student standing in corn field

Agronomy

Available as

Explore the Agronomy Program

As the old saying goes, “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” Umm, that’s not always the case, though. What’s good for grapes may not be good for corn. Agronomy majors learn what individual crops need to be most productive. Study such topics as soil nutrients, pest management, and weed control. You’ll learn and do it all here. Take great satisfaction in knowing you’re helping feed the world. See how this highly technical field prepares students for a challenging career in so many areas.

Agronomy is a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.

"Crookston has taught me more than my degree, but also who I am as a person."

- Olivia Mickelson, Agronomy Major

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Questions?

Amberly Cox

Official Position Title: 
Assistant Dir. of Recruitment

umcinfo@crk.umn.edu | (218) 281-8569

I AM

Crookston

  • Title: 
    Earn a University of Minnesota Degree
  • Image: 
    student planting a crop
  • Title: 
    Average Salary: $50,383
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    student in wheat field
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    student looking at seeds
  • Title: 
    Join the Agronomy Club
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    student analyzing grain
  • Title: 
    Collegiate Crops Judging Team

Major in the making of you

I am going to feed the world someday

YOU have the power to make a difference.

Jonathon Holland sat down and talks with Agronomy instructor Rob Proulx about all things Agronomy on the UMN Crookston Campus.

Career options

Agronomists (Crop production consultants), Agriculturists for private industry (such as American Crystal), Agronomy sales, Crop consultant, Crop scout, Crop managers (Farm managers), Extension, Farm Insurance Agents, Natural resources conservationists and agents for government agencies, Quality control experts for food processing, State Department of Agriculture, Seed analysts, USDA

Learn more about our Agronomy minor.

ON-CAMPUS

Agronomy

AT A GLANCE...

  • Students' access to crop and soil research comes via the 1600-acre Northwest Research and Outreach Center adjacent to the campus.

  • Take field trips to farms, conditioning plants, and various agricultural businesses

  • Work in campus labs, greenhouses, and growth chambers.

  • Our Bergland Laboratory is home to state-of-the-art equipment for scientific inquiry.

  • Our Collegiate Crops Judging Teams have placed in the top three nationally for more than 20 years.

REAL. HANDS-ON. READY.

At the U of M Crookston, you won’t spend all your time behind a desk. Our curriculum is designed around experiential learning, which means we want you to have as much hands-on learning as possible. Depending on your major, you’ll find opportunities to be in the field, the lab, the classroom, or engaging in simulated scenarios that give you a competitive edge when you enter the workforce or head to grad school. You’ll learn the concepts and then actively apply them through projects, field trips, site visits, internships, and interactions with professionals in the field.

Meet your future professors

  • Kristina Walker

    Associate Professor
  • Sarah Kazmierczak

    Lecturer
  • Steven Howey

    Lab Services Coordinator

Student Stories

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    Natalye Kobetsky
    Content: 
    Natalye Kobetsky knew she made the right decision when she discovered she enjoyed entomology class and her class in weed and seed identification. “I love looking at all of that stuff,” she says. “I had my “aha” moment after taking Rob Proulx’s weed and seed class. I loved how fast paced it was and the hands-on aspects of what we were learning. It was challenging and pushed my boundaries.”
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    Jordan Adams
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    When Jordan Adams isn’t racing to finish the field work, he is racing against a field of competitors at the racetrack. Working a fourth generation farm near Reynolds, N.D., it seems only natural Adams would choose agronomy as his major at the University of Minnesota Crookston.
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    Amanda Monson
    Content: 
    Amanda Monson, from Bottineau, N.D., is majoring in Agronomy, and her work at the Research Center came about after a tour during plant pathology class.