Warner’s Agriculture Department Is Growing!

If you read last month’s article on the history of Warner University, you may remember that the original vision for Warner was to be a school “in the South, that understands the South, and that supplied Christian Leadership for the church in the South.” Today, one of the ways that Warner best provides for the needs of the South is through our Agricultural Studies Department. This department trains up Christian leaders for one of Florida’s biggest industries. This year is the twelfth year of the Agriculture Department’s operations on campus. In May 2026, we will have our tenth graduating class of agriculture students. At this milestone, it is exciting to take a look at where the department is headed.

The curriculum for our agriculture students is always developing to make sure that the program remains relevant and useful. Towards that end, the Agriculture Department plans to introduce a new selection of special topics classes to increase the scope of our two agricultural majors. These are still in development, but some of the classes projected to be introduced are courses on agricultural communications, equine studies, and specialty crops. Another priority is to continue to take advantage of the blessing that is the Swindle Agricultural Complex and the property behind it. Students who travel back to the pastures behind Swindle will know that it is always a delight to take time to see Warner’s herd of cattle. We just recently had the first two calves who were born on campus weaned, and we look forward to adding more to that number in the future. In order to keep up with current trends in the agriculture industry, another goal for our agricultural facilities is to introduce a selection of row crops, especially those that excel in winter production, such as green beans, squash, and bell peppers. The continued growth of our facilities and resources will greatly benefit our agriculture students as we continue to give them a top of the line, hands-on experience.

Another ongoing goal in the Agriculture Department is to continue to build bridges in the community, on and off campus. Students are encouraged to join or lead student-led organizations that can provide them with further experience and networking opportunities. Our agriculture students are also keeping up their yearly tradition of taking a mission trip to Honduras this spring; this year will be their fifth year! Within our campus, the Agriculture Department hopes to continue to make Swindle a welcoming space for all students, regardless of major. A long term goal is to create a community garden, primarily operated by agriculture students, but open to anyone who wants to participate. 

Off campus, our agriculture faculty and staff work hard to be good partners with others in the industry. Scarlett Jackson, who was recently named the Executive Director of Agricultural Programs, works to connect with large organizations in the industry, such as the Florida Farm Bureau, the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, and the Florida Cattlemen’s Company. Connecting with industry leaders like these allows us to keep up with the trends and changes of the industry. There is also great effort to reach out to local middle and high school agriculture programs. This charge is led primarily by Abby Crawford, who recruits students for our agriculture programs. One special event where we get to connect with the local schools is the What’s Growing On event on campus. This event is funded by Florida Natural’s Growing Foundation and is an opportunity for us to welcome in and host many different middle and high school agriculture programs in order to show them what is going on in the department. The 2025 What’s Growing On event will take place in the spring.

Scarlett Jackson expressed much gratitude in thinking about where the Agriculture Department is and where it is headed. She said she is so proud of how much the department has grown already, especially given how young it is. Not only that, but there have been many supporters in the community and the industry that has helped Warner develop these programs. As the department continues to expand, we look forward to seeing how far the Agriculture Department will have come in another twelve years, and many years after that.