Husker Harvest Days. And University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken showed up to highlight the school’s increasing presence there. Enrollment for ag programs at the university has grown tremendously in recent years and the school says this is their strongest and most diverse showing at Husker Harvest Days.

Walking past it, many at Husker Harvest Days may not have realized just how much is going on at the UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“Some of the technology being developed, some of the science being developed it is critically important that the university stay connected with people across Nebraska, and this is a great way to do that,” said Milliken.

As they mention often, 1 in 3 jobs in Nebraska is related to agriculture. It is a stat that catches the attention of incoming students and that is reflected in the school’s enrollment figures released this week.

“The largest growth of any college throughout the university is agricultural sciences and natural resources – 12 percent enrollment growth this year – that is just great. It is a great success story, and it demonstrates how important agriculture is to the future of this state and the people recognize that,” said Jill Brown, College of Agricultural Sciences.

One of the school’s newest exhibits at Husker Harvest Days has to do with precision agriculture, using GPS satellite technology to monitor crop yields.

In fact, President Milliken got a chance to test out this technology for himself, using the GPS to track down a specific booth on the grounds.

Excerpts from Robert Price, KHAS-TV in Grand Island