Farm and Industry Short Course
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UnclaimedFarm and Industry Short Course is a University of Wisconsin–Madison agricultural education program combining classroom study with practical training for students preparing for farming and related industries.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Farm and Industry Short Course, commonly abbreviated FISC, is an agricultural education program offered by the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. It is designed primarily for high school graduates who want practical and academic preparation for farming or for one of Wisconsin’s many agricultural industries. Unlike a conventional four-year university degree, the program concentrates instruction into a seasonal format and offers either a one-year or two-year course of study. The program normally operates from November through April, aligning its academic calendar with the seasonal demands of agricultural work. Annual enrollment is described as averaging approximately 135 students. Instruction combines lectures, academic coursework, and hands-on experience. Faculty and staff members teach subjects connected to the program’s agricultural specialties, and many also teach in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences’ four-year undergraduate programs. This structure links the short course to the broader teaching and research resources of UW–Madison while retaining a strongly vocational orientation. FISC traces its institutional origins to the establishment of agricultural education at the University of Wisconsin. When William Arnon Henry became dean in 1880, University President John Bascom assigned him responsibility for developing a College of Agriculture. The effort was influenced substantially by Wisconsin agricultural organizations, including the State Agriculture Society, State Horticulture Society, State Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry, and State Dairymen’s Association. These groups helped shape a form of agricultural education intended to be useful to working and aspiring farmers rather than limited to traditional academic study. On January 20, 1885, the university’s regents adopted a recommendation from a committee comprising William T. Vilas and farmer and Granger H. D. Hitt to establish a shorter winter course. The first Farm Short Course was held in January 1886. Its initial format lasted 12 weeks and included 60 lectures addressing agriculture, agricultural chemistry, and agricultural botany, along with 24 lectures in veterinary science. The curriculum covered practical matters such as livestock, crops, drainage, farm buildings, roads, farm accounts, feeding, milk, fertilizers, tillage, weeds, plant diseases, and animal health. Over time, the program expanded beyond its original general farm curriculum. Modern offerings include more than 50 courses in soils, crops, dairy, meat animals, livestock, landscaping, agricultural engineering, and agricultural economics. Students may pursue a one-year certificate requiring 20 credits or a two-year certificate requiring 40 credits. Specialty certificate areas include Crop and Soil Management, Dairy Farm Management, Farm Mechanics, Farm Service and Supply, Landscape Industry, Meat Animals, and Pasture-Based Dairy and Livestock. The program’s principal positioning is practical, accessible agricultural education. Its historical purpose was to provide useful knowledge to people with limited time and financial resources, and its contemporary structure continues to emphasize direct preparation for agricultural businesses and related occupations. The available reference material does not provide independent revenue, ownership, stock-market, or commercial brand information; FISC is best understood as a university-run educational offering rather than a conventional consumer brand.
History
The Farm and Industry Short Course developed from the University of Wisconsin’s early effort to create formal agricultural education. On September 1, 1880, William Arnon Henry began serving as dean at the university. President John Bascom tasked him with establishing a College of Agriculture, even though the institution initially had little agricultural infrastructure beyond farmland and limited resources. The university’s agricultural plans were shaped not only by university officials but also by organized farming interests in Wisconsin, including agricultural, horticultural, dairy, and Grange organizations. The early agricultural program was intended to address practical needs. At the time, young farmers were not broadly demanding college education, and established farmers were not asking for the extension services that later became an important part of land-grant university activity. Henry therefore sought to create instruction that could provide useful knowledge to people operating or preparing to operate farms. In 1885, a university regents’ committee consisting of William T. Vilas and H. D. Hitt recommended creating a shorter winter course lasting two years in its proposed structure. The recommendation was adopted unanimously on January 20, 1885, establishing what was then called the Farm Short Course. The first session began in January 1886. It lasted 12 weeks and included 60 lectures covering agriculture, agricultural chemistry, and agricultural botany, together with 24 veterinary science lectures. The original faculty included William Henry in agriculture, H. B. Armsby in chemistry, A. B. Seymour in botany, and state veterinarian T. Y. Atkinson in veterinary science. The curriculum was broad and applied. It addressed climate and agricultural resources, livestock, drainage, crops, buildings, roads, accounting, animal feeding, milk, manure, fertilizers, tillage, plant diseases, weeds, grasses, and the treatment of animal diseases. Students were expected to be at least 16 years old and to have a common-school education. Entrance examinations were not required, although students with weak preparation were warned that they might not gain the full benefit of the course. The initial program was designed for people whose time and financial means were limited. Instruction was concentrated into a winter term, while students could also devote their time to one of four specialties. Historical descriptions state that the cost of a winter term for an economical student was approximately 65 dollars, including board, incidental fees, and books, although rooming costs were generally separate. The program subsequently broadened its scope and became known as the Farm and Industry Short Course. Its modern academic structure offers a one-year certificate requiring 20 credits and a two-year certificate requiring 40 credits. Students can also select specialty certificates focused on crop and soil management, dairy farm management, farm mechanics, farm service and supply, the landscape industry, meat animals, or pasture-based dairy and livestock. Current instruction spans more than 50 courses and includes soils, crops, dairy, meat animals, general livestock, landscaping, agricultural engineering, and agricultural economics. The program generally runs from November through April and has average enrollment of about 135 students. Its faculty and staff include instructors who also participate in UW–Madison’s four-year undergraduate teaching. The resulting model combines university-level expertise with hands-on, employment-oriented preparation. The available material identifies FISC as an ongoing UW–Madison program and does not document a separate corporate owner, commercial parent, public listing, or independent financial reporting.
- 2010
Program reaches 125 years of activity
[2]University historical material identified 2010 as the 125th anniversary of the Farm and Industry Short Course.
- 1886
First Farm Short Course session held
[1]The inaugural session ran for 12 weeks and combined instruction in agriculture, agricultural chemistry, agricultural botany, and veterinary science.
- 1885
Short winter agricultural course authorized
[1]The university regents adopted a committee recommendation to create a shorter agricultural course intended to be practical and accessible to people with limited time and resources.
- 1880
Development of agricultural education at UW–Madison begins
[1]William Arnon Henry became dean and was assigned by University President John Bascom to establish a College of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin.
Products and positioning
A practical, seasonal agricultural education program for high school graduates and other learners seeking applied preparation for farming and Wisconsin’s agricultural industries.
Agricultural education
One-Year Certificate
A one-year certificate pathway requiring 20 credits. It provides concentrated seasonal study in agricultural and related industry subjects, combining academic instruction with practical experience.
Agricultural education
Two-Year Certificate
A two-year certificate pathway requiring 40 credits. It allows students to undertake a longer and more substantial program of applied agricultural study than the one-year option.
Agricultural specialization
Specialty Certificates
Specialized certificate options cover Crop and Soil Management, Dairy Farm Management, Farm Mechanics, Farm Service and Supply, Landscape Industry, Meat Animals, and Pasture-Based Dairy and Livestock. These tracks focus the program on particular farm enterprises or agricultural occupations.
Vocational coursework
Agricultural Short Courses
The broader curriculum includes more than 50 courses in soils, crops, dairy, meat animals, general livestock, landscaping, agricultural engineering, and agricultural economics. Teaching is intended to connect academic concepts with practical farm and industry applications.
Recent events
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