Horticulture Spring Semester Overview

May is always a busy month for the city of Bottineau, and it is no different for
the Horticulture Department at Dakota College. Not only are they getting ready for graduation,
they are also finishing the semester, getting ready for their annual plant sale, hiring for summer
workers, and managing the Greenhouse and campus high tunnels and gardens. This last semester
was one for the history books. There was a record number of “snow days” where classes had to
be cancelled due to the weather. There was also a damaging storm that swept through the state in
April and damaged all of the high tunnels on campus as well as some trees. The horticulture
program had 2 graduates while the Ag program had 7.

For the Agriculture program, it was their second year of doing 12 week classes. These classes
were made to be 12 weeks so that students could start internships early due to the fact that
“many Ag jobs want people to start in the early spring {and} many students have taken
advantage of this” states Linda Burbidge, Agriculture Instructor and Advisor at Dakota College.
For the Horticulture program, it was a very busy semester as they were preparing for the campus
gardens, city planters and the annual plant sale. The Greenhouse Manager position has become
vacant so the practicum students became involved in seeding and propagating plants. According
to Keith Knudson, head of the Horticulture Department, “it gives them the knowledge and skills
they will need when they begin their careers.”

With every school year comes new challenges. For the Ag program the weather was a big
challenge. Not only did students miss class time, but they also had a hard time trying to find a
good day to fly drones and they sometimes had to schedule time outside of their normal classes.
For the Horticulture program, their biggest challenge was and still is filling key positions. The
Greenhouse Manager position is not presently filled and this position is vital in the program
because this individual works directly with students to assist in developing necessary skills for
their future careers. Hopefully next year will bring some brighter days for the students, staff and
faculty. A new year brings new students. With some students returning, they will be able to talk
about their experiences at DCB and encourage juniors and seniors at surrounding high schools to
consider Dakota College for their higher education experience.

While students may be away for the summer, Dakota College is still busy getting ready for the
next school year. The Greenhouse will be busy planting plants around campus and providing
planters for the City of Bottineau. Hemp trials will also be taking place on Dakota College’s
campus. Linda will be working on developing materials for her new World Food Crops lab. She
is also attending a conference in Salt lake City that will provide information and guidance on
expanding and developing more curriculum for her drone courses.

Breanna Blue, ECH Administrative Assistant 

​