PIERCE ADAPTS TO NEW NEEDS AG TRAINING KEEPS UP WITH LIFESTYLE CHANGE.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

Lessons on alfalfa, swine and dairy cattle have given way to the study of winemaking, landscaping and crafting floral bouquets as Pierce College shifts the focus of its agricultural program to 21st century careers.

The traditional farm and ranching programs that set Pierce apart from other Los Angeles community colleges have all but disappeared over the past decade, along with the San Fernando Valley's agricultural roots.

``What we're trying to do is follow the market,'' said Charlotte Doctor, dean of academic affairs at Pierce College. ``Where are the jobs for our students? If there are jobs in floral design, then we want to offer courses in that.''

Experts say there are still plenty of jobs for the 200 students studying agriculture and horticulture at Pierce, but the nature of the jobs is changing as farmland gives way to development in California and as American diets and tastes change.

The 400-acre community college has a long history of agricultural education since it was founded in 1947 - before tract housing, strip malls and big business replaced the Valley's orchards, ranches and farms.

Over the past two decades, courses in beef and swine production have been phased out. The development of a new master plan five years ago and $272.5 million in bond money available for campus upgrades is allowing Pierce to modernize its agricultural education.

Rhonda Burton, who has a floral-design business in Encino and has been teaching at Pierce for five years, says her students can make career choices in ``a growing field.''

``They can become a flower shop owner, work in a flower shop, work at a market in floral design or become a wedding florist and do large events,'' Burton said. ``They can go on and become a wedding planner with that knowledge or sell wholesale flowers.''

Driving the growth in the industry are changes in lifestyles - for example, the trend toward ``life celebrations'' with colorful floral arrangements rather than funerals with standard carnations and gladioluses, as well as the increasing availability of exotic blossoms.

``I can get roses from Ecuador in 24 hours. I can fly in hydrangeas from New Zealand. I can get whatever I want in 24 hours,'' Burton said.

Ella Kudishevich, 49, of Van Nuys, was working as an accountant for a temporary agency when she decided to take one of Burton's classes just for fun. Several classes later, she now works for a West Hollywood florist, designing custom arrangements.

``At first, I didn't think about (floral design) as a career,'' she said. ``But I took one of the classes, and I said this is exactly what I want to do.''

And although the campus is hundreds of miles from California's famed Napa Valley, Pierce is preparing to capitalize on the state's position as the world's fourth-largest producer of grapes, with mounting demand for employees to work in all aspects of the wine industry.

Pierce plans to plant a vineyard designed with input from instructors at the University of California, Davis. The college also is offering four wine and winemaking courses, each four weeks long, this spring.

Barrie Logan, the Pierce chemistry professor who teaches the classes, has been a member of the Society of Wine Educators for more than 20 years. He is seeing a mixture of students: those who want to go into the wine industry as growers or make their own wine; backyard hobbyists who want to grow their own grapes; and people in sales and marketing who want to better understand their product.

On the other end of the agriculture spectrum, Pierce is poised to meet a growing demand for veterinarians and technicians who specialize in treating large animals.

Its pre-veterinary program boasts an 85 percent acceptance rate for students applying to highly competitive veterinary graduate programs, said Leland Shapiro, director of the pre-veterinary science program.

This year, 10 of Shapiro's students have been accepted into graduate veterinary programs or have interviews pending.

Liz White, director of Pierce's registered veterinary technician program, said some of her students are hired before they graduate because of a statewide shortage of technicians.

The campus farm has 48 head of cattle, two pigs, a herd of goats, two llamas, about 40 sheep and 50 hens whose farm-fresh eggs are sold for $3 a dozen at the campus store.

``These animals are our textbook; the farm is our classroom,'' said Stacy Rothman, 28, of Agoura Hills, who is enrolled at Pierce.

Shapiro would like to see the college expand its herds, saying it's important for students to observe how sick animals behave in relation to a herd.

``What a lot of people don't realize is that you need more than one animal to work on,'' Shapiro said. ``It's inhumane to have 30 students work on one pig or sheep.''

Lisa M. Sodders, [phone]

lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Students Brooke Sanders and Stacy Rothman give a lamb a checkup at Pierce College. Although area pastures have given way to urban and suburban development, traditional farm animals provide subjects for pre-veterinary students.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(2) Fresh flowers await the creative minds of Rhonda Burton's floral-design students at Pierce College. The Southern California floral industry is a major source of jobs.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer