Sustainability. In a world where food production is stretched to the limits, sustainability is a hopeful word for economically viable, environmentally sound, socially just and humane agriculture systems.
For several years, WSU’s College of Agriculture and Home Economics has embraced the concept of sustainability, incorporating classes on organic agriculture into the curriculum wherever possible. Now, if the final paperwork flows through the system favorably, Washington State University will boast the first stand-alone organic agriculture formal credit program in the nation. Though other universities have offered classes on the subject, they have yet to develop a complete Bachelor of Science degree.
Name, degrees revamped
Vicki McCracken, associate dean and director, Academic Programs, CAHE, said the college is aiming for a fall 2004 program debut. The final details are still under construction as CAHE undergoes some major changes. In the plans are a new name — the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences — and a revamping of undergraduate degrees.
“To increase efficiency, we are in the process of decreasing the number of departmental degrees and classes while creating umbrella degrees that will help define the curriculum and focus on strengths,” said McCracken. One of the umbrella degrees will be in ag systems, which will be a coordinated core of classes that cuts across a number of disciplines.
Under the ag systems umbrella, programs such as viticulture and enology — currently offered as a horticulture degree — may be restructured to involve other departments.
“Viticulture/enology is a good example of an ag system,” said McCracken. “It involves everything from preplanning and growing the grapes to bottling the wine and, in the end, serving it to guests in a restaurant. It may be something the Hospitality Business Management program would be interested in — as one of the next steps,” she said.
The proposed organic agriculture program has yet to be officially named but will offer a Bachelor of Science degree in either organic agriculture or biointensive agriculture, and it will fit under the ag systems umbrella, said McCracken.
She said it will be a strong science degree with eight college departments contributing to the core curriculum. These include: Ag & Resource Economics, Animal Science, Crop & Soil Sciences, Entomology, Food Science & Human Nutrition, Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Plant Pathology and Community & Rural Sociology.
Aligns with WSU’s mission
“The organic agriculture program will align with the mission and goals of WSU by offering unique classroom experience with many hands-on activities, field trips, team projects and assignments that encourage critical thinking,” she said. For example, a planned component of the new degree will involve an 8-credit, 400-level farming and gardening field course to be held on Tukey Farm (home to the campus orchards).
“It will be a hands-on, organic experience involving the whole cycle of growing,” said McCracken. “Students will start by planning what they will plant, then progress to growing and selling the products. The students will probably establish a CSA to sell the fruits and products from the course,” she said.
CSA stands for community-supported agriculture, where a group of individuals agrees to support a farm operation, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs can take many forms, but all hold to a shared commitment that allows growers to focus on land stewardship and still maintain productive and profitable small farms.
Students enrolling in the new program will be required to choose an “option” in an area that will help them track toward a specific career goal. Options may include ag economics & marketing, animal science, crop production, agronomy, horticulture, food science and human nutrition, pest management or soil management.
National excitement building
As news of the program makes its way through sustainable-minded farms and urban communities across the United States, McCracken and others in the college are receiving calls from people all over the country. “Potential students we’ve talked to are quite excited,” she said.
For the past three years, CAHE has set up summer internships where students can work with organic farmers across Washington.
“One retired University of Washington faculty member offered an internship on the San Juan Islands,” she said. “As you can imagine, we get student requests from all over the world.”
