Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

fwd: New Sustainable Agriculture Program at M State in Fergus Falls, MN 
beginning Aug. 23, 2010


Do you know someone who is looking for a practical and affordable academic 
program in sustainable food production?  If you do, would you pass on this 
e-mail about a new one year diploma program offered by M State Fergus Falls, 
a community college in west central Minnesota?

This program is dedicated to bringing about a renaissance in American 
agriculture.  It draws on the principles developed by leaders in the 
sustainable agriculture movement, Wes Jackson of the Land Institute, Joel 
Salatin of Polyface Farm, Greg Judy and others. The program is heavily 
field-based and hands on and all instructors are food producers as well as 
educators.

All courses are block scheduled Thursday through Saturday.  For individuals 
who need it, two modes of on-campus housing are available.  One is full-time, 
traditional housing with a meal plan.  The other is part-time, Wednesday 
through Saturday nights, throughout the term.

The program is open to high school graduates, college graduates, retirees, 
and anyone in between.  If you have a dream of being a sustainable farmer, 
this is the program for you.

Fall semester begins August 23, 2010.

For more information, contact Sue Wika, the program director, at 
sue.wika@minnesota.edu and check out the website at minnesota.edu/sustainable.

The course list includes:

SFP 1100 Principles of Sustainability – This course is a study of 
sustainability utilizing the principles of permaculture and holistic resource 
management. 3 credits, Fall.

SFP 1200 Farm Ecology –This course will provide an analysis of natural 
ecosystem sustainability, relative to farms and food production. Nutrient 
cycling, energy flows, biodiversity and population control will be covered. 3 
credits, Fall.

SFP 1301 Artisan Food and Value-added Agriculture – This course introduces 
students to a variety of artisan food crafts and the evolving trend of 
gastropreneurism. Students will investigate a variety of value-added 
agricultural enterprises. 3 credits, Fall.

SFP 1302 Forage and Crop Systems-- This course introduces students to 
sustainable soil fertility management practices and strategies, such as cover 
cropping, crop rotation, conservation tillage and cultivation, compost 
production and use, and animal stacking. The course will also cover the 
foundations of plant science and forage plant identification. 5 credits, Fall.

SFP 1304 Practical Farm Skills— This course prepares students for the 
evaluation and practice of safe tractor and agricultural equipment operation. 
The proper techniques for the maintenance of agricultural equipment will be 
discussed. Students will learn livestock husbandry, including fencing and 
animal handling. 2 credits, Fall.

SFP 1303 Grass-based Livestock Systems—This course presents the foundations 
of animal science and the principles of grazing for multi-species animal 
systems. 4 credits, Spring.

Soc 2222 Sociology of Agriculture— The central theme of this course is to 
understand the institutions and processes critical to farm success. Students 
will utilize sociological perspectives to study the many aspects of a local 
food system. Meets MNTC Goal Area 5. 3 credits, Spring.

SFP 1400 Farm Marketing and Management— This course is an introduction to 
concepts, strategies and technology for farm planning, economic accounting 
systems, and marketing techniques. 3 credits, Spring.

SFP 1500 Internship— The Sustainable Food Production Internship is 
supervised employment of students that extends classroom learning to the farm 
and relates to the students’ educational or occupational goal. Students 
must complete the 26 SFP program credits to enroll. 4 credits, Spring-Summer.

Course instructors:  Mark Boen, MA. Owner, Bluebird Gardens, 100-acre 
vegetable farm serving Western Minnesota. Ryan Pesch, MURP. Owner, Lida Farm, 
providing vegetables through direct market and CSA. Regional Extension 
Educator, Community Economics. Kent Solberg, MS. Owner, Seven Pines Farm and 
Fence, grass-based, integrated livestock and dairy farm. Sue Wika, PhD. 
Owner, Paradox Farm, grass-based livestock farm. Sociologist at M State 
Fergus Falls. Tom Prieve, DVM. Food animal veterinarian and farmer. Equine 
science instructor at M State Fergus Falls.