Reflection Journals
Prompts
Week 1 - Tools - SUST 318: Agroecology
"What are your personal experiences with the tools/inputs used for agricultural production, both small scale and larger scale? The term "tools/inputs" includes things like tractors and rakes as well as pesticides, fertilizers, seed (GMO, hybrid, heirloom), manure, etc. We can call this full suite of tools/inputs our "toolbox". When considering an agroecological approach to agriculture, would you consider any of these tools as strictly off-limits? Do your answers depend on how much personal experience you have had with that tool/input? How functionally do we make decisions on which tools are appropriate in which contexts? Do you agree with how our "ag toolbox" is used in some of today's agricultural systems? Why or why not?"
Week 2 - Labor & Economics - SUST 210: Animal Husbandry
"What are your personal experiences working on farms/gardens and with animals before ASI and since you have started chores here at Merry Lea? What are the labor and economic differences between interns, family farms, and hired help? How do labor needs differ between a farm that includes animals and one that solely focuses on crops? Using milk for an example: the current price for milk in the grocery store is $1.69 per gallon, with Organic milk ranging from $5.98-9.58 per gallon and Grass-Fed Organic milk at $11.38 per gallon. Knowing what it takes to milk the two dairy goats here at Merry Lea Farm and averaging a half gallon/ milking do you agree with how products are valued in today's food system? Why or why not? " Feel free to include your thoughts on: scales of operations, mechanization, the types of jobs created in different types of systems, and/or issues of social justice.
Week 3-
You will be reflecting on cycles all week. Here are your prompting questions:
- Specifically this week (June 11-15), in what new ways are you observing and internalizing cycles of plant life, health, and death, both in terms of planted food crops and wild plants in our landscape? What stands out?
- Are there particular crops/species you are discovering you want to learn more about, and if so what are they? If you could select one crop to plant, manage, and observe all summer to see its cycle, what would it be and why would you select it? Can this somehow influence your kitchen garden project endeavors?
- Reflect on the kinds of soil management tasks happening around you and tasks you have been part of this week. How do you (or do you?) feel connected to these cycles and rhythms of soil management? Is there anything you’d like to to do or change to feel more connected to these cycles/rhythms? What soil cycles are most profound to your learning this week?
- How would you describe the cycle of your life you are in presently, and is the Crop and Soil Management course content giving you added perspective on the cycle of your life? What feels important for you to tend to right now as an ASI student and as a human being?
Week 4- Diversity - SUST 215: Food Systems
How can we reorient food systems towards greater diversity, health, sustainability and inclusiveness? When answering this larger question it may help to think of sub-questions within it such as: (i) What different types of diversity come to mind when thinking about food systems? (ii) . Why is diversity important? (iii) What are the structural parts of the system the disincentivize diversity (subsidies, mechanization, crop insurance, etc.)? (iv) What are some specific examples from your life (both before and during ASI) that help fill out your ideas surrounding diversity? (v) What is the diversity of your own diet like? What about other segments of society? How do dietary choices intersect with food access and food justice issues? (vi) Through which channels might you be an effective agent for change and how? (vii) How can diverse agricultural production and diverse diets be mutually reinforcing?
Week 5- Health, Balance, Equity - SUST 318: Agroecology
The prompt for this week is very open ended. Describe to me what you consider as indicators of a well-balanced agricultural system. Feel free to use examples from your own experience in class, practicum, and field trips as well as concepts we have covered in class as well as other outside experiences. Please spend time daily reflecting on what your working definition of a well-balanced agricultural system is and what elements make it up. Please include some discussion of soil health within your reflection.
Week 6- Policy & Regulation Affecting Agriculture
This week's reflection focus is on roles and impacts that policy and regulations have on agriculture in the United States. As potential young farmers, you will experience policies and regulations affecting the kinds of agricultural practices you utilize and the type of operation you establish or join.
1) National Young Farmer Coalition gets very involved in federal and to some extent state level agriculture policy (see this link: http://www.youngfarmers.org). Check out this website. Give examples of policy issues NYFC is working to address and how you currently or in the near future could connect to these issues if you were to be come a young farmer. Be specific about policy issues-- include links to actual policy information, name actual individuals (young farmers, etc), state chapters of NYFC being involved or vocal, and/ or particular Congress persons involved with the issues (ex. who in NYFC is leading a campaign to address the issue, is there/who is a bill sponsor in the Senate taking up their cause? etc). Do these policy issues interest you or feel relevant to you? Connect information you are learning in ASI to the policy issues.
2) At present there are many 'hot topics' issues in agriculture policy. Here are a few: a) food safety policy (see 'Food Safety & Modernization Act...on Crop & Soils Moodle page), b) the US Farm Bill, c) allowed use of dicamba herbicide and potential side effects to non-target crops, d) NOP organic standards (changes being made to what is/isn't allowed for crop inputs), e) trade tariffs (affecting agricultural products) and international trade policy, and f) the dance between voluntary suggestions to use cover crops vs. speculation that fertilizer usage/cover cropping may (soon?) become government regulation. Pick two or more of these, read about, and write about these policy issues. How do or would these issues affect farmers you have met on field trips? MLSF practices? Farmers you know back home? How might these policy issues (even if you feel you know very little) affect how you farm and the measures you take when establishing a farm or hiring on at an existing farm?
3) What positive and negative effects do you see from agricultural policy and regulation? How does the role of/the extent of regulatory enforcement play into your views of ag policy and regulation? Give specific policy examples as much as possible.
Week 7- Food Ethics and Food Justice - SUST 215: Food Systems
THERE IS NO REFLECTION ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK! INSTEAD PLEASE SEE YOUR FOOD SYSTEMS HOMEWORK :
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgjfOu7dQ6kU3HLqc-vF1cSD8p6iixpYKzKAQ9MzCLc/edit?usp=sharing
Week 8- Communities, Relationships, and Communication - SUST 318: Agroecology
You have now spent 8 weeks on and around the farm here at Merry Lea. Specifically, during this week, you will investigate how communities at a landscape level interact both during the night (Agro night lab) and during the day (next day Agro class). Please reflect on the communities you have witnessed here (both human and non-human), the relationships that structure these communities, and how individuals and groups in these communities interact.
Week 9- Harvest & Gratitude- SUST 210: Animal Husbandry
" What are your personal experiences butchering animals, specifically the chickens you raised from chicks here at Merry Lea? How does your personal butchering experience compare to your field trip experiences to farms that focus primarily on meat production (i.e. Miller Poultry and Gunthorp Farm)? What is your own personal ethic regarding consuming animals and animal products?"