This announcement describes an experiential learning opportunity at the
Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in Goldsboro North Carolina.
The development of CEFS is a partnership among North Carolina State
University (NCSU), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State
University (NC A&T SU), North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA),
other state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, farmers,
and citizens.
The internship program will provide college students with experience in the
types of farming practices that promote agricultural sustainability. The
objective is to provide an overarching view of farming systems and resource
management that students immersed in discipline-based degree tracks and
concentrations do not always receive. The internship will meaningfully
combine classroom education with real-world agricultural experience and
problem solving.
In order to accommodate differences in learning styles and interests,
interns will have a choice of three different tracks that build on the core
educational foundation in sustainable agriculture and the exposure to
sustainable farming practices that all interns receive:
In a "research" track, interns will identify an ongoing research project at
CEFS and participate in that project as a member of the research team.
Project Leaders will serve as mentors and supervise daily activities of
interns. Activities will include fieldwork related to the project, data
collection and analysis, preparation of research reports, and literature
review.
Students in an "extension education" track will initiate an on-site
experiment investigating or demonstrating sustainable alternatives to a
question or problem common to growers. Interns will be responsible for
implementation and maintenance of the project, and for presentation at a
field day.
In the third track, a "farming practicum", students will be involved
primarily in production of organically grown crops on the student organic
farm. Daily activities will include farm-scale compost production,
operation of trickle and overhead irrigation systems, scouting and
implementation of pest control measures suitable for organic crop
production, cultivation, operation and repair of farm equipment, and
production, harvesting, packing, transporting, and marketing of vegetables
and fruit.
In addition, to maximize exposure to research and extension activities in
all disciplines represented at CEFS, all interns will rotate weekly through
on-site research projects (e.g. soil quality, soil insect ecology,
integrated pest management, agroforestry, water quality, weed ecology,
conservation, rotational grazing-based dairy and beef operations, and cover
cropping).
The internship will be structured to provide 6 units for students through a
minimum of 200 contact hours with academic and extension faculty over the
eight-week period. Contact hours will be non-traditionally structured in
extended blocks of time to provide flexibility and convenience to both
students and faculty. Interns may choose either free housing or a $640
stipend. Tuition costs of $476 (at present) for six NCSU credit hours will
be reimbursed to students.
For more information contact:
Keith R. Baldwin Ph.D.
Internship Coordinator
Department of Horticultural Science, NCSU
Raleigh, NC 27695-7609
919.515.1199
keith_baldwin
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