Learn sustainable agriculture
The practicum is part of JCCC's sustainable agriculture entrepreneurship certificate program that provides education in agriscience and agribusiness, focusing on sustainable agriculture, market farming, the preparation of locally grown food and entrepreneurship. The program is a partnership among JCCC's hospitality management, horticulture and entrepreneurship programs and K-State.
Three semester-long practicum courses require the student to work at the K-State center in Olathe. As part of the practicum, students tend three test gardens and two open fields, learning the broad range of tasks encountered by the market farmer. Although work is seasonal, high tunnels allow for three-season gardens. Other tasks include production and marketing of summer and fall crops; planning; integrating crop management and crop rotation; maximizing soil fertility and recordkeeping.
Students also take a commercial crop production course designed to familiarize market farmers with plant materials and production, taught by Stu Shafer, professor of sociology and a market farmer himself for more than 20 years.
"There is a need for people to grow fruits and vegetables for local markets," Shafer said. "The number of farmers markets has grown exponentially, and there is a huge demand by grocery stores to find local growers."
JCCC's sustainable agriculture (market farming) entrepreneurship program helps students realize their dreams of opening their own sustainable agriculture businesses. Farmers who grow produce on the side, depending on crops like wheat or soybeans for the bulk of their livelihood, can learn how to develop a sustainable business based upon market farming products. Upon completion of the program, students should be prepared to develop, grow and sustain their own business ventures.
For more information about JCCC's sustainable agriculture program, contact Stu Shafer at 913-469-8500, ext. 3494, sshafer@jccc.edu.