Lee Meyer and Mark Williams College of Ag, Food and Environment University of Kentucky

 Premise: Just as sustainability is integrative by nature, so is the land-grant university model. Not only does this make sustainability a natural fit, but enhances both sustainability and the land grant mission  Today’s Plan: describe our environment at UK, showing the mutual reinforcement of goals; describe lessons learned and propose some general models

 The University of Kentucky -- mission to improve the lives of Kentuckians, engage the University community to create policies and programs that will simultaneously advance economic vitality, ecological integrity and social equity, now and into the future. rating: Silver

 Morrell Act – 1862 – funded with sale of land to “focus on the teaching of practical agriculture, science and engineering (though "without excluding... classical studies"), as a response to the industrial revolution and changing social class.  Smith Lever Act – 1914 “established a system cooperative extension services, connected to land grant universities in order to provide practical training.”

Environment Economics Community Research Teaching Extension

Environment Economics Community Researchinternally and grant funded projects Ex: climate change impacts Teaching Sustainable Ag (SAG) undergrad program Extension internally and externally funded programs Ex: pasture based beef production; Market Ready USDA Sust. Ag Research and Education (SARE) Ex: Community based food systems; organic corn

 All faculty have at least two way appointments – research and teaching, teaching and extension, all three  There is a culture of doing applied work and engagement  Students are intentionally connected to this engagement model  Examples: UK hort farm; workshops and extension programs; participate in research; intern on local farms;

Credits UKy CoreGen Ed.27 Pre-MajorChem, Bio, Econ, Nutrition 18 Major Req.Env. Stewardship11 Econ Profitability10 Soc Responsibility9 Sust Ag CoreIntro, Cult. Persp., Apprenticeship, Capstone 12 Spec Support(potential minor)21 Total:120

 Register for a fall class, but begin in the spring and work through the summer, into the fall  Work at UK Hort farm, producing for a 175 university community member CSA  hours of production training, 200 hours of practice (UK and other farms)  Learn most facets of organic horticulture production for a CSA market Blog:

 SAG 101Intro to Sust. Ag  SAG 201Cultural Perspectives Includes community engagement  SAG 397Apprenticeship  SAG 490Integration of Sust. Ag Principles (experiential and project oriented “capstone”)

 Graduates have been highly successful in obtaining jobs: 90%+ employed in field  Positions: production/farming, community food systems, county extension, non- governmental agencies, private sector crop and soil consultation, research and education, and graduate school.

 Farm/CSA  Students’ lives: “This summer was a watershed period in my life because for the first time since I have been sober (8 years so far), I felt comfortable around other people. I think when a group of people are thrust into a vast row of green beans and told to pick them, something about the repetition and redundance of the act (or art) of picking beans is hypnotic and somehow therapeutic.” Blog:

CSA annual potluck and farm tour

Students from GEN 100 “Issues in Agriculture”

Research and training with moveable high tunnel greenhouses

 Compared students understanding and ability to apply sustainability by having them evaluate a site specific situation, applying understanding of sustainable ag principles  We compare students in intro class (SAG 101) with students in the capstone class (SAG 490)  Quantitative outcomes: mean scores of five “learning indicators”: 12.8 end of SAG end of SAG 490

 Build on strengths ◦ University farms? ◦ Community interests, urban gardens

 Build on strengths ◦ University farms? ◦ Community interests, urban gardens  Collaborate - with your land-grant universities

 Build on strengths ◦ University farms? ◦ Community interests, urban gardens  Collaborate - with your land-grant universities St. Catherine: “Our” Collaborations: (among others) * UK College of Ag, Food and Environment * Washington Co. Extension office

 Build on strengths ◦ University farms? ◦ Community interests, urban gardens  Collaborate - with your land-grant universities St. Catherine: “Our” Collaborations: (among others) * UK College of Ag, Food and Environment * Washington Co. Extension office  Hire faculty from land-grants

 Share programs and curriculum Expand on Sust. Ag Education Assoc. model

 Share programs and curriculum  Expand on Sust. Ag Education Assoc. model  Partner with the USDA SARE program Examples: Use training/educational materials involve students in trainings/support roles

 Grow our program – student numbers  Bring more faculty into our program, both from the College and rest of the university  Involve students in beginning farmer programs  Expand incubation and training programs as a transition for graduates to farming and for extension clientele  Break the small/hort farm stereotype

 What did we miss?  What have you learned in your situation?  Can you suggest strategies to enhance collaboration? Contact Info: Lee Meyer