MSU President's Newspaper Column
September 30, 2023
Agribusiness program addresses state workforce need, offers flexibility for students
The Mayville State University Bachelor of Science degree program in agribusiness provides coursework, career field experience, and a degree to prepare students for careers in agriculture and business-related fields. All members of today’s agribusiness industry, including farmers and ranchers, need to know more than how to provide for the world’s food supply from the land.
The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education approved Mayville State’s request to offer the agribusiness program in the spring of 2020, and the program officially launched in the spring of 2021. The first graduates of the program completed their work last spring.
The B.S. degree in agribusiness provides students with an enhanced skill set and helps to expand their knowledge, allowing them to excel in all aspects of business related to farming, ranching, producing, and marketing of agricultural commodities. Students are prepared to work in sales, cooperatives, banking, finance, and other agribusiness fields.
Having the personnel needed to fill positions related to agribusiness is a workforce need in the state of North Dakota. Mayville State’s program is helping to meet that need. Career opportunities are plentiful. When you think about it, agriculture is integral to all that happens in our region and state. We are committed to helping to make North Dakota the best it can be by supporting workforce needs through the agribusiness program and others at Mayville State.
To be flexible and accommodating for all types of students, courses leading to the agribusiness degree are available on campus and online for students who wish to continue their education from home. Many people who would have an interest in this degree program may be tied to their location as they have commitments to their own farms. The faculty and staff of Mayville State are working hard to make sure these people have access to the education where and when they need it.
I also like the fact that the agribusiness program at Mayville State is giving an opportunity for traditional students to stay in the area and study with us, rather than heading off to other states and institutions to pursue their educational goals.
To offer even more opportunities for interested students, we are thrilled to have recently announced the establishment of the Bachmeier Family Agribusiness Scholarship. Benefactor and Mayville native Terry Bachmeier is sharing his farming heritage in establishing this scholarship which will assist students pursuing the agribusiness bachelor’s degree at Mayville State. A total of $5,000 will be available in scholarship funding each year, beginning with the fall semester of 2024.
Terry Bachmeier is a visionary who has a big heart for helping students in pursuit of their educational goals. While doing this, he is strengthening and supporting the university. He is leading the way in assisting the agribusiness program at Mayville State, not only providing scholarship assistance, but in other ways as well. We could not be more grateful. Terry is truly a blessing to Mayville State and the Mayville State Family.
Through his thoughtfulness and generosity, Terry Bachmeier is helping to move forward an important objective - offering flexible options in agribusiness for those who are place-bound, as well as for those who live locally. Establishing a scholarship and endowment to support agribusiness students in honor of his family was innate for Terry, who recognizes the importance of farming not only to his family, but also to the area and state where he grew up. Likewise, agriculture is important to all with North Dakota connections.
To learn more about supporting agribusiness and other programs at Mayville State, contact Dr. Lon Jorgensen at 701-788-4787 or lonny.jorgensen@mayvillestate.edu. To learn more about enrolling in the Mayville State agribusiness program, go to www.mayvillestate.edu/agribusiness or contact faculty member Jeff Hovde at jeffrey.hovde@mayvillestate.edu.