College Ranks 15th in North America, First in the Midwest
Wilmington College’s academic farms have been ranked in the highest echelon of farms for student learning in North America.
The organization OnlineCollegePlan.com ranked Wilmington College in the top 25 percent among the continent’s top 60 “Blue Ribbon College Farms” that provide significant hands-on learning experiences for agriculture students.
The College’s farm system ranked first among those in the Midwest states. The top 10 featured such schools as North Carolina State, University of British Columbia and Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo.
Wilmington College has more than 265 acres in mixed crops and livestock in its farms used for academic purposes. These include the Equine Center and Farm, Fife Avenue Farm, Campus Farm and Paris Avenue Farm. College-owned commercial production farms also serve as academic learning laboratories for students.
The academic farms are reserved for sustainable and organic agricultural practices, experiential learning opportunities for students and research opportunities for students and faculty.
More than 25 percent of the College’s main campus students are majoring or minoring in agriculture. Areas of study include agriculture business, agriculture communications, agronomy, animal science, and plant environmental and soil science. WC also has programs in equine studies and equine business management.
The ranking organization featured its 2016 rankings as part of Farm to School Month in October, which is dedicated to spreading awareness and celebrating the efforts of the student-run farms at colleges and universities.