2010-11 Undergraduate Index A-Z
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Agriculture [clear]
| Title | Offering | Standing | Credits | Credits | When | F | W | S | Su | Description | Preparatory | Faculty | Days of Week | Multiple Standings | Start Quarters |
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Food, Health and Sustainability
Amy Cook, David Shaw, James Neitzel and Martha Rosemeyer agriculture biology chemistry ecology environmental studies sustainability studies Signature Required: Winter Spring |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | What should we eat? What is the difference between conventional and organic foods? Why is there an outcry over genetically modified foods? What is local food? Why does journalist Michael Pollan call this the American "Age of Nutritionism?" Why is there hunger? This program takes a scientific approach to food and cooking. Topics span a broad range, from molecular biology to ecology of agriculture and marine foodstuffs. We'll examine the coevolution of humans and food, Pacific Northwest Native foodways, the connection between diet and health, and the transformation of food through the processes of cooking, baking and fermentation. Throughout history, food and cooking have not only been essential for human sustenance, but have played a central role in economic and cultural life. This interdisciplinary exploration of the biology and chemistry of food takes a broad ecological systems approach, while also incorporating political, historical, cultural and anthropological perspectives. Structural issues of food security and sovereignty both local and global will also be explored. Students will directly apply major concepts learned in lectures to experiments in the laboratory and kitchen. Field trips will provide opportunities for observing food production and processing in the local community, as well as edible landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. Workshops and seminar discussions will focus on topics addressed by such authors as Michael Pollan, Gary Paul Nabhan and Harold McGee. Fall quarter focuses on the production of foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, fish and shellfish. We'll explore the biochemistry of food, beginning with basic chemical concepts, before moving onto the structure of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. We'll also consider the role of evolution in the selection of plant and animal species used as food by different human populations, as well as systems of Native American Pacific Northwest coastal food procurement and production. Winter quarter concentrates on cooking and nutrition. We will study food quality issues, and examine what happens at a biochemical and biophysical level during the process of cooking and processing. We will discuss how factors like nutritional content, heavy metal, and parasite and pesticide contamination affect food quality. We explore how our bodies digest and recover nutrients, and consider the physiological roles of vitamins and antioxidants, as well as the complex relationship between diet, disease and genetics. Finally, we will study the physiology of taste and smell, critical for the appreciation of food. Spring quarter focuses on the biochemistry of fermentation, and the production microbiology and chemistry of fermented foods. Specific topics include yeast varieties (e.g., "killer yeast"); bacterial, yeast, and mixed fermentations (e.g., malolactic fermentation, lambic fermentation); and aging and extraction methods. | the biological fields, including ecological agriculture, ecology, biochemistry, nutrition, food science, and food and agriculture policy. | Amy Cook David Shaw James Neitzel Martha Rosemeyer | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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The Practice of Sustainable Agriculture
Steven Scheuerell agriculture botany ecology environmental studies sustainability studies Signature Required: Winter |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | The Practice of Sustainable Agriculture (PSA) program integrates theoretical and practical aspects of small-scale organic farming in the Pacific Northwest during the fall, winter and spring quarters. This program requires serious commitment from students—we start at 8 AM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and all students start farm chores at 7 AM one day per week. Each week of the program there will be eight hours of classroom instruction and twenty hours of practicum work at Evergreen's Organic Farm. The program's academic classroom portion will cover a variety of topics related to practical farm management, including annual and perennial plant propagation, entomology and pest management, plant pathology and disease management, weed biology and management, soil quality and soil management, crop botany, animal husbandry/physiology, polycultures, integration of crops and livestock, orchard management, appropriate technology, weather forecasting, and climatology. As part of their training, students will be required to develop and write farm management and business plans. On a weekly basis, students can expect to complete seminar readings and reflective writings, work through assigned textbooks, and write technical reports to demonstrate an integration of theoretical concepts and practice gained through the farm practicum. The academic practicum on Evergreen's organic farm will include hands-on instruction on a range of farm-related topics including greenhouse management and season extension techniques, farm-scale composting and vermiculture, seed saving, irrigation systems, mushroom cultivation, farm recordkeeping, tool use and care, farm equipment operation and maintenance, and techniques for adding value to farm and garden products. Students will also have the opportunity to explore their personal interests related to agriculture, homesteading, and developing communal farms/ecovillages through research projects. Each quarter we will visit farms that represent the ecological, social and economic diversity of agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. Students will also attend and participate in key sustainable and organic farming conferences within the region. After completing this program, students will have an understanding of a holistic approach to managing a small-scale sustainable farm operation in the Pacific Northwest. | agriculture, farm and garden management, and applied horticulture. | Steven Scheuerell | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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The Practice of Sustainable Agriculture: Spring
Stephen Bramwell agriculture botany ecology environmental studies sustainability studies Signature Required: Spring |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | The schedule for The Practice of Sustainable Agriculture has been shifted to the agricultural calendar. This is the first quarter of a three-quarter sequence that will run spring, summer and fall quarters. This program integrates theoretical and practical aspects of small-scale organic farming in the Pacific Northwest and requires serious commitment from students—we start at 8 AM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and all students will work on the farm, which may include early mornings before class. Each week of the program there will be eight hours of classroom instruction and twenty hours of practicum work at Evergreen's Organic Farm.The program's academic classroom portion will cover a variety of topics related to practical farm management, including annual and perennial plant propagation, entomology and pest management, plant pathology and disease management, weed biology and management, soil quality and soil management, crop botany, animal husbandry/physiology, polycultures, integration of crops and livestock, orchard management, appropriate technology, weather forecasting, and climatology. As part of their training, students will be required to develop and write farm management and business plans. On a weekly basis, students can expect to complete seminar readings and reflective writings, work through assigned textbooks, and write technical reports to demonstrate an integration of theoretical concepts and practice gained through the farm practicum.The academic practicum on Evergreen's organic farm will include hands-on instruction on a range of farm-related topics including greenhouse management and season extension techniques, farm-scale composting and vermiculture, seed saving, irrigation systems, mushroom cultivation, farm recordkeeping, tool use and care, farm equipment operation and maintenance, and techniques for adding value to farm and garden products. Students will also have the opportunity to explore their personal interests related to agriculture, homesteading, and developing communal farms/ecovillages through research projects. Each quarter we will visit farms that represent the ecological, social and economic diversity of agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. Students will also attend and participate in key sustainable and organic farming conferences within the region. After completing this program, students will have an understanding of a holistic approach to managing a small-scale sustainable farm operation in the Pacific Northwest. | agriculture, farm and garden management, and applied horticulture. | Stephen Bramwell | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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The Practice of Sustainable Agriculture: Summer
Stephen Bramwell agriculture botany ecology environmental studies sustainability studies Signature Required: Summer |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SuSummer | The schedule for The Practice of Sustainable Agriculture has been shifted to the agricultural calendar. This is the second quarter of a three-quarter sequence that runs spring, summer and fall quarters. This program integrates theoretical and practical aspects of small-scale organic farming in the Pacific Northwest and requires serious commitment from students— we start at 8 AM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and all students will work on the farm, which may include early mornings before class. Each week of the program there will be eight hours of classroom instruction and twenty hours of practicum work at Evergreen's Organic Farm. The program's academic classroom portion will cover a variety of topics related to practical farm management, including annual and perennial plant propagation, entomology and pest management, plant pathology and disease management, weed biology and management, soil quality and soil management, crop botany, animal husbandry/physiology, polycultures, integration of crops and livestock, orchard management, appropriate technology, weather forecasting, and climatology. As part of their training, students will be required to develop and write farm management and business plans. On a weekly basis, students can expect to complete seminar readings and reflective writings, work through assigned textbooks, and write technical reports to demonstrate an integration of theoretical concepts and practice gained through the farm practicum. The academic practicum on Evergreen's organic farm will include hands-on instruction on a range of farm-related topics including greenhouse management and season extension techniques, farm-scale composting and vermiculture, seed saving, irrigation systems, mushroom cultivation, farm recordkeeping, tool use and care, farm equipment operation and maintenance, and techniques for adding value to farm and garden products. Students will also have the opportunity to explore their personal interests related to agriculture, homesteading, and developing communal farms/ecovillages through research projects. Each quarter we will visit farms that represent the ecological, social and economic diversity of agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. Students will also attend and participate in key sustainable and organic farming conferences within the region. After completing this program, students will have an understanding of a holistic approach to managing a small-scale sustainable farm operation in the Pacific Northwest. | agriculture, farm and garden management, environmental studies and applied horticulture. | Stephen Bramwell | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Summer | ||||
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Student Originated Studies: Agricultural Systems
David Muehleisen and Melissa Barker Signature Required: Spring |
SOS | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | This SOS will support students in the study of agricultural systems in conjunction with an on-farm internship or research project. This program is ideal for responsible, enthusiastic, and self-motivated students with an interest in agriculture or food systems. Each student will create an individual course of academic learning including an internship or research project. Course work for the quarter will include required weekly group meetings, maintenance of a field journal to capture on-farm learning, weekly readings, group discussion papers, and a final paper and presentation. In the required group meetings students will explore timely and relevant issues to small scale, local, and direct market farms and farmers. These agricultural issues may include appropriate scale technology, nutrient cycling, water use and law, food production regulations, finances, and other relevant issues decided upon by the group. The on-farm internships and research projects will provide the foundation for exploring relevant farming topics and give a richer and broader basis for discussion. | agriculture and food systems. | David Muehleisen Melissa Barker | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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Student Originated Studies: Community Development
Russell Fox agriculture community studies education environmental studies law and public policy sustainability studies Signature Required: Winter |
SOS | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day and Evening | WWinter | This SOS is ideal for students with community-based internships related to their previous studies. For community-based projects that are not internships, groups of students working together will be given priority (see Prerequisites and Faculty Signature requirements for additional information). All students enrolled in the program will also participate in two credits of readings, classes and on-line assignments in collaboration with other students. A weekly class will include seminars, workshops organized by staff and faculty working at the Center for Community-Based Learning and Action, and opportunities to share internship and project work. Weekly on-line essays will explore topics relevant for students interested in land use planning, community development and social change work. The faculty will also meet regularly with smaller groups of students who are working on similar community issues--such as local agriculture, housing and homelessness, education or social services. Russ Fox has extensive knowledge of local organizations and resources, particularly in Thurston County, as well as experience working with students from across the curriculum who are interested in integrating and applying their learning through community-based research, learning and activism. Currently, his research and community activism work is focused on the viability and sustainability of local agriculture. While priority will be given to juniors and seniors, freshmen and sophomores may be admitted if proposing an internship or if they are part of a group project. | planning, community development, non-profit management, environmental studies, education, social work or public policy | Russell Fox | Thu Thu | Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | |||
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Student Originated Studies: Local Agriculture
Melissa Barker agriculture botany environmental studies natural history Signature Required: Fall |
SOS | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | This SOS will support students in the study of local agriculture systems in conjunction with an internship on a local farm. This program is ideal for responsible, enthusiastic, and self-motivated students with an interest in local agriculture or food systems. Each student will create an individual course of academic learning including an internship or field research project. Course work for the quarter will include required weekly group meetings, maintenance of a field journal to capture on-farm learning, weekly readings, group discussion papers, and a final paper and presentation. Students will be required to attend weekly group meetings. In these group meetings, students will explore timely and relevant issues to small scale, local, and direct market farms and farmers. These agricultural issues may include appropriate scale technology, nutrient cycling, water use and law, food production regulations, finances, and other relevant issues decided upon by the group. The on-farm internships will provide the foundation for exploring relevant farming topics and give a richer and broader basis for discussion. | organic agriculture, food systems, farming, and state and federal agencies. | Melissa Barker | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall |