Contemplating the Work - ACC Sustainable Agriculture Classes
If I could have a legacy, I would like to hope that it would at least include my propensity to think about the things I do. While that sounds simple, I’m not sure it’s all that common as we get older. Truth is, it takes time and energy to be critical of our habits, our proclivities, our tastes, and our relationships. I may not always have much finality, or even directionality, in these musings, but nonetheless it happens.
These little mental wanderings can have some utility in that they excite me about a question or guide me to an approach to farming. Sometimes, though, it helps to bounce those thoughts and questions around in a formal setting or dialogue. Well, I’m happy to say that I’m going back to school - Truett celebrated my first day of 21st grade of school this August!
ACC’s Sustainable Agriculture Farm and greenhouse in Elgin
Our family schedule hasn’t always been kind to longer-term projects (I’ve always wanted to participate in Farmshare’s Farmer Starter Course), but I finally found a good schedule that works with Truett in school, and regardless of whether Yvonne is here or out of town for work. I’m taking Basic Principles of Sustainable Agriculture, a class taught by Savannah Rugg, the Agricultural Sciences Department Chair.
Continuing courses in subsequent semesters include pest management, shop skills, water conservation, soil science, and small scale farming. If everything goes right, I’ll continue taking classes until I achieve the Level One Sustainable Agriculture Certificate, which all told is 368 contact hours of formal study. They also have a working market garden at the Elgin ACC campus, and some interesting tools to take a look at - including a Jang Seeder, a BCS, and a subcompact Kubota tractor.
Looking forward to building my understanding of the science behind the work that we do, as well as placing Quelite in a large ecology of soil management, resource utilization, and food production.
For what it’s worth, our main text will be Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems by Stephen R. Gliessman.
