UNG students in the agricultural pathway, poultry science or biology programs will have the chance this summer to explore Midwestern agriculture in Iowa.
Students will be able to tour local farms, learn about large animal production, and analyze soil quality. This hands-on experience is led by Associate Professor Linda Purvis and Associate Dean, College of Science & Mathematics Jill Schulze.
Starting in 2023, Ag-X, short for Agricultural Experience, created a partnership with Ellsworth Community College, Iowa Falls, Iowa. The school operates its own large agricultural program with farms and facilities.
Purvis, who’s also a UNG alumna, says that she had been working to start this study away program and is currently working to improve the Agricultural and Poultry Science programs.
“Actually the idea of it started back in 2021,” she said, “I was invited to attend an animal health education summit with a bunch of other small agriculture programs throughout the country, there were five colleges represented. That’s where I met our partner school, Ellsworth Community College in Iowa, and we both had this idea of creating this sort of domestic study away program for students because agriculture in Georgia is very very different than agriculture in the Midwest, and we see a very narrow spectrum of what agriculture looks like here compared to where it looks like everywhere else in the country.”
Purvis says she wished she had something similar in college. “For me, when I was in undergrad, there were very limited study away opportunities. I don’t think there were any. There was only study abroad. They were very limited. It was one of the things I wished I would have gotten to do as a student.”
Purvis explained that Georgia agriculture relies on the Midwest, “So, in Georgia we grow a lot of livestock…we import a large percentage of our feed from the Midwest.” She says student need to “be able to make that connection, [that] direct impact.” Building connections not only through people, but through understanding professional cycles, broadens a student’s view of what they can accomplish in their tangible world.
“Be able to say, ‘yes, I have seen that’ or ‘yes, I am familiar with that’ because a lot of times, especially today, we’re in an informational age where you can look things up on the web, but until you go and see it first hand, where you can put your hands in the soil, and you have actually seen how things are done, it’s hard to really know what’s really going on on that side of agriculture because there’s so much misinformation,” Purvis said.
While Iowa’s top agriculture communities are corn, soybeans and swine, Georgia is known for its livestock production.
“We see a lot of different things while in Iowa. Their soil is probably the most diverse in the country. And that’s one of the reasons why they have such great results in grow-crop agriculture.” Purvis said, “Because here in Georgia we have good ol’ Georgia red clay.”
During the week away, students will tour many different farms. Purvis said, “The average farm size here in our state is about 150 acres. The average farm size out in Iowa is closer to 600-700 acres.”
The days will be full with tractor simulations, hikes and even a trivia game one night.
Since starting in 2023, UNG has been able to take 19 students in two years with only 10 seats that can be filled each summer.
Lodging for the trip is in Ellsworth Community College’s dorms. Four students will share a suite style room, and Purvis and Schulze offer a buffet-style breakfast in their room each morning.
Purvis said, “We try to make this trip as affordable and as inclusive as we can, so that when you pay for this trip as much as we can is already included.”
While the total trip will cost $1,170, the travel, housing, some meals and excursions are all included. Students will also have to pay university fees, but scholarships are available. The total is also broken up into smaller portions with the first deposit of $300 due Feb. 3, 2026.
The 2026 Ag-X trip will take place during Maymester, from May 18-24.
You can sign up by creating a CGE account and submitting a deposit through CGE.
