Abstract:
As more of our university agricultural students come to us with a lack of on-farm experience or background, the need for hands-on courses in agricultural practices has become increasingly important (Mortensen, 1981; Mayer, 1980; Vorst, 1979). The ability to learn farm equipment operation unquestionably has positive benefit to agricultural students with little or no farm experience. This paper will address the author's experience in developing a farm equipment operations course. Specific attention will be given to the objectives of the course, course format and content, course facilities and equipment, student comments and responses to the course and currently planned new developments for the course. In keeping with an educational philosophy of preparing students for management and decision-making, the course was expanded in an attempt to expose students to facets of day-to-day management of farm machinery. Through a combination of in-field lectures and field laboratory exercises, the course has also been expanded to include farm machinery operation, components, types, set-up, field adjustment, uses, maintenance and troubleshooting.
Keywords:
farm equipment operations course, farm machinery
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