The school has exceeded that number with 109 full-time first-year students enrolled this year, which is more than 62 per cent growth since last year.

Longy College also had an increase in apprentices.

"Our apprentice numbers were really high last year, the highest we've had in 15 years," Mr Goldsmith said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

"Same again this year with a slight increase."

Mr Goldsmith believed there are three reasons why the study of agriculture had boomed.

"The first being COVID, COVID actually helped our numbers this year," he said.

"Agriculture all through 2020 was pretty much unaffected by COVID. It's been the shining light.

"Look at tourism, hospitality or retail and they all suffered. Agriculture was business as usual and we had a pretty buoyant year, both with livestock and cropping."

Mr Goldsmith said this had encouraged young people to look at agriculture as a secure career avenue.

"A lot of young have said 'agriculture's actually going really well'," he said.

"We've known this for a long time; we've been trying to attract more people to agriculture. The data is showing there are three or four jobs in agriculture for every graduate.

"If you're an agricultural graduate, there are so many opportunities. It's like a hidden secret.

"COVID has really shined the light on agriculture.

Due to COVID-19, the college needed to host an online open day last year, which Mr Goldsmith said was a hidden advantage despite being completely out of their comfort zone.

"The reach that we had was really successful. The engagement and the numbers blew us away," he said.

"People interstate who couldn't get here, could do it virtually."

The intake ended up being a third of interstate students who moved to the region.

Other students were those who lived regionally but not necessarily from family farms.

"A lot of the students aren't from farms, but they have a connection where the agricultural interest has come from," Mr Goldsmith said.

"The beauty of agriculture is there are so many pathways."

Longerenong College will be doing a blend of an in-person and virtual open day this year.

The college is on the edge of agriculture technological development with its upcoming innovation centre and data farm.

Mr Goldsmith said the young people entering the field are eating up the new technology for breakfast.

"We're just finishing our data farm. We received $2.5 million from the government to convert our farm, which is 1070 hectares, into an ag-tech show piece," he said.

"We have an innovation centre; we've deployed a whole range of sensors around the farm.

"The students here now are going to be learning the absolute latest in agriculture technology. It's the way of the future."

Mr Goldsmith said the other smart farm is at the University of New England, which focuses on pastures and animals and another similar farm in Canada called Olds College.

"Nothing like ours which focuses on broadacres," he said.

The college is working on a few projects like its agricultural business centre and developing more housing for students.

Mr Goldsmith said the beauty of Longy is being able to get out there among the crops and feel the soil.

"We are hands on learning. You learn the theory in the classroom and the next minute your outside putting it into practice," he said.

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