New Agriculture Technology Center coming to Southeast Community College in Beatrice

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Ground has officially been broken.

Southeast Community College revealed the initial steps toward its new state-of-the-art facility on Wednesday.

It’s an Agriculture Technology Center, a first of its kind on SCC’s Beatrice campus.

Agriculture is a huge part of the state of Nebraska. It’s the largest economic driver. The Associate Vice President for Southeast’s Beatrice campus says this move will help fill the gap that is the shortage of skilled workers in the state.

“All of our construction is to meet our skilled workforce and its demands. Right now, our ag programs are going at about 11%,” said Toni Landenberger. “We’ll plateau with our current facilities if we don’t look to do something soon. With these new facilities, we’re going to be able to have a growth of about 30%.”

The facility will be 20,000 square feet and will feature advanced simulation systems, drone technology, precision agriculture labs, and flexible lab environments built for year-round instruction.

SCC’s agricultural programs currently serve more than 220 students, with 75% of graduates going on to work in Nebraska. Landenberger says this new facility will only bring more students into the field of ag.

“When you start matching the facilities that are prepped for the future, prepped for excellence, along with instructional programs, it speaks to students on what they’re looking for when they visit a college.”

The center is expected to open in the fall of 2028.