Sustainable Agriculture at Central Carolina Community College

My first trip on the East Coast brought me to North Carolina. The soils, crops and wildlife here are very different compared to Oregon and the West Coast in general. Soybeans, sweet potatoes, okra grow on a red sandy clay. I visited the sustainable agriculture program at Central Carolina Community College. Conceived by a local farmer about 10 years ago, this program is now probably the best community college small farm education program in the country. They offer an impressive set of hands-on courses for those who would like to get into small scale, organic, direct- marketing farming. The program has a strong entrepreneurial focus , which is so essential in this industry. Much of the teaching happens on the college farm, right next to the classroom buildings. On the farm are several structures built by the students in the farm buildings course. There are also bee hives, movable greenhouses, pollinator gardens and chicken "tractors". The chickens are pasture raised. No other animals are currently on the farm.

Labs in classes such as organic farming are taught by the farm manager and one or two faculty. Field labs have a maximum 18 students taught by 2-3 instructors. Over 80% of the students in the program already have a 4 year degree some of them also have a Masters. Two thirds of the students go through a 1 year (2 semester) certificate program while about one third finishes with 2 year Associate degree. Students are required to complete a 160 hour work experience in the summer.

The strengths of the program are the support from the college administration, the selection of classes, the focus on entrepreneurship, the staff (including a fulltime faculty, full time farm manager and a half time CSA manager), and the interactions with the other tracks in the sustainable technology programs (sustainable technologies, green building, biofuel). A continuing eduction program called the "Natural Chef" provides some potential for future collaboration.

Weaknesses in the program include the crowed farm space and the fact that the 30 member all campus CSA is the only opportunity to get real world marketing experience. The farm space issue should soon be resolved because a sustainable farm center is being build soon. It will serve as a program welcome center and include a produce packing/washing area, propagation greenhouse, and walk-in cooler. The building will be a zero energy facility, designed and build by students and faculty from the sustainable technologies program.

I can see developing a similar program at LBCC. I feel that there are many post bac students at OSU and from other PNW University looking for a hands-on program such as this. In the near future is is clear that we need at least expand to a fall and spring organic farming course and farm marketing and farm management classes that are designed for small scale, direct marketing farming.