Farming in a Changing Climate
For the first time this year, a Working Group of PERC members interested in sustainable agriculture and on-campus gardens and farms have organized two panels to be presented at the PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) "Farming for the Future" conference in State College from February 3rd to February 6th, 2016 at the Penn Stater in State College PA.
PERC members are encouraged to attend these workshops, as well as other conference events. Details on registration are available at the PASA conference website. Note that this is not an official PERC event so there is no PERC Member discount.
Here is the program for the entire event.
Details on the "PERC panels"...
ON-CAMPUS GARDENS AND FARMS:
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY AND HOW
Saturday February 5th at 1:15-2:35pm.
At a number of colleges and universities across Pennsylvania, faculty, staff and students have worked together—often with input from local farmers and other community members—to establish on-campus gardens and farms. These projects serve as living laboratories for ecology, botany, agriculture, and more broadly speaking, the liberal arts; they are the training grounds for many future farmers and gardeners. There is no single model for a successful campus garden or farm: the best approaches take into consideration the natural and cultural environment of the campus and community, and there are as many ways to have a campus farm or garden as there are campuses.
In this panel discussion representatives of successful campus farms talk about the ways that members of the on- and off-campus community have worked together to produce food, to understand food systems and sustainability, and to build community. From less than an acre to hundreds of acres, campus farms are giving students the chance to grow food for themselves and their neighbors. We will hear about the challenges and opportunities involved in campus gardening and farming, and learn about first steps in bringing together the farming community and the higher education community to start a garden or farm at local college campuses.
Representatives of other colleges and universities have said they would plan to attend this session, so the formal panel presentation will be relatively short, allowing more time for questions from the audience, and interaction among panelists and those in attendance. If PASA permits it, we will invite posters from other campus farm or garden projects.
Panelists:
- Jenn Halpin, Dickinson College, Moderator
- Allen Matthews, Chatham University
- Julie Meyer, Penn State University, Schuylkill
- Natalie Siedhof , Susquehanna University
- Ashlie Delshad or John Pisciotta, West Chester University
CAMPUS, K-12 AND COMMUNITY
WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE SCHOOL GARDENS
Saturday February 5th at 4:10-5:30pm
In this panel, educators will explain their successful collaboration across higher education and K-12 schools to develop successful school gardens. Panelists will describe their methods and resources for establishing educational programs based in school garden environments, and how they plan for the long-term success of school gardens. They will discuss ways to help students learn about food systems, good nutrition, and plant life, and at the same time build relationships within the community.
The discussion is designed for K-12 and college/university educators, students, parents, school administrators, cooperative extension staff, farmers and other community members. Those who attend will leave with ideas about developing an engaging curriculum around nutrition, food harvesting and preparation, and garden planning.
Representatives of other colleges and universities have said they would plan to attend this session, so the formal panel presentation will be relatively short, allowing more time for questions from the audience, and interaction among panelists and those in attendance. If PASA permits it, we will invite posters from other campus-school gardening partnership projects.
Panelists:
- Peter Buckland of the PSU College of Education and the Sustainability Institute, Moderator
- Kerstin Martin, Allegheny College
- Nadine Garner, Millersville University
- Mahsa Kazempour, Penn State University, Berks
- Jennifer James, Swarthmore College
Panelists will describe collaborations across higher education and K-12 to develop school gardens, explaining methods and resources for establishing educational programs for school gardens and planning for their long-term success. They will discuss ways students learn about food systems, good nutrition, and plant life, while building relationships within the community.