Certificate of Achievement, Organic/Sustainable Agriculture

The certificate of achievement in Organic/Sustainable Agriculture will provide knowledge and skills necessary for the next generation of farmers in sustainable, local, and organic farming practices. The core courses in this certificate focus on the social, economic and environmental aspects of agriculture to develop a thorough understanding of our food cycle from farm to table and beyond. This certificate provides a broad understanding of the many aspects of sustainable agriculture, combined with real-world hands-on experiences, to develop the skills that are essential to be a successful vegetable farm worker, community garden coordinator or agricultural entrepreneur.

There is interest in this certificate already. We believe enrollment will be strong with an annual completer's rate of ten with a net annual labor demand of 22.

The Certificate of Achievement in Organic/Sustainable Agriculture emphasizes disciplines related to the management of soil, water, air, plant and livestock resources,particularly pertaining to the agricultural industry. Students can expect to gain a general understanding of science-related topics such as sustainable vegetable production; introduction to organic/sustainable agriculture; agriculture sales; agriculture, environment and society; tractor operations, and organic certification.This preparation includes the following program learning outcomes:

1.   Describe the importance of the organic agriculture industry to the local, state and national economies.

2.    Discuss the three "E's"(Environment, Economics, & Social Equity) of sustainable agriculture and the importance of each.

3.   Apply best management practices to organic agriculture production scenarios.

Completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Organic/Sustainable Agriculture would enable students to seamlessly enter the agriculture profession.

To meet the requirements for this certificate of achievement the students must:

1.  Completion of a total of 24 semester units that include the following:  Required Core (16 unites): AG 63, AG 22, AG33, AG 43, AG 5, AG 60, and AG 67; and 8 elective units from: AG 17, AG 42,  AG 44A, AG 68, AG 69, AG 51,  WT 53, and SPAN 1A.

2.  Obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.0