*SUMMER INSTITUTE IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE at *
*WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY’S ZENA FARM in SALEM, OREGON*
*May 20 – June 28, 2013*
We are pleased to announce the fourth year of our Summer Institute in
Sustainable Agriculture at Willamette University’s Zena Farm just 10 miles
west of Salem, OR. The program will take place from May 20-June 28, 2013.
It provides students from liberal arts colleges and
non-agriculturalmajors from larger institutions the opportunity to
pursue both hands-on
organic farming experience and interdisciplinary academic coursework that
examines the ecological, social, economic, and ethical implications of
agricultural systems in the US, while living in a sustainable community in
the heart of the Willamette Valley.
*Classes:*
The courses offered for academic credit are: Perspectives on Sustainable
Agriculture, a class that examines the ethical, economic, and social
implications of different agricultural practices through a historic lens;
and Agroecology, a class that investigates farming from an agroecological
perspective. These classes are taught in the mornings (MWF or TTH) by
Willamette faculty members in a 1910 farmhouse located on the site. We
will be happy to work with your home institution to arrange the transfer of
credits.
*Farming experience:*
Each afternoon participate in discussions about the underlying logic of
organic agriculture methods and put those philosophies to practice with
hands on work in our fields. Students will receive instruction all aspects
of organic farming from seeding to harvesting. Topics will include every
thing from making compost, to applying amendments, to balancing crops with
beneficial plants to create a healthy agroecosystem, to cover cropping and
crop rotation, to planting, tilling, harvesting, and marketing.
*NEW for the 2013 program: Starting a campus farm workshops:*
Students from other colleges who are hoping to start a campus farm, or who
are in the early stages, will have the opportunity to participate in a few
evening workshops on planning a campus farm, interacting with
administration, funding, bookkeeping, and marketing strategies.
* *
*Workshops in whole food preparation and preservation:*
We make most of what we eat from scratch! Learn everything from how to
make homemade bread and pasta and granola, to cook with whole grains and
dry beans, to make your own cheese and crackers, to canning beans and jams.
*Fieldtrips to understand our local food system:*
We will visit local organic vegetable farms, Salatin-style grass-fed animal
operations, a “shelf-ready” food processing facility, local farmers markets
and supermarkets, to explore the components of a local ‘sustainable’ food
system.
*Recreational opportunities:*
The site of this program is the 305-acre Zena Forest, which boasts many
acres of Douglas fir forest, oak savannahs, and riparian zones. In
addition, five acres of the property is either farm fields or
orchards. Students
who attend the summer program will experience country life as they live on
site in the 1910 farmhouse. Additionally, students will be able to run or
hike the trails in the adjacent forests or take forays into town.
*Sightseeing trips:*
Additional (optional) trips to the nearby Cascade Mountains or Oregon Coast
will be
offered on two Sundays during the program and students will be free to
explore the region on their own.
*Program cost:*
The cost of the program is $3800, which includes tuition, lodging, meals,
medical insurance, and field trips to local farms. Additional costs could
include transportation to and from your hometown, side trips taken during
the session, costs of personal items such as work boots or a sleeping bag,
admission to state and national parks, and extra spending money.
*Application:*
Visit our website at http://www.willamette.edu/centers/csc/zena/farm/ for
more
information about Zena Farm. To download a pdf of the application to our
program, visit
http://www.willamette.edu/centers/csc/zena/farm/summer_institute/index.html#farm_application
.
*Deadline to apply:*
March 15, 2013
* *
*Questions?*
Please contact Dr. Jennifer Johns at jjo...@willamette.edu with questions.
Jennifer Johns, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Sustainable Agriculture Programs
Center for Sustainable Communities
Willamette University
--
Jennifer Johns, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, and
Associate Director for Sustainable Agriculture Programs
Center for Sustainable Communities
Willamette University
