MONROE — Dustin Williams, lead agriculture instructor for Blackhawk Technical College’s Monroe campus, said the recent agriculture building expansion has been talked about for the past eight or nine years, and has been in the works in its recent form for about two. 

The expansion had its official opening Dec. 3, but got to shine for an audience of potential future students at Ag Preview Day on Dec. 6, when about 70 students from 10 different schools in Green and Rock Counties came to learn about careers in agriculture and industry expectations, as well as college tips. 

“So it gives us an opportunity as Blackhawk to get them on our campus and showcase what we have, but ultimately we want what’s best for students and them to have the best fit for their future,” said Williams.

Heidi Reed of Mount Horeb, a part-time student in BTC-Monroe’s ag program since August 2018, was excited about the expansion. 

She said that ag students had previously had to work in the main school and that they’d outgrown their lab, plus that it was difficult to do hands-on training when tractors were outside, given weather challenges. 

“We can actually work on stuff,” Reed said, now that equipment can be brought into the ag center via large garage doors.