Why do we exist? We exist because there is a need for agriculture that is environmentally friendly.
What constituency do we serve? We serve people who are concerned about the harmful effects of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer pollution, and wish to learn alternative ways of producing food and fiber. These people would include undergraduate and graduate students, some of whom would like to become agricultural professionals, extension agents whose job it is to train farmers, conventional farmers who wish to transition to organic, urban dwellers who wish to have their own organic garden, and anyone else from the U.S. or abroad who is interested in a healthy and sustainable life style.
What services do we provide? We currently teach courses in organic agriculture at both the undergraduate and graduate level at the Univ. of Georgia. We would like to expand our training by offering courses, workshops, and internships to people outside the academic setting.
What needs of our constituency do we satisfy? The demand for organic products in many areas of the country is greater than the supply. An important reason is lack of organizations that can train organic farmers. We can satisfy that need, at least in part.
Who else provides such services? There are several Universities and Colleges that have courses or programs in organic/sustainable agriculture. There also are numerous private organizations that offer training to non-students. But as far as we know, there are no non-profit organizations that can give similar University accredited courses to students and non-students alike, that is, courses with academic rigor plus field laboratories and hands-on training.
How are we unique? Our training facility is a privately owned farm. Thus we have a much greater flexibility in experimenting with novel approaches to all aspects of agriculture than is possible on land owned by a College of Agriculture. Nevertheless, research on the farm is carried out through grants given to a Research University, and courses on the farm are accredited by a University. Thus we have the best of two worlds – the detailed expertise of specialists at the University plus the freedom to cross disciplinary boundaries, a freedom often not found in academia.
See Carl Jordan introduce his “Maymester” class to Spring Valley EcoFarms.
This class is an innovative course in ecology and agriculture that allows students to experience an integrated farm environment while learning unique organic farming practices. The class lasts 16 days and is made up of 6 hour sessions a day chock full of exercises, application roll-out, lectures and hands-on experience in farming.
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