Course Description
Summary
This course explores the broad field of sustainable farming and food systems. Through work at the Purple Carrot Farm students will learn hands-on skills such as food cultivation, preservation, processing, techniques for propagation, and design of annual and perennial production systems. We will further explore sustainable food systems by meeting with a cross-section of local agriculture businesses ranging from producers-traditional organic vegetable farm, mushroom cultivation, livestock, flower farms; to distributors- farm stands, markets and restaurants. Other field trips could include non-profit organizations working on community food insecurity, ecological landscape design and pollinator restoration and to partner organizations of the Bennington Fair Food Initiative, the Southwest Tech Vocational Program and the Vermont Veterans Center. Through these field trips, readings, and in class discussion, students will explore pathways to creating sustainable careers within the food system, and how to create systems and practices that best support community and ecological resilience.
