In this period of limited financial resources and educational manpower, community colleges can benefit from the application of strategic management techniques to determine how to use their resources most effectively while addressing community needs. At Delta College, this approach was adopted to assess community needs for agricultural programs and the college's potential for developing such programs. Faced with voter dissatisfaction with Delta's programs and national data indicating a need for agricultural training, Delta conducted an assessment of the educational needs of local farmers. The study revealed that short courses in areas such as crop disease, farm records, and insecticide and herbicide application were most needed; that local schools or community colleges were the preferred locations for classes; and that programs offered in concentrated time blocks were favored. An assessment of Delta's facilities indicated that the college had the resources to meet the expressed needs of the community. Based on this information, two courses were developed during the first year, a workshop on the agricultural uses of hydraulics and a week-long workshop on welding in farm settings. In the second year, programs were offered in diesel engine maintenance, data processing for farmers, and farm building construction. So far all classes have been well attended, and plans are being made to offer formal academic courses in agriculture in cooperation with Michigan State University. The survey instrument is appended. (HB)