Does anyone know of an agriculture apprenticeship that offers a college degree?

I am researching agriculture apprenticeships. Most of the ones i found don't offer college credit or a degree. I am trying to find one that offers training in both crops and livestock and offers at least an associates degree. I looked at the National Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship but it does not offer a degree or college credit. Can the programs be as effective at landing a job after it it is just formal training without college?

At least from a United States focus, I am unaware of apprenticeships that provide a degree. Usually while obtaining your college degree in whatever it is, you will participate in one or several internships.

Apprenticeships generally are more hands-on and will give you the practical knowledge on how to be successful. This is something that books alone won't do.

What would your ideal career be? I'd look at where you want to be, and then look at who is in the roles currently to figure out how to get there.

Unfortunately I don't have that specific info.
I can tell you that universities are awash with money, and it is not hard to find lots of Agriculture-related grants and scholarships. Both my daughters went that route and graduated debt-free from a top US university. Our cost as parents was a couple thousand dollars a year. Ag is a very well-financed degree.

Usually, here in the US folks go to college/university then go to apprentice after graduation.  

This probably is in hopes of getting a job where the apprenticeship is.

An Apprenticeship here in the US is worth about $21.00 an hour.

Colleges/Universities cost thousands 0f $$.

This program/institute may be of interest, based in KY inspired by Wendell Berry:

https://www.berrycenterfarmandforest.org

Also Sterling college VT https://www.sterlingcollege.edu/work-college

Deep Springs College (https://www.deepsprings.edu/) sounds like what you may be looking for. However, it is crazy hard to get into.

Have you considered whether you even need a degree for what you want to do?  

As someone else said, the practical part of agriculture can't be learned from books.  It has to be experienced.  If you want to own your own farm, a degree isn't going to matter.  Take courses in business (there are tons of free ones) and work in the ag industry to learn the practical side of it.

If you want to work for farmers, they likely aren't going to be impressed with a degree, they are going to want to know what experience you have.  

If you want to work for the Department of Agriculture or some other type of government agency... you will need a degree.


One of the great tragedies of our age is that it's assumed that everyone needs a degree, no matter the path they are planning on taking....

Simple answer, nope.

I know plenty of folks who are willing to give you an "internship" in exchange for the work experience.  even (more than) a few who charge to teach you how they do things.  after a lifetime spent in ag and hort, i got some feelings about such things.

What is it you want to do where you feel you need the degree?

Don't get me wrong.  I got one of those degrees.  30 years later, i still use the coursework nearly every day.  and if I had to do it over again, I would not declare a major in ag or hort.  not a single job I ever got needed the degree.  having it didn't hurt, but the work experience i could point to was more than sufficient.

Most places I've found who "require" a degree hire you cheap fresh out of college, and when it's time to pay up for the experience, they don't.  you move on to the next job, which you get because of the experience.  the few jobs I've found that would be worth having and require the degree, you need to be specialized, and you need a graduate degree.

So what is it you want to do that you feel you need the degree as well as the experience?

My advice to a younger me:

1.  mechanics, any kind, preference given to diesel.  If you spend much time around farms/ranches, you'll figure it out pretty quick.
2.  welding.  fabrication in general.  if you're an overachiever, go for machining.
3.  electronics.  they're here to stay.  they are becoming more integrated into everything.
4.  spanish.

take 1-3, expand upon the subjects, and you have ag engineering.  It's as close a college program to becoming MacGyver as there is, and as good at future-proofing any job as I can think of.

There are a wealth of short term job opportunities that surround college programs.  It could be jobs, summer jobs, part time jobs, internships that are offered to students, semester off programs, any number of work opportunities that exist in the sphere of colleges.  You may have to seek them out, but they do exist.

I may add certain courses/certifications to this:  soils, entomology, plant pathology, AI...not the high tech one everyone is so eager to be all about right now, the other one...maybe enough to claim a minor in ag.