Monday, November 5, 2007
31-10
Washington State University's Organic Agriculture Systems Major: Origin and Structure.
Catherine A. Perillo1, John P. Reganold2, Preston K. Andrews3, Raymond J. Folwell (emeritus)4, James E. Durfey2, Charles T. Gaskins5, Raymond A. Jussaume6, Marvin D. Kleene2, Alan A. McCurdy7, John P. McNamara5, Gary L. Piper8, Michael K. Swan2, Steven E. Ullrich2, and Kathleen M. Williams3. (1) Agricultural and Food Systems, & Dept. Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6420, (2) Dept. Crop & Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6420, (3) Dept. Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6414, (4) Associate Dean Academic Programs, Washington State University, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, PO Box 646243, Pullman, WA 99164-6243, (5) Dept. Animal Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6320, (6) Dept. Community and Rural Sociology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4006, (7) Dept. Food Science and Human Nutrition, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6376, (8) Dept. Entomology, Washington State University, PO Box 646382, Pullman, WA 99164-6382
Washington State University (WSU) faculty have a long history of organic agriculture research and scientific leadership, including the first USDA report (Papendick and others) and first ASA symposium (Bezdicek and others) on the topic. Discussions about an undergraduate major in organic agriculture began at WSU in 2002 leading to curriculum planning. Donated “seed money” enabled immediate development of an introductory Organic Gardening and Farming course and an on-campus organic teaching farm that would allow for teaching of an upper-level Practicum in Organic Agriculture course. This timing coincided with re-organization efforts within the college. A faculty committee representing all of the agricultural programs in the college met routinely from 2003 to develop a proposal that was submitted in May 2005. The originally conceived organic agriculture major became linked with four other majors that were interdisciplinary in nature and required whole systems understanding of agriculture. The resulting five science-based majors, including the Organic Agriculture Systems major, are housed in a new (2006) interdisciplinary, cross-departmental B.S. in Agricultural and Food Systems (AFS) program. The degree program is overseen by a faculty committee representing the original development committee. Beyond the university’s general requirements, the OAS major requires 11 foundational courses across agriculture (the “AFS core,”), a multidisciplinary five-course “organic agriculture core”, and six to seven courses in a specific disciplinary area (e.g., crop production, hospitality, food science, business, etc.) chosen by the student and advisor. At the end of the first academic year, there were eight certified OAS majors, including four double majors. The organic teaching farm has been certified since 2004, runs a 100-share CSA (community supported agriculture) whose proceeds provide a significant proportion of the farm’s operating costs, and has been the locus of numerous volunteer, community, and service learning activities in addition to field trips by other classes. For more information on the OAS major and AFS degree program, see: afs.wsu.edu.