Urban ag intro course offered as part of new School for Urban Agriculture
The Farm and Industry Short Course is offering a new, one-credit course on urban agriculture that is open to UW–Madison students and community members, in addition to short course students. “Introduction to Urban Agricultural Systems” will meet on Thursdays, Nov. 1 through Dec. 30, from 3:30–5 p.m. in 253 Soils Building. A follow-on course, “Farming in the City,” will be offered in the spring.
This course is part of the School for Urban Agriculture, which fills a growing need for specialized training in urban farming and community leadership. The program has a unique community orientation and will include opportunities for weekend workshops and internships. Prior farming experience is not required for participation. Students will learn about urban food production, distribution and marketing, post-harvest processing and storage, soil health and remediation, food policy and more.
Urban farms not only produce fresh, nutritious food for city-dwelling consumers, they also provide social benefits such as job skills training, food security, environmental remediation and neighborhood revitalization. Often, urban farms are managed by nonprofit organizations and address community needs through food production and marketing. Through the School for Urban Agriculture, UW–Madison aims to provide beginning farmers with a solid understanding of urban farming practices, nonprofit management and community development.
UW–Madison students can add Soils 375 through Sept. 14. To add this course between Sept. 15 and Nov. 1, contact Julie Garvin in soil science for assistance: jgarvin2@wisc.edu or (608) 262-2239.
Short Course students and community members can register for FISC 075-1 through Farm and Industry Short Course. Complete an application to begin your registration process. For assistance with registration or general questions, contact the Short Course office at (608) 263-3918.
The School for Urban Agriculture is a collaborative effort of the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and Farm and Industry Short Course at CALS, and two Madison community organizations: the Center for Resilient Cities and Community GroundWorks. For more information, contact Pam Porter at 265-4213 or pporter@wisc.edu.