Should I get a four year degree in diversified agriculture?

I want to do farming as a second shift career? Should I go to Vermont tech to earn a bachelor's degree in diversified agriculture? One person said I should do an apprenticeship if I want to manage my own farm while college is great if you need teaching credentials. Apprenticeships have college degrees in farming as well. The Vermont tech degree is very well rounded in diversified agriculture and hands on. Opinions? I want to do the trades for first shift. Like be a carpenter during first shift and farming for second shift. Farmers work off farm jobs. Would you say that farming can be a social thing? I am attracted to farming because it can be socially rewarding. Like invite the world 🌎 to my farm. Any thoughts on farming being socially rewarding?

I have never regretted my education.  You can learn so much that will be useful for the rest of your life.  Having said that, it sounds like you are wanting a public farm and I'm not sure the degree will get you there any faster than on line courses, simply reading  books on the subject or finding a farm that you admire the way it works and talk to them about hiring you so you can get an inside look and decide if this is really what you want.  I see the biggest obstacle to farming is having the money to buy the land.  People have found interesting ways around this like turning vacant lots into producing produce for local residents.  Some people buy cheap land out west in dry areas but have no water and no customers, which is why the land is so cheap.  You will need money to get started so however you feel you can make the most money while planning your farm is the way you should go.  Will a degree do that, it depends on the type of job you are looking at after graduation.  You have the dream and this can be done.  Many others have done so.  Now you just need to put together a plan to get from here to your dream.  You can do this.    

It depends upon your goals.  If your goal is to get a formal education or a job that requires a formal education, then I feel it is a great idea. If those are not your goals, then the picture gets a little more fuzzy.  I have a handful of degrees and do not regret them.

To take this slightly OT, beware of the debt you go in if you desire to go to school.   I always had a job in school and graduated with no debt with all  degrees.  If you do seek student loans, read them carefully.  I took out student loans that had clauses where they could be waived ….and I used those clauses.  Also, look at jobs that will pay for education.  I have used those with good results as well.

Carefully research scholarships.  Numerous ones go unused.  I like to look for the “weird” ones…..such as “C students with a middle name beginning with F”.   They are out there.

Do you want to learn the agricultural part of farming as in how to do it?  How to plant? How to raise animals?

Or do you want to learn the business part of farming?  How to keep the books or how to make a profit?

Not having been in that area of college education, what will diversified agriculture teach you?

I don't need college to learn to plant crops or learn to take care of animals.

I would want to learn how to run the business end of farming and how to make a profit.

I am not sure what an apprenticeship will teach you either.  It could be one or the other or both?

I love seeing people ask these kinds of questions.  I hope that the answers will help you make a decision.

For most degrees, seems to me the connections made are as valuable as the information learned. That is all the more true if planning to work in the surrounding area of the college, where an alum network forms a support system.

1. What job are you currently doing?
2. Is it allowing you to save money towards these plans?
3. Have you ever worked on a farm? Are there any farms near you who would let you visit and observe. Are the community farms/veggie plots where you could volunteer. My friend complained that if she had someone "volunteer" at her farm, it took her twice as long to do everything because she was having to take time to explain to the volunteer, then when the volunteer actually knew enough to be useful, they quit, so keep that in mind!
4. Have you looked at on-line courses - which subjects appeal to you?
5. You mention "trades" - most farmers know a fair bit about woodworking, small engine repair, bigger engine repair, etc, etc, so if you've got a good trades school that offers evening courses so you can work and learn at the same time, there is merit to that plan.

Much of what I hear today, is that there are a lot of people coming out of college burdened with debt - far more than even 15 years ago. Many also feel that they can't get work for enough pay that they'll be able to pay off that debt. Others have suggested ways to help with that, and they're worth looking at, but I'd consider looking at paid work on farms focusing on areas of farming that interested me, before I'd spend money on school in the current economic climate.

That said - have you considered working on some SkIP badges here on permies: https://permies.com/wiki/skip-pep-bb
Or consider the Boots program at Wheaton Labs: https://permies.com/wiki/bootcamp
Bootcamp has various work/trade offers that get you courses such as the Master Gardener or the Permaculture Certificate in trade for work:
https://permies.com/w/193213/work-trade-2023   The courses offered change with the season, but there seems like there's pretty much always something in the works, not to mention the long term option of access to land.