What's your major?

Universities considering adding organic-farming to curriculum.

Posted by Chris Schults (Guest Contributor) at 12:06 PM on 26 Jul 2005

Read more about: education | food | local food | organic food

Recently in Daily Grist we reported how locally grown foods are catching on at college dining halls.

Now wouldn't it be nice if the students knew the in's and out's of how that food was produced? Well, they may get their chance, as several universities are offering (or are considering offering) organic-farming majors.

But as KATU 2 in Portland, Ore., reports:

... starting up such a major can carry an implicit critique of traditional programs, said Matt Liebman, director of the graduate program in sustainable agriculture at Iowa State University in Ames.

"It implies that everyone else is non-sustainable, and they find that fairly threatening," Liebman said. "It can imply a critique of traditional agriculture, and its effects on the environment, or farm size."

Kinda like saying that slapping on non-GMO labels implies that there is something wrong with genetically modified foods.

Now, the question is, will organic-farming majors think that they are morally superior?

For story: What's your major?
5 Comments | Post a Comment

A step in the right direction!

Public universities backing organic instead of agri-chem-big-biz food production.

But of course you all are concerned that it will alienate nascar dads. Good for you.

This group must be catered to and pampered! It IS the major constituency of neo-libertarianism!

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 6:54 AM on 27 Jul 2005

Clarification

amazingdrx, you wrote:

But of course you all are concerned that it will alienate nascar dads. Good for you. (my emphasis)

To be clear, I'm not "concerned". I was simply pointing out what the article reported.

It will be upsetting, though, if this doesn't get off the ground due to the belief that offering organic-farming majors implies that "traditional" farming is bad.

Isn't that like saying offering water color painting suggests that there is something wrong with oil painting??? (Ok, maybe not, but I tried.)

by Chris Schults at 9:10 AM on 27 Jul 2005

Big Ag dollars are the issue

The implicit meaning of Liebman's comment is that the extent to which an ag school relies on the agri, GM and chemical industries for funding -- of research programs, professorial chairs, etc. -- will play a role in getting the organic farming major off the ground. These entities are not fond of critique of "traditional agriculture" (meaning post-Green Revolution agriculture), farm size, or the enviro impacts of farming.

Emily Gertz Journalist & Editor egertz AT oneatlantic DOT net http://www.apartmentecology.com/

by Emily Gertz at 9:44 AM on 27 Jul 2005

Sorry chris.

Did not mean to include you and everyone else at grist in "you all".

It is my obscure coined phrase for the basic neo-libertarian point of view. I am clumsily relating it to the rise of the neo-conservatives upon the southern, red state voting block.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 9:53 AM on 27 Jul 2005
[ Parent ]

Yep emily.

It's the dollars, consumer dollars funnelled through agri-chem-biz food industry and agri biz friendly administration poltical appointees channeling tax dollars to more chem biz research, instead of to organic reasearch.

15 years after a few here in Wisconsin started asking the land grant state university/agricultural extension prtograms to shift some resources to organics, it is finally happening on a trickle down basis.

Getting trickled on is not enough, organic farming needs a ton of high tech capital invested in labor saving robotic production boosting equipment. This will bring the cost of organic down to an affordable level.

No more hormones, pesticides, weedkillers, GMOs needed and still feed the world with amazing agricultural productivity.

This should be the new environmental agriculture push for progressive activist politics. As electric cars and wind and solar are for the energy policy issue.

No more heavy water use or high oil energy use in farm machinery and in fertilizer, instead organic fertilizer from recycled waste and electric powered farming equipment.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 10:05 AM on 27 Jul 2005
[ Parent ]

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