New
courses for WS07 semester
Holly
Bellis, posted Nov. 10, 2006
As class scheduling is coming to an end, many students are
faced with the question of what classes to take. Beginning
in the winter 2007 semester, two new special topics courses
with be offered through CAFNR. The two new courses are Community
Food Systems and Integrated Crop and Livestock Farming Systems.
The new courses will be under the category of sustainable
agriculture. The term sustainable agriculture “was coined
in the 1980s and grew out of concerns about the impact of
modern agriculture on farm families, rural communities and
the environment,” said Bill McKelvey, graduate assistant
in the rural sociology department. “People were concerned
about rising production costs and falling prices, and the
impact this would have on the agricultural economy.”
Mary Leykamp, a freshman at MU majoring in agricultural education,
said, “I am interested in taking the Integrated Crop
and Livestock Farming Systems course as I plan to be an agriculture
teacher and this would inform me on many new topics.”
Erin Vest, a sophomore majoring in animal science, said that
she would be interested in the Integrated Crop and Livestock
Farming Systems class as well. Vest plans to be an animal
nutritionist after she graduates and said, “A lot of
hobby farmers who only need to produce grain for their own
animals should be informed of this growing topic.”
Sustainable Agriculture: Theory and Practice will be offered
next fall, also through CAFNR. McKelvey said MU will be the
first four-year school in the Midwest to offer an emphasis
in sustainable agriculture. More information on these courses
can be obtained from the assistant dean of academic programs,
Dr. Jim Spain, at spainj@missouri.edu.
