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What Is the Sustainable Agriculture Program?

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What Is the Sustainable Agriculture Program? SUSTAINA B LE AGRICULTURE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE ENTREPRENEURSHIP What is the Sustainable Agriculture program? ACC’s courses in sustainable agriculture provide multi-faceted training for anyone interested in learning about sustainable agriculture. We focus on ecological and organic farming practices, hands-on skills, and conservation methods. Our instructors are experts in the field, and courses include both classroom lecture and hands-on lab elements at the on site campus farm. Ready to get started? Choose your path from these continuing education programs: • Sustainable Agriculture Level 1 Certificate • Land Stewardship for the Hobby Farmer Award • Individual courses Check the website for course additions: http://continue.austincc.edu/agriculture Sustainable Agriculture FAQs The Level One Sustainable Agriculture Certificate includes six required courses. The courses should be taken in sequence as they complement each other to provide the student a well-rounded introduction into soil health, crop production, hands on skills, and resource conservation. Time commitment: 2 semesters Contact hours: 368 Cost of tuition: $1700 excluding materials and fees Required courses: • AGCR 1071 Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture (48hours) • AGCR 2018 Soil Science (80 hours) • AGCR 1093 Integrated Pest Management (48 hours) • HALT 2021 Small Scale Farming (64 hours) • AGME 1015 Farm and Ranch Shop Skills (80 hours) • AGCR 2013 Soil and Water conservation Planning (48 hours) Sustainable Agriculture FAQs Students who desire to further their learning about sustainable agricultural practices whom may not yet be ready to commit to sustainable agriculture as a career path are encouraged to explore our Land Stewardship for the Hobby Farmer Award Track. The Land Stewardship for the Hobby Farmer Award Program provides students with the basic essential skills for ecological land management on the market garden scale. Students will gain theoretical as well as hands-on skills and experience, and may choose to specialize in either crop or livestock management. Program completion requires 98 – 128 contact hours. The Land Stewardship for the Hobby Farmer Award track is comprised of 3 required core courses and 1 elective. Required Core Courses (80 hours): • AGMG-1070 Basic Principles of Sustainable Agriculture (24 hours) • HALT-1005 Horticultural Soils (32 hours) • AGCR-1070 Basics of Integrated Pest Management (24 hours) Eligible Electives (choose one, 18 or 48 hours) • AGAH-1070 Sustainable Livestock Management (48 hours) • AGCR-1094 Crops Science for Organic Agriculture (18 hours) Students who wish to further their learning in outside of the award tracks, please see our offerings of 'related courses' on the web. Sustainable Agriculture FAQs • How long does it take to complete the program? The sustainable Agriculture Certificate can be completed in two semesters. The Hobby Farmer certificate can also be completed in two semesters. Check the website for dates and times. • Do I have to take the classes in order? Introductory courses are offered in the Fall, and more in-depth courses are offered in the Spring. This is the recommended order to take courses in, though not absolutely required. • What if I do not want to take all of the classes? Students are welcome to enroll in only the courses which they are interested in. • Are the certificates geared towards the hobbyist or people looking to pursue a career? The level One Sustainable Agriculture Certificate is comprehensive and introduces students to what it takes to begin their own small scale farm endeavors as potential producers or managers. Students may enter the sustainable agriculture field in a myriad of other possible careers such as garden educator, school farm coordinator, produce marketing, agricultural policy and food system advocates. The program can also help students gear up towards pursuing higher education in agriculture such as moving on to four year programs and potentially becoming agricultural researchers, engineers, etc. Students wishing to further their learning for personal enrichment on the hobby scale are encouraged to explore our Land Stewardship for the Hobby Farmer Award and Green Gardener Award. • Where are the classes located? Courses for the Sustainable Agriculture Certificate are located on the Elgin campus. All other courses are located online or at the Riverside campus. • How do I register? Students may register for classes online or in person at the continuing education registration office located at the Highland Business Center and the Round Rock campus. 512-223-7542. Sustainable Agriculture FAQs • What is the class attendance policy? Students may miss no more than three class periods per course. • Are there written tests or grades? Students enrolled in the Sustainable Agriculture certificate will be tested on their knowledge and recieve grades. Students enrolled in the Hobby farm or green gardenaward will be graded pass or fail. • How physically strenuous are the courses? Many courses involve a fair amount of being on our feet, some repetitive activities, and being outside in hot and/or cold weather. There is some traversing uneven terrain and getting your hands immersed in soil and water. • Do you offer job placement? We do not offer specific job placement, however, local farms and other food business contact us regularly when they are looking for help. We forward this information onto the students for follow up. • How much do the classes cost? Tuition for Sustainable Agriculture Certificate classes range from ~$300 - ~$370 each, excluding materials and fees. Tuition for the Land Stewardship for the hobby farmer award classes range from ~$200 - $370, depending on the class, and excluding materials and fees. • Do I need to purchase any equipment to bring to class? On the first day of class the instructor will go over necessary tools and equipment that you may need to provide, often this means work gloves and some hand tools. • Is there required dress code? Students must always be prepared with closed toed shoes and weather appropriate clothing including a hat, gloves, sun and bug protection. A water bottle and pocket knife are also recommended. • Is financial aid available? • Yes, there are some financial aid options. Please look on our website for more information http://continue.austincc.edu/costs/.
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