CSU Unveils New Program in Organic Agriculture

Interdisplinary program in organic agriculture to start in Fall 2006.

CSU will be enrolling students in an Interdisciplinary Program in Organic Agriculture starting in Fall 2006. This program is designed for students with an interest in alternative agricultural production approaches. The focus of the program is on the science of organic agricultural production. It builds on a base of fundamental agricultural sciences with additional courses specifically focused on organic agriculture production techniques, business management, marketing, and decision-making. Lecture, discussion, lab, and internship experiences will involve experiential learning at many levels.

This program is a cooperative effort of four departments: Agricultural and Resource Economics, Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and Soil and Crop Sciences. Although participating students will take courses from all four departments, they will receive their degree from their home department, and completion of requirements for the interdisciplinary studies program will be noted on their transcript.

It is of critical importance that CSU be tightly linked with organic producers in order to have a successful program in organic agriculture. Students will need internship opportunities, and we plan to use guest speakers to put flesh onto theory in our classes. There will be student projects that involve on-farm research and development of extension materials. Therefore, we need producer feedback and ideas to nurture this connection between the Colorado land-grant university and organic producers and marketers in Colorado and surrounding states. Please email Jessica.Davis@Colostate.edu with your ideas.

Jessica Davis and Harrison Hughes
Professors, Depts. of Soil & Crop Sciences
and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture