Sustainable Ag

I wonder if we can consider agriculture sustainable if even one child is hungry?

PLSOILIN 265 - Sustainable Agriculture FALL semester only – Tuesday 1:00pm-5:15pm & Thursday 1:00pm- 2:15pm.

This course is designed for agriculture students who want to learn more about sustainable food and farming systems. Students will explore the economic, social and environmental impacts of food production by visiting farms in the local area and reflecting on the experience through online assignments and class discussions. Students will also learn systems thinking tools and work in teams to research and develop a presentation on a local farm. The focus of this class is on small farms and innovative sustainable systems. An OIT account is required. 3 credits.

NOTE: this class is intended for PSIS, Animal Science, and BDIC students who are majoring in sustainable agriculture or related fields.

Course Format: The course will include field trips, lectures, discussion of current topics, assigned readings, writing assignments, online discussion, and team-based teaching and learning. Tuesday afternoons will be used either for field trips or extended classes (the lecture and lab are treated as one period). Field trips will include meeting the farmer, touring the farm operation, and a workshare experience (that is we will be doing some work on the farm, so boots and appropriate clothing are suggested for these trips – we will go rain or shine). If you are not able to work, please inform the instructor and accommodations will be made. Thursday classes will be lecture and discussions.

Readings: there will be no textbook for this class, but required readings will be available on-line. You will need a free UMass OIT account to access the readings at… https://spark.oit.umass.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct.

Course Expectations: You will be expected to attend class on a regular basis, complete all assignments on time, and participate in a team-based research project and presentation. Grades will be based on the following:

A. Team Research Project & Presentations: Each student will participate in a team-based project, studying and developing a presentation on a local farm.

B. Class Participation: Participation will be measured by class and field trip attendance. Permission for missed classes may be obtained with prior notice to the instructor.

C. Homework Assignments: There are six homework assignments, mostly focused on systems thinking.

D. Online Journal: Each week during the first half of the semester there will be a required reading and discussion post, as well as the expectation that students will read, comment and grade two other submissions.

E. Fieldtrip Jounal – Each student is expected to maintain a journal of observations and reflections based on the field trips. The instructors will read the journals periodically.

Grading: Students will be expected to evaluate their own performance and recommend and justify their grade on the last day of class according to the following scale:

A. Team Research Project & Presentation = 30 points

B. Class Participation (subtract 2 points for each class missed w/o approval) = 15 points

C. Homework Assignments (4 are 5 points each; HW 5 is 10 points) = 30 points

D. Online Journal (6 total; 5 required at 3 points each) = 15 points

E. Fieldtrip Journal = 10 points

Grading Scale

A = 95+

A- = 90-94

B+= 87-89

B = 84-86

B- = 80-83

C+= 77-79

C = 74-76

C- = 70-73 etc.

Contact Information:

John M. Gerber – jgerber@psis.umass.edu

Susanne Hale – shale@psis.umass.edu

Caishlyn Morrissey-Ott - cmorrisseyott@gmail.com
Jon Sivel – jsivel@student.umass.edu