Soil and Crop Sciences

Earn a Soil and Crop Sciences Associate Degree

Apply your interest in agriculture and food systems to earn a plant and soil science degree at Aims. Study foundational soil science and crop production systems, also known as agronomy, at the Aims Fort Lupton campus in Weld County, the heart of Colorado farm country. This foundation underlies all agricultural production and nurtures healthy plant growth for the food system. This associate of science degree with designation transfers to bachelor's programs at participating public four-year Colorado institutions.

Areas of study for the soil and crop sciences degree include:

Crop production
Precision agriculture
Farm and ranch management
Agricultural finance and marketing
Global food supply, macroeconomics and human nutrition
Soil science

Aims offers two degree tracks designed to help you meet your career goals in soil and crop sciences and related fields.

If you don't plan to continue your education with a bachelor's degree, you can pursue a production agriculture associate of applied science degree and enter the workforce directly after completing the two-year program.

See Soil & Crop Sciences Associate Degree Requirements

“Despite all of our accomplishments, our very existence relies on a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.”

--Kirk Goble, Agriculture Instructor

Cultivate Your Future By Digging Into Plants and Soil

Study foundational soil science and crop production systems and develop an understanding of soil and growing conditions on a small and large scale.

Agricultural department instructor Kirk Goble describes the hands-on experiences, skills and exciting opportunities you’ll gain with an agronomy degree from Aims.

Gain Experience and Knowledge for Your Future in Agriculture

During this two-year agronomy degree program, you’ll learn the fundamentals of soil and crop management and gain practical skills in a variety of subjects including:

Crop and seed identification
Crop cultivation and adaptation
Weed identification
Weed control methods
Tillage systems
Irrigation systems
Agricultural finance and banking
Farm machinery mechanics

In addition to hands-on skills, you will also develop the soft skills that employers want, including follow-through, communication and planning.

“It's really gratifying when students get back in touch with us to tell us how much farther ahead they were in their classes because of their time at Aims.” --Kirk Gobel, agriculture instructor at Aims

My instructors at Aims gave me an edge that will help me succeed in my career because they taught me to always keep up with current trends and developments in agriculture. That will always make me an asset to any employer.

Melanie Hansen

Aims Agriculture Program Graduate

Earn a Soil & Crop Sciences Certificate

Acquire skills that can benefit your agriculture career or earn credit toward an associate degree with a soil and crop science certificate from Aims. Learn farm and ranch management, crop management, soil science, production agriculture and mechanics and precision agriculture methods and technology.

Production Agriculture and Crops Certificate
Production Agriculture Mechanics Certificate
Introduction to Precision Agriculture Certificate
Precision Agriculture Certificate

Explore the Agriculture and Crops Certificates

Soil and Crop Science Careers

Agriculture is more than farming; it also includes crop consulting, soil science and agricultural education. A wide variety of agriculture career opportunities contribute to feeding communities safely and effectively. You can apply an associate degree or certificate from Aims to a career in agriculture right away or transfer to complete your bachelor’s degree at a four-year school. Earning a plant and soil sciences degree prepares you for a range of farming and agricultural positions.

Careers for graduates with a soil and crop sciences degree include:

Agronomist
Soil surveyor
Seed, chemical or fertilizer consultant
Plant breeder
Farm manager
Agricultural products inspector
Sales
Marketing
Crop consultant
Agriculture extension agent
Agriculture educator
Land-use planner
Farm machinery
Precision agriculture specialist

Soil and Crop Sciences Faculty and Staff

Learn from local instructors with decades of experience in high plains agriculture. Aims instructors stay up-to-date with the latest in agricultural science and the curricula taught at four-year agricultural schools. The small class sizes at Aims mean you can receive plenty of individual attention and build relationships with your peers and instructors.

Amy McFarland

Department Chair, Agriculture
Cassandra Anderson

Part-Time: Faculty, Agriculture
Jason French

Part-Time: Faculty, Agriculture
Lynn Ingegneri

Part-Time: Instructional Lab Coordinator I, Agriculture Sciences
David Swieter

Part-Time: Professional Equipment Mechanic, Automotive
Megan Blaser

Program Coordinator II, Agriculture & Technology
Linda Richardson

Staff Associate, Business & Technology