Approximately 125 years ago many agricultural colleges across the country offered short courses for farmers and farm boys. The enrollees could obtain the benefit of learning the latest agriculture technology from college professors without having to enroll in the four year college program. Our guest columnist for this Footnote is Dr. Jeno Rivera, the Director of the Institute of Technology in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University. She will take us back in time to see what it was like to be a student in a short course. Take it away Dr. Rivera.
This story is inspired by the real history of Michigan Agricultural College’s short course programs, which began in 1894 to prepare rural Michigan youth for the challenges of modern agriculture. The focus on practical training and innovation has shaped generations of agricultural leaders and continues today through the Institute of Agricultural Technology at Michigan State University.
A Season at Michigan Agricultural College: A Short Course Student’s Story
In the fall of 1894, I traveled from our family farm in rural Michigan to the gates of Michigan Agricultural College, clutching a letter of recommendation from our minister and my father’s well-worn hat. The new “short course” at the college was open to any young man of at least fifteen years and good moral character. I met the age requirement, and my father assured me that I met the other, though he said it with a wink and a warning to keep my boots clean and my word cleaner.
I was one of twenty-three boys in that first class, all farm-raised and eager to learn. We came from every corner of the state; some from prosperous dairies and others from rocky homesteads where every ear of corn was hard-won. Most of us had never been so far from home, and none had ever seen so many cattle in one place.
A Practical Education Begins
The short course was designed for farm boys like me, who needed practical skills more than Latin or Greek. Our days began early, before the sun had crested the horizon. The aroma of fresh hay and the lowing of cattle greeted us as we filed into the dairy barn, where Professor Clinton D. Smith and his assistants were already hard at work.
Figure 1. Professor Clinton D. Smith, 1900
Source: Michigan State University Yearbooks https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5r49n196
Professor Smith was a tall, energetic man with a booming voice and a knack for making even the most complicated tasks seem simple. He told us on the first day, “You’ll learn by doing here. Books are useful, but a man learns best with his hands in the work.” And so we did. Each week, we spent three hours in the barns and fields, rotating between chores—milking cows, mucking stalls, feeding calves, and learning to spot the signs of illness in the herd. We learned to test milk for purity, to keep the dairy clean, and to churn butter that would pass the most discerning eye at market.
From Classroom to Field
Our classroom lessons were similarly practical. We studied the science behind dairy management: how bacteria spoiled milk, why certain feeds improved butterfat, and how to maintain records that would help a farm prosper. The college’s philosophy was clear— teach us what we could use and let us take it home.
As the autumn leaves turned and the air grew crisp, our lessons expanded. We learned about horseshoeing, steam tractor operation, and the basics of fruit culture. The college’s short course curriculum was growing as quickly as Michigan’s fields in spring. By the end of the decade, new courses in livestock husbandry, floriculture, and winter vegetable growing would be added; but in that first year, dairy was king.
Figure 2. Belle Sarcastic, circa 1900. Image source: MSU Archives
Professor Smith characterized the three-year-old cow, Belle Sarcastic, as having a stocky, steer-like build and questioned her suitability for dairy work. Despite this, Belle went on to achieve a remarkable record, producing 23,190 pounds of milk and 722 pounds of fat-a world record that stood for eleven years.
By 1903, the curriculum included livestock and general farming, creamery management and butter making, dairy husbandry, fruit culture, cheese making, and even beet sugar production. The college responded to the changing needs of Michigan’s farms, benefiting us all.
Figure 3. Early Short Course in Dairy Management (Kuhn 1955:70)
Source: Kuhn, M. 1955. Michigan State: The First Hundred Years. The Michigan State University Press, East Lansing.
Life on Campus
For many of us, living in the college dormitories was as much an education as anything we learned in class. We shared a room, bunking two to a space, exchanging stories from home and dreams for the future. Our evenings were filled with study, laughter, and the occasional prank. We assisted each other with lessons and chores, and when one of us struggled, the others pitched in. There was a sense that we were all in this together, learning not just to be better farmers but better men.
The college was a hub of constant activity. The barns bustled with students and livestock, while the fields resonated with the sounds of plows and the voices of instructors. Even in winter, when snow blanketed the campus, we found various tasks to occupy us, such as repairing equipment, tending to the animals, and studying the latest agricultural bulletins.
Lessons Beyond the Farm
The short course was more than just a collection of skills. It was an introduction to new ideas and new ways of thinking. We learned about the importance of record-keeping, the value of experimentation, and the benefits of cooperation.
The program’s practical nature set it apart. We didn’t just read about fruit trees—we pruned them in the college orchard. We didn’t just study vegetables—we planted and harvested them in the college gardens, learning how to extend the season with cold frames and careful planning.
One winter evening, Professor Smith gathered us in the classroom and spoke about the future of agriculture. “Farming is changing,” he said. “Those who succeed will be those who adapt, who learn, and who share what they know with their neighbors.” His words lingered with me long after I left the college.
We were encouraged to ask questions, try new methods, and think critically about the old ways. The college’s instructors respected our experience but challenged us to improve it. They believed that Michigan’s farms could be more productive and its farmers more prosperous if we embraced innovation.
Taking Knowledge Home
When the short course ended in early spring, I returned to our farm with a head full of ideas and a notebook filled with notes. My father was skeptical at first; he had farmed the same way for decades, but he listened as I explained the benefits of crop rotation, the importance of clean dairies, and the latest techniques for butter-making.
Together, we built a new butter churn, began testing our milk, and experimented with new feeds for our cows. The changes weren’t always easy, but over time, we saw the results—healthier animals, better yields, and a little more money at the end of each season.
Neighbors asked about the college, and I shared what I had learned. Soon, other boys from our area traveled to East Lansing, eager to enroll in the short course and bring new knowledge back to their families.
A Tradition of Progress
The short course at Michigan Agricultural College was just the beginning. Over the years, the program continued to grow and evolve. By the early 1900s, new courses were added to meet the needs of Michigan’s diverse farms. Instructors traveled across the state, providing demonstrations and offering advice to farmers who couldn’t make the trip to campus.
Figure 4. MSC Short Course Students- Winter, 1950 Image source: MSU Archives
In 1967, the short course program was officially renamed the Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT), reflecting its broader mission and expanding range of certificate programs. The IAT, which started as a small group of boys in a dairy barn, has developed into a statewide leader in hands-on agricultural education. IAT now provides a diverse array of specialized certificate programs, many of which can be completed in just 18 to 24 months. Each program includes a professional internship, ensuring that students graduate with real-world experience and industry connections.
Figure 5. The MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology logo.
Learning is no longer limited to the East Lansing campus. Through partnerships with community colleges across Michigan, students can study close to home while still benefiting from Michigan State University’s resources and expertise. The curriculum has expanded far beyond dairy and livestock; today’s students can choose programs in areas like Fruit, Vegetable and Organic Horticulture Management, Livestock Industries, Electrical Technology, Landscape Management, Turfgrass Management, Food Processing and Safety, Urban Forest Management, Viticulture, and even cutting-edge fields like drone operation for precision agriculture.
The IAT experience still focuses on practical, applied learning, just as it did when I was in school. Small class sizes, dedicated faculty, and strong connections with Michigan’s agricultural industries ensure that graduates are prepared for jobs and well-linked to employment opportunities. Many students enter the workforce directly after the program, while others use their certificate as a stepping-stone to a bachelor’s degree at MSU.
Today, IAT enrolls hundreds of students from across the nation, both on campus and at partner locations, preparing the next generation of agricultural leaders, just as it did for me and my classmates over a century ago.
Looking Forward
For anyone considering a future in agriculture, I offer this advice: seek opportunities to learn, embrace new ideas, and share your knowledge with others. The world of farming is constantly changing, and those who succeed will be those willing to grow, just as we did, all those years ago, at Michigan Agricultural College.
The Institute of Agricultural Technology stands as a testament to the enduring power of practical education, innovation, and community. Its story is continually being written, every season, in every field across Michigan.
Figure 6. The mobile lab delivers hands-on training to the IAT community college partners, reducing the need for infrastructure investments at each school.
Concluding Remarks
A big thank you to Dr. Rivera for educating us about the Michigan Agricultural College Short Course program. The short course program was not unique to Michigan. In 1924 the Bureau of Vocational Information in New York published a bulletin titled “Training for Agriculture.” On page 6 it is reported that:
About sixty land grant colleges, and the extension departments of some universities which do not have departments of agriculture, provide, in addition to the regular course, special “short courses” for mature students, usually from one to eight weeks during the winter, which offer opportunity for acquiring the technical knowledge and skill required in special lines of agriculture, such as horticulture, animal husbandry, dairying, vegetable gardening, floriculture, poultry raising. Correspondence courses are also offered by some schools.
Numerous agricultural colleges today still offer short courses. In some institutions, like Michigan State, the short course program has evolved into two year associate degree or certificate programs. These programs have provided valuable training for current and future agriculturalists.