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  1. Programs
  3. Agriculture - Commodity Merchandising Option

Agriculture - Commodity Merchandising Option

Lake Area Technical College

Associate's DegreeAcademic

Become a contributor for free to openly demonstrate student outcomes, industry alignment & eligibility criteria.

As a leading industry in South Dakota, agriculture provides premium career opportunities. In particular, the area of commodity merchandising—which unites buyers and sellers of grain, manages investments, and offers financial advice—is an important and vital part of the ag industry. As grain markets evolve with technology and globalization, there is an ever- increasing demand for qualified field experts who can build and manage profitable local grain businesses.

Format

In-Person

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Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

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Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

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Locations

Where this program is offered

  • South Dakota

    South Dakota

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Related Programs

Programs related to this one

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Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populated·from O*NET via SOC 19-4012.01

Skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingWritingComplex Problem SolvingActive LearningMathematics

Knowledge

Customer and Personal ServiceComputers and ElectronicsSales and MarketingEnglish LanguageMathematics

Abilities

Deductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningOral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionWritten ExpressionNear VisionInformation OrderingProblem SensitivityFluency of Ideas

Tasks

  • Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
  • Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field dat
  • Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing char
  • Operate drone technology to capture aerial imagery and data for crop monitoring and analysis.

Technology

Data base user interface and query softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareGeographic information systemMap creation softwareMobile location based services software

Tools

Air clutchesAutomatic boom control systemsAutomatic land leveling systemsAutosteering systemsDesktop computersFertilizer spreading equipmentField personal computers PCGlobal positioning system GPS receiversLaptop computersLightbar guidance systemsMoisture monitorsPersonal computersSeed drillsSoil electrical conductivity measurement devicesSoil samplers

Work Values

Working ConditionsIndependenceAchievementSupportRecognitionRelationships
Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populated·from O*NET + BLS
Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOCOccupationMethodWageGrowthOpenings
Match confidence: medium19-4012.01Precision Agriculture Technicianstitle_inference———
What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populated·from NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: developing (Level 2)(based on Associate's Degree)

  • Soil sampling grids and georeferenced zones — develop independently using geospatial technology to identify testing sites for nutrient content and pH across familiar field conditions.
  • Precision agriculture data records — maintain accurately and update routinely in database and spreadsheet software with minimal oversight across multiple farm accounts.
  • Agricultural field boundaries and zone maps — create and refine in GIS software by integrating soil characteristics and production potential data for standard field configurations.
  • GPS guidance systems, sensors, and mechanical controls — install, calibrate, and troubleshoot following established protocols with reduced supervision on commercial farm equipment.
  • Crop yield maps and soil test data layers — compare and analyze using map creation software to identify spatial patterns and support preliminary site-specific management recommendations.
  • Geospatial datasets including terrain, drainage, and input application records — layer and interpret in GIS to draw agronomic conclusions in routine field scenarios.
  • Written field reports and management summaries — compose clearly using office suite and word processing software to communicate findings to farm operators and agronomists.
  • Equipment calibration logs and maintenance schedules — manage proactively to ensure sensor accuracy and system reliability across a seasonal field operations cycle.
  • Mathematics and basic statistical methods — apply to interpret soil nutrient levels, yield variability, and fertilizer rate calculations in support of prescription map development.
  • Client field information and service requests — coordinate and prioritize using time management practices to meet scheduled sampling and data delivery deadlines.

Some details on this page are auto-populated from public workforce data sources: O*NET (opens in new tab), BLS (opens in new tab), College Scorecard (opens in new tab), DOL Training Provider Results (opens in new tab), NSX (opens in new tab). Provided in partnership with LER.me Career Intelligence.

Student Outcomes

Performance metrics for this program

Completion Rate
Not reported
Placement Rate
Not reported