UMD Sustainable Agriculture Courses, non-credit option! Pass the word! It’snot too late! Community members who are interested intaking one or both of the Sustainable Agriculture courses can enroll for a non-credit option through Continuing Education for a reduced rate ( ~ ½ of full tuition). Please contact the instructor, Cindy Halecmhale@d.umn.edu as soon as possible for more details!Hands-on, Experiential Learning in Sustainable and Organic food production on and for Campus!The new Summer courses ES 2095-1 and 2095-2 will give students the opportunity to help grow food for use in the UMD Dining Services in our organic-transition Sustainable Agriculture Project farm at the UMD Field and Research Studies Center. Learn about soils, plants and organic agriculture; how they interact ecologically and the healthy food systems we can create to support vital communities. No prior experience or course work necessary. The courses will focus on student directed projects at the UMD farm and learning basic skills of vegetable farming and fruit orchards for early and late season parts of the growing season. All senses will be fully engaged!ES 2095: Sustainable Agriculture I - Field Experience in Planning, Planting & Maintenance for Small-Scale Farms: 4 weeks in June, M-TH 9-11:30 am or as arranged with instructor Course Description: Students will gain hands-on experience and explore the academic issues related to the early season dimensions of small scale sustainable agriculture. Course activities will involve students directly in the planning and planting of market gardens and orchards including topics such site selection, assessment and layout;establishing plants using transplants and direct seeding, companion planting,nutrient management, irrigation methods, cover cropping, etc. Emphasis placed on field dimensions with student lead group projects as the central learning focus. Students will work in groups, in all weather conditions and actively engage in field activities related to seasonal management of small scale marketgardening/farming. ES 2095: Sustainable Agriculture II - Field Experiencein Maintenance, Pest Management, Harvest and Marketing for Small-Scale Farms: 4 weeks in July, M-TH 9-11:30am or as arranged withinstructorCourse Description: Students will gain hands-on experience and explore the academic issues related to the mid-late season dimensions of small scale sustainable agriculture. Course activities will involve students directly in the management of market gardens and orchards including topics such crop and pest monitoring, tool use and maintenance,nutrient management, irrigation methods, organic and integrated weed and pestcontrol, and direct and wholesale marketing of produce. Emphasis placed onfield dimensions with student lead group projects as the central learning focus. Students will work in groups, in all weather conditions and activelyengage in field activities related to seasonal management of small scale marketgardening/farming. -- Cindy Hale, Research Associate, University of Minnesota DuluthThe NaturalResources Research Institute - www.nrri.umn.edu 5013 Miller Trunk Hwy. Duluth, MN 55811NRRI office:218-720-4364
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