Skagit Valley College

Catalog Course Search Details

 Course Title:   Sustainable Small Farming and Ranching

 Title Abbreviation:   SUSTAIN FARM/RANCHING

 Department:    ENVAG

 Course #:    270

 Credits:    5

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    6

 CIP:    010308

 EPC:    127

 REV:    2021


 Course Description  

Explore small farm models and entrepreneurship, and conceive of and draft a whole farm management plan. Learn to assess site conditions and user needs and manage small farm facilities and equipment, natural resources, plants and animals, and cropping systems and practices. Field trips are an integral part of this course.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: None.

Additional Course Details

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 33

Lab: 44

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0


Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Vocational Preparatory Required for certificate  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Other Institution Equivalencies Table
Institution Course # Remarks
N/A

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Discuss and evaluate common and emergent small farm models, and describe the entrepreneurial competencies required to sustain these small businesses.
  2. Prepare a whole farm management plan that balances productive efficiency, resource conservation, and socioeconomic resiliency.
  3. Analyze and assess site conditions, interpret user needs, and employ whole systems thinking to real world small farm challenges and opportunities.
  4. Practice small farm management skills with farm site soils, plants, animals, equipment, tools, materials, and supplies both in a greenhouse and in the field.
  5. Apply and compare a diverse set of cropping systems and practices associated with small scale operations for extended season production in the Pacific Northwest.

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

Course Contents

  1. Common and emergent small farm models, and describe the entrepreneurial competencies required to sustain these small businesses.
  2. Farm management plan that balances productive efficiency, resource conservation, and socioeconomic resiliency.
  3. Site conditions, interpret user needs, and employ whole systems thinking to real world small farm challenges and opportunities.
  4. Small farm management skills with farm site soils, plants, animals, equipment, tools, materials, and supplies both in a greenhouse and in the field.
  5. Diverse set of cropping systems and practices associated with small scale operations for extended season production in the Pacific Northwest.