Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is partnering with Premier Co-op on the management of its new crop ground. The 80 acres is part of the college’s Agricultural Demonstration Lab, and is located at the corner of Highway 18 and County Road F. The land will be utilized for all the college’s agriculture programs, and specifically, the new Precision Agronomy program. A Premier Co-op agronomist will consult on the land and advise on everything from ground fertility, the right seed to plant, and weed and disease treatment. A Premier Co-op grain merchandiser will also assist with grain marketing.
“It’s an opportunity for us to get in front of students, and also an opportunity for the kids to get out on a farm and see what careers we are involved in, and also something that they can do right here, locally,” said Matt Severson, CEO of Premier Co-op.
The partnership will be a win-win for everyone involved. “Partnering with Premier Co-op is going to give us a great aspect and a great edge on giving our students the best technology, the best recommendations, and the best people in southwest Wisconsin to help them grow to be future agronomists and agricultural leaders in our area,” said Andrew Dal Santo, agriculture instructor at Southwest Tech.
Students will be learning a variety of skills on the new crop ground. That will include growing corn, soybeans, and maybe some small grains, as well as collecting soil samples, planting seeds, checking seed depth, fall harvesting, and evaluating the crop to determine if it was successful. “They are going to get the full experience, from fertilizing to seeding to chemical recommendations, all the way up to seeing that corn go out of the field and into the market system,” said Dal Santo.
“Through the hands-on experience, whether it be the soil testing to the planting to the agri-business students working with Premier’s marketing team and how to best market the product that’s going to be really great,” said Christina Winch, agriculture instructor/academic lead. “Our animal science students will get some valuable knowledge on how to grow crops, so when they are back on their farm, they know how to grow crops. So, just having this added acreage, having this partnership with Premier allows that to really expand.”
“It really helps us as students,” said Maggie Horsfall, from Fennimore, an Agronomy student. “It gives us a lot better opportunity to work with new technology.”
Horsfall interned at Premier Co-op last summer, working alongside an agronomist. She continued to work with Premier Co-op during the fall of 2024 and the spring of 2025, and will complete another internship this summer. “It’s really nice to work by them, side-by-side,” she said. “I get to utilize what I am learning at school in the field.”
The partnership will be a great opportunity when it comes to offering students work-based learning opportunities, as well as learning from additional industry experts. “The company is very innovative in how they are moving agriculture forward in our area, which is critical to our students learning that content and being able to take some of those coreabilities with them into industry,” said Dr. Kim Maier, executive dean.
Once students graduate from any of the agriculture programs, college officials want them to find success. “We really want our students to have family-sustaining wages, and that’s really important to us,” said Maier. “One of our best ways to that is through industry partnerships, and this partnership is an immediate on ramp in keeping our students local, as well as providing family-sustaining wages.”
“I think this is great for the college,” said Severson. “Not having to go out to somebody’s else’s farm, to have something they can call their own, is probably the biggest piece. To have something that the students can come out say, ‘I planted that,’ whether they are driving by with their parents or their friends, it is something they are going to, not only take ownership in, but have pride in.”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be an 80-acre test plot,” said Severson. “It is an 80-acre classroom.”
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college was recently named the winner of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online, HyFlex and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |
| Premier Cooperative is an agriculture and consumer supply business, dedicated to providing its members/customers with the products and services they desire. Established in 1893 as Patrons’ Mercantile Cooperative in Black Earth, Premier is recognized as the oldest consumer and farm supply cooperative in the United States. In 2000, Patrons’ changed its name to Premier Cooperative when the Mount Horeb Farmer’s Cooperative merged with Patrons’. Each company that is part of Premier today brought a rich history and helps complete Premiers culture of community. Premier has five different divisions operating in 25 Wisconsin communities. The divisions include agronomy, feed, grain, energy and retail. All of the divisions aim to provide the highest level of customer service to our patrons in a safe and compliant manner at all times.|
Daniel Wackershauser
Southwest Tech
Marketing & PR Specialist
