STCC, Clean Crop Technologies partner to meet workforce needs

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College is partnering with Clean Crop Technologies, which uses electricity to treat seeds for increased productivity and improve food safety.  Valuable for the agri-tech startup’s rapidly growing operation in Holyoke is the opportunity to work directly with the college to train and hire a new generation of technicians.

Founded in 2019 and relocated to Holyoke in 2021, Clean Crop utilizes a high voltage process called “cold plasma” to boost seed resilience to boost yield and address climate stressors like drought. The company’s treatment process is a sustainable alternative to traditional fungicides and hot water treatment, which can compromise seed viability.

“We basically create a high-voltage electric field that ionizes gases around the seeds,” said Dan White, co-founder and CEO of Clean Crop. “We enhance the seeds’ resistance to things like drought. You can think about it as like a vaccination against climate stress.”

With signature support from STCC as part of a $1.2 million grant from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) in 2024, Clean Crop is rapidly scaling its operations and turning to STCC to develop their skilled technician workforce that draws from multiple applied STEM disciplines. The M2I2 program is administered by the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (Mass Tech).

With operations expanding into a new 15,000-square-foot facility, Clean Crop now has the capacity to process up to 42,000 pounds of seed per month, a tenfold increase from December 2024, White said.

STCC President John B. Cook hailed the partnership as an exemplar for how community colleges respond to rapid changes in regional economic ecosystem.

Clean Crop is a special company. Their work in clean tech, really new tech, is built from a deep commitment to a local workforce, and is very exciting for this region. John B. Cook, STCC President

“Clean Crop is a special company,” said Cook. “Their work in clean tech, really new tech, is built from a deep commitment to a local workforce, and is very exciting for this region.  I also know Dan and his team help amplify with other companies the assets we have in Western Massachusetts; namely lower energy costs, a responsive technical community college, and a workforce seeking new opportunities.  This is exactly the kind of future-forward collaboration that fuels economic growth in our region.”

STCC, with many unique degree and certificate programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), is the only technical community college in Massachusetts, and will see over 8,000 students annually across a range of programs.  Certificate and degree offerings in Electrical Engineering Technology, Photonics, Computer Systems and Mechanical Engineering Technology are especially aligned with the work at Clean Crop. Students spend significant time in labs, and with equipment, learning problem-solving capabilities that fit well with technician and applied engineer roles.

“Our students don’t always want to pursue calculus-based pathways, but still actively seek family-sustaining careers that have them working with hardware, software and equipment” Cook observed. “Many of our students are low-income and first-generation, but importantly, they are also local, and recognize the uniqueness of working at an innovative company like Clean Crop, where they go above and beyond in supporting their employees.”

Clean Crop’s technicians, one of whom is a current STCC student who converted a brief summer internship into a full-time position, wear many hats – running machines, conducting germination tests, working in the lab and supporting research and development. While technical experience is a plus, White said the company places a premium on aptitude, curiosity and comfort with change.

“That’s why we began working with STCC and Dr. Cook about two years ago,” White said. “STCC’s programs in electrical and mechanical engineering technology attract the kind of tinkerers and problem-solvers who are a great fit for us.”

The company currently employs 18 people and anticipates hiring more in the fall, with a long-term goal of reaching 200 employees in Holyoke by 2030. White says STCC has already proven to be a valuable source of talent, citing one current technician who came directly from the college.

“We hope our hire from STCC is the first of many,” White said. “STCC has been incredibly proactive, fast-moving and creative in helping us find the right people. That kind of collaboration is rare, and vital for startups like ours.”

Clean Crop serves growers across the country, treating seeds used in spinach, lettuce, cilantro, broccoli and cauliflower, among other crops. The company is also beginning to sell its own treated seeds directly to farmers, offering improved germination and resistance as built-in traits.

Clean Crop’s goal is to address a critical and growing challenge: according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately $330 billion in crops are lost each year before they leave the farm gate due to blight, drought and other stressors, many of which are intensifying due to climate change.

As Clean Crop continues to scale, both the company and STCC are exploring the creation of a “pre-technician” training track that would prepare students and alumni for careers in clean tech and precision agriculture.

“There’s a real opportunity here to create a new kind of technician training model, one that’s hands-on, and aligned to the way modern startups work,” White said. “It’s been a great partnership with STCC.”

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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