Summer Practicum in Sustainable Farming and Local Food Systems – Ithaca, NY

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Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming teams up with TC3 to offer a “Summer Practicum in Sustainable Farming and Local Food Systems”

Innovative partnership aims to educate the next generation of farmers and consumers

Ithaca, NY– In cooperation with the Environmental Studies Program at Tompkins Cortland Community College, the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming will offer an eight-week Summer Practicum in Sustainable Farming and Local Food Systems from June 2-July 27, 2010.
This unique, hands-on course is geared for students, community members and professionals interested in learning more about sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and small-scale farming. Classes will meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am to 4PM. Students who enroll through TC3 will receive 6 college credits. A non-credit option is also offered directly through the Groundswell Center.
“This partnership is exciting because it will allow our students to join the Groundswell movement and interact with the broader community while earning credit toward an A.S. degree,” says Dr. Kelly Wessell, Chair of Environmental Studies at TC3.  “The course will appeal widely to students from many disciplines, aspiring farmers, as well as anyone interested in food and food systems.”  Wessell hopes the class will attract a diverse group of students, including high school students, Cornell and Ithaca College students, local community members, and even out-of-state students looking for a unique, hands-on learning opportunity
Our students are not going to be sitting in a classroom all day,” says Joanna Green, Director of the Groundswell Center and lead instructor for the course. “A lot of the learning will take place on working farms and food businesses in the area.” Students will spend most Mondays at West Haven Farm, a thriving organic vegetable and fruit farm located at EcoVillage in the Town of Ithaca. To round out their on-farm experience, they will also spend a full day at each of two innovative livestock farms, Northland Sheep Dairy in Marathon and Kingbird Farm in Berkshire.
Wednesday classes, held in one of the spacious Common Houses at EcoVillage, feature an impressive roster of guest speakers from Cornell, Ithaca College, TC3, Cooperative Extension, USDA and other organizations. On Fridays, students will set out on field visits to a variety of area food markets, organizations, and programs that support the growing local food system.
TC3 tuition for the 6-credit course (ENVS 149) is $810 for NYS residents and $1680 for nonresidents, plus a lab fee of $250. Enrollment through the Groundswell Center, which does not provide academic credit, is $800. For more information, visit www.groundswellcenter.org <https://www.groundswellcenter.org/> and click on Programs. Or send an email info@groundswellcenter.org.
The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming is a project of the EcoVillage Center for Sustainability Education-Center for Transformative Action. Groundswell provides on-farm training and education programs for beginning farmers, students, and community members. For more information on the Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming, please visit www.groundswellcenter.org <https://www.groundswellcenter.org/> .