Peggy Adams wrote in response to Lei Gunthorp's query:
> >How 'bout discussing land grant university's lack of responiveness to
> >small scale and organic farmers.
And Cecile Mills replied:
> Good topic, Peggy. I'd just spoken of it to someone at the Farmer's Market
> and I said the only program I knew of was the Agro-ecology program at UCSC
> (not a regular part of a degree) but they felt many more were in
> place--couldn't name any places tho. So, I'd love to hear what universities
> (many were land-grant colleges once) and colleges do offer courses and
> programs for *small scale and organic farmers*. The college I taught at,
> Hartnell College in Salinas CA, a huge ag center, certainly did not.
An interesting topic, and one of ongoing importance, which leads me
to mention that this week, John Hendrickson and I are finalizing
CIAS's single-sheet information piece on the Wisconsin School for
Beginning Market Gardeners, which should be ready for distribution
around Labor Day, print queues permitting.
This is CIAS's training course, affiliated with the Wisconsin Farm
and Industry Short Course, to help aspiring small-scale vegetable
market gardeners learn production and business skills required in
successful commercial operations.
The School for Beginning Market Gardeners is team-taught by growers
and UW faculty, including some of Wisconsin's pioneering market
gardeners. Last year, Richard DeWilde (Harmony Valley Farm, Viroqua,
WI) and Steve Pincus (Tipi Produce, Fitchburg, WI) were among the
teachers.
If this is something you'd like to know more about, contact CIAS's
John at:
jhendric@facstaff.wisc.edu
and ask to get a copy of the info piece when it's ready.
This program is related to...though quite different from...CIAS's
Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers, also affiliated with
the Wisconsin Farm and Industry Short Course. SBDF also brings
farmers (in this case, grass-based dairy farmers) and UW and
Extension faculty together to teach young folks skills essential to
starting a viable grass-based dairy farm. Most students are
interested in starting up smaller scale enterprises, because of the
lower need for capital. CIAS's staff person for SBDF is Dick Cates:
rlcates@facstaff.wisc.edu
The School for Beginning Dairy Farmers is just now in the
application phase for next year's class, and we're working on the
fall cycle of publicity materials for that.
Thought these two programs might be of some interest to some of you
or your constituents, clients, relations, friends, neighbors, or
sparring partners.
:^)
pax
misha
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Michele Gale-Sinex, communications manager
Center for Integrated Ag Systems
UW-Madison College of Ag and Life Sciences
Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020
http://www.wisc.edu/cias/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Salamanders are important. --Mister 3D
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