This summer, a select group of high school students from Caswell County participated in the first-ever Ag Across NC tour, an immersive, weeklong agricultural experience sponsored by Piedmont Community College (PCC), the PCC Foundation, and the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region.
Designed to expose students to the wide range of careers and innovations in agriculture, the tour took participants across North Carolina to visit working farms, research facilities and agribusinesses. Stops included the Marion Fish Hatchery, Biltmore Farm, NC State’s Plant Science Department, NC A&T State University’s Agricultural Campus and Union Grove Farm. Students also enjoyed farm-to-table dining experiences, learning how food is produced, prepared, and served sustainably.
“This trip opened the students’ eyes to how diverse and advanced agriculture is in our state,” Lucas Bernard, PCC Agriculture Instructor and trip leader said. “Many of them came in thinking farming was just about tractors and fields. By the end of the week, they were talking about genetics, aquaculture, agribusiness and biotechnology. It was a total mindset shift.”
The Ag Across NC tour was created to help local youth explore the educational and career pathways available in agriculture, an industry that remains vital to North Carolina’s economy and rural communities. Through hands-on learning, conversations with industry professionals, and exposure to college-level research, students saw firsthand how agriculture intersects with science, technology, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
“We are so grateful to the PCC Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region for making this opportunity possible,” Emily Buchanan, Executive Director of PCC’s Caswell County Campus said. “By investing in our youth, we’re investing in the future of rural innovation and leadership in our region.”
PCC is proud to continue expanding access to career exploration and technical education for local students. Programs in agriculture, environmental science, and skilled trades prepare students for both college and immediate workforce entry, all while supporting the region’s rich agricultural heritage.
For more information about agricultural education and youth engagement opportunities at PCC, visit piedmontcc.edu/agribusiness.
Additional photos from the trip can be found on PCC’s Facebook page.
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