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Winter and spring quarters of the Edible Campus program will center students in the management of the campus organic farm, community gardens, and food forests as we plan for and initiate the new growing season. Starting in winter, the program is designed to teach the theory and practice of community and participatory management structures which will require students to work collaboratively and professionally across the class and beyond.ÌýSuccessful participation will require students to learn systems thinking frameworks and technology tools for efficient collaboration including Microsoft 365 applications, Canvas, and other digital and social media. These tools will augment (not replace) in-person collaboration where students will work within and across teams focused on supporting the research, planning, and operational management of the campus organic farm, community gardens and food forests.ÌýÌý

Winter quarter will teach farm and garden planning by having students assess prior season data, create harvest goals, planting plans, seed orders and budgets, and set calendars for site preparation, sowing, transplanting, crop care, and harvests. Horticultural principles and applications will focus on greenhouse management and technology, plant propagation, soil fertility and fertilization calculations, composting, and dormant season care of perennial fruit and nut species. Spring quarter will add economic botany, with an exploration of our relationship to common farm and garden plants, plus soil ecology, the soil food web, and permaculture design practices for creating resilient small farms and gardens. During spring each student will choose the primary context of their practicum work between data-driven market farming and sales or community gardens and food forests as we learn to cultivate annual and perennial crops, steward soil, taste the harvest, and expand socially inviting edible landscapes to support campus wellness.ÌýÌý

There will be a significant field component to this class, regardless of weather. We will have 2-3 weekly practicum sessions outdoors plus some day field trips. Students will need sufficient and appropriate gear to be comfortable outdoors in the highly variable Pacific Northwest weather conditions. Ìý

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Winter anticipated credit equivalencies (16 total):

4 - Community Leadership

2 - Wellness Through Community Gardening

5 - Quantitative Farm and Garden Planning

5 - Environmental Horticulture and Plant Propagation

Spring anticipated credit equivalencies (16 total):

4 - Applied Systems Thinking

4 - Soil Ecology with Laboratory

4 - Permaculture Design

4 - Economic Botany