Rural agricultural communities across the texas panhandle and neighboring states face a widening skills GAP

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $715,000 to West Texas A & M University on September 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) to establish and operate the WT Annual Summer Agriculture Technology Research Program, a four-week intensive research training initiative addressing precision agriculture skills gaps in rural agricultural communities across the Texas Panhandle and neighboring states.

The program recruits students from community colleges, regional universities, and institutions with limited agriculture or engineering programs to engage in structured research projects under faculty mentorship. Participants learn to collect agricultural data using sensors and drones, analyze datasets using geographic information systems and statistical software, and interpret findings within real-world agricultural contexts. The curriculum employs a scaffolded learning approach that builds student independence and confidence over the four weeks, with field visits to production operations including feedlots, dairies, and crop farms to connect classroom instruction to industry practice.

The award funds activities performed in Canyon, Texas, with a period of performance through August 31, 2031. West Texas A & M University, a child entity of the Texas A & M University System and a Hispanic-Serving Institution, receives the funding as prime recipient. The assistance type is a Project Grant.

Modern farming and ranching operations increasingly depend on precision agriculture technologies, including remote sensing, automated irrigation systems, data analytics, and internet of things devices that monitor soil conditions, crop health, and livestock welfare in real time. However, students at community colleges, smaller regional universities, and institutions with limited agriculture or engineering programs typically do not have access to robust agriculture technology research opportunities. Without exposure to this type of research training, these students remain underprepared for careers essential to the region's agricultural economy. This economy increasingly requiringworkers to be skilled in both traditional farming practices and modern technological applications. The WT annual summer agriculture technology research program intends to address this GAP through an intensive four-week summer experience hosted at west texas a & m university. The program aims to establish formal partnerships with community colleges, universities, and regional institutions to recruit students.participants will engage in structured research projects under faculty mentorship, learning to collect agricultural data using various tools such as sensors and drones, analyze datasets using geographic information systems and statistical software, and interpret findings within the context of real-world agricultural challenges. The curriculum will employ a scaffolded learning approach that breaks complex research tasks into sequential steps throughout the four weeks. Faculty mentors willprovidesupport for students while gradually building their independence and confidence to conduct research. Field visits to production operations, including feedlots, dairies, and crop farms, will connect classroom learning to industry practice. Following the summer program, faculty mentors intend to maintain ongoing relationships with participants through regular check-INS, virtual writing workshops, and support for research publications and conference presentations. Through these efforts, the program hopes to develop a pipeline of skilled professionals prepared to advance agriculture technology adoption across rural regions. Participants will gain transferable research competencies, professional networks within the agricultural sector, and clearer pathways toward continued undergraduate education, graduate study, or direct entry into agriculture and engineering careers. By expanding student accessto research training, the program aims to strengthen the regional agricultural workforce and contribute to the long-term economic vitality of rural communities throughout the texas panhandle and surrounding states.