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Highland Community College Receives Grant for FarmBot Genesis Equipment

published April 2, 2019

image from farmbot.com

Highland Community College received a $2,000 grant for the integration of the FarmBot Genesis into the precision agriculture curriculum.  The grant is provided through Frontier Farm Credit’s Working Here Fund.

 

With the grant funding, Highland Community College purchased the FarmBot Genesis system.  FarmBot is a small-scale robotic farming system that attaches to a raised garden bed and covers the principles of small-scale horticulture production.  Although this project will take place on a smaller scale, the same principles can be applied to larger production agriculture.

 

Darcie Gallagher, Instructor of Precision Agriculture at Highland will implement the technology into the precision agriculture curriculum. “Our students will benefit greatly from this hands-on experience. FarmBot automates the growing process and is data-driven, giving out students a first look at the next phase of agriculture technology.” The new equipment will be available for use by the students beginning in April 2019.

 

“We value the opportunity to support an organization such as Highland Community College, which shares Frontier Farm Credit’s passion to serve the next generation of ag producers,” said Karla Rosell, vice president of retail operations at Frontier Farm Credit’s Manhattan office.

 

Highland Community College is one of 9 organizations to receive a Working Here Fund grant in the fourth quarter of 2018.  Frontier Farm Credit awarded $13,500 during the latest grant cycle ending December 31, 2018.

 

About Highland Community College

The Precision Agriculture Program at Highland Community College encompasses the basic principles of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) and how the systems, along with the currently available and emerging technologies, are applied to the site-specific management of production agricultural resources, as a producer, advisor, or technician.


About Frontier Farm Credit 
Frontier Farm Credit is proud to finance the growth of rural America, including the special needs of young and beginning producers. With $2.0 billion in assets and $440.7 million in members’ equity, Frontier Farm Credit is one of the region’s leading providers of credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural residents in eastern Kansas. Learn more at www.frontierfarmcredit.com.

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