032:  -2% (slight decline), despite declining employment, about 115,700 openings are projected each year
• Employment Change, 2022-2032: -16,000

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Some careers in this field will require a bachelor's degree.

• TVCC's AA degrees are fully transferable to public universities in Texas. See an academic advisor or TVCC's university transfer webpage for more information on this transfer opportunity.
• Many of TVCC's AAS degrees lead to an online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree with participating universities. See an academic advisor or the BAAS transfer website for more information on this transfer opportunity.