Negativism of Foreclosure has Made Students Take Positive Stand Towards Farming

Negativism of Foreclosure has Made Students Take Positive Stand Towards Farming

It is typical of the young that they do not mope for too long. As the foreclosure and unemployment crisis persists they have taken a positive attitude towards sustainable farming.

One of the enthusiasts is Devin Lyons. He generally starts off in the morning by cooking fresh eggs from the chicken coop of the farm. After that a couple of his friends join him, if the weather permits, to cut hay using oxen and then turn the compost or get down to weeding the vegetable rows.

While other students are sweating it out in closed class rooms nearly dozen students are earning points looking after a farm in Vermont. In 13 weeks they have earned 12 credit points and nearly $12,500. The students of Green Mountain College plough the fields with either oxen or horses, milk the cows, weed the ground and in general grow food. This is not outside their curriculum but part of a course in sustainable agriculture that uses the least fossil fuel.

Spokesperson Kevin Coburn said, "Lots of schools study sustainable agriculture but I don't think any of them put it into practice."

Their field of operation runs into 22 acres adjacent to a brick building housing liberal arts college. It is on the fringes of a town. They have at their disposal two oxen teams, apart from two cows, goats, pigs and a good number of chickens. They do not have tractors.

The students live in tents on the borders of the field close to a river. Six hours per week is devoted to studying in an old farmhouse getting theoretical knowledge about organic crops and management of animals. They also study management of farm infrastructure, development of technology related to agriculture. Their focus is however on animal and human power as well as the social together with cultural significance of producing and partaking regiona food. Apart for these 6 hours they are out in the open or completing their home tasks and research assignments.

Kenneth Mulder, the manger of Cerridwen Farm of the college who conducts the summer programme said, "So they're actually seeing the applications firsthand."

The idea of college farming is catching on. As per the findings of Rodale Institute of Pennsylvania more than 80 schools have these practical farm programmes. Green Mountain College ranks the best. Roland King of National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities said, "It's traditionally been one of the leaders in environmental studies and it is because they put their studies where their mouth is in really getting students out and doing and practicing the sort of environmentally enlightened work that some talk about in class."

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