Sustainable Agriculture

Overview

The Associate of Science in Sustainable Agriculture degree will not only prepare future farmers for both the business and science behind running a small profitable farm in Northern New England, but also provide those students wishing to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Agriculture the courses needed for transfer. The career pathway of this program focuses on sustainable alternatives to industrialized farming and how to be successful in the marketplace without competing with industrialized and specialized large-scale operations. Students will develop the skills necessary to market their product through farmers markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture and restaurants as part of the local food-to-table movement. In the transfer pathway students will take a series of core courses and electives that will prepare them to complete a Bachelor of Science as well as work in this field. As advocates for the production of healthy, environmentally friendly food in their community, students will understand the holistic role of the agro-ecosystem and how to balance the economic, environmental and social needs of the farmer and community. Students will specialize through guided pathways based on their agricultural preference, such as greenhouse and high tunnel farming, open field farming, fruit, tree, vineyard as well as agricultural management, policy and marketing.

This program is financial aid eligible.

Technical Standards

Students in the Sustainable Agriculture Technology certificate must have sufficient strength, stamina, motor coordination, and sensory capabilities to perform the following:

• Standing for sustained periods of time, walking, running, bending, and sitting on the floor/ground to meet farming needs and accomplish tasks;
• Frequent lifting, moving, and transferring of equipment, plants, and/or livestock;
• Sufficient visual and hearing acuity to ensure a safe environment and the ability to respond quickly to clients, colleagues, and professional partners in the event of an emergency;
• Sufficient verbal ability to express and exchange information and ideas, as well as to interpret important instructions to clients, colleagues, and professional partners;
• Ability to work with frequent interruptions, to respond appropriately to unexpected situations, including situations requiring immediate crisis response and role responsibility exchange, to demonstrate safe and required care for colleagues and the workplace as a whole, and to cope with substantial variations in workload and stress levels;
• Ability to consistently attend and participate in classes and laboratories in a timely manner;
• Ability to demonstrate and maintain organizational skills and time management in classes and at the laboratory site;
• Ability to abide by NHTI’s Student Code of Conduct.

NHTI reserves the right to amend its technical standards at any time and impose them on all current students.

Internship Considerations

NHTI has developed excellent practicum opportunities for our students to foster hands-on learning while simultaneously receiving credit. Nonetheless, the college’s first priority must be to ensure that patients/clients/children/families are not placed in jeopardy by students during learning experiences. Therefore, students in internship, externship, practicum, service learning, and clinical experiences must demonstrate sufficient emotional stability to withstand the stresses, uncertainties and changing circumstances that characterize patient/client/child/family responsibilities. Furthermore, the student is expected to have the emotional stability required to exercise sound judgment, accept direction and guidance from a supervisor or faculty member, and establish rapport and maintain sensitive interpersonal relationships and confidentiality with employees, customers, and/or patients/clients/children and their families.

Sustainable Agriculture Associate in Science Degree with Certificate Option

Sustainable Agriculture Associate in Science Degree with Transfer Option

Program Outcomes

The program will provide students with the knowledge and local connections to overcome some of the barriers facing a new farmer. Students will: 

• Apply the basic principles of environmental science and ecology to sustainable agriculture
• Read and interpret soil and water chemistry testing results
• Identify basic agricultural pests and diseases
• Select plants, order materials, plant and transplant in greenhouses, directly sow seeds and harvest plants
• Identify trees and use the principles of  forest ecology and tree identification  to select planting sites and predict how these principals will affect soil type and chemistry
• Calculate the ratios of fertilizers and  nutrients for application per area
• Prepare a portfolio with information on pests, climate, frost dates, plant types, pest resistance, planting dates, costs and potential markets needed for licensing and financial documentation
• Evaluate the consequences of a history of industrialized agriculture and explain how that affects current agricultural systems
• Advocate for policy change to support sustainable agriculture
• Manage a working landscape
• Promote healthy eating and value added agricultural products
• Maintain financial records and apply for and procure loans and grants
• Identify niche markets and properly market materials ensuring a profitable business 
• Gain skills through internships and apprenticeships and establish mentoring relationships with successful agribusinesses

Students will develop the skills necessary and complete the appropriate classes needed to either pursue a B.S degree in Sustainable Agriculture or for direct workforce entry.  Such careers include:  

• Farmer
• Market Gardener
• Farmers Market Manager
• Farm Manager
• Sustainable agriculture consultant
• Local food buyer for Supermarket
• Organic/Sustainable Retail and Support (seed/ equipment company)
• Greenhouse manager
• High tunnel grower
• Agrotourism
• 4-H coordination
• Agricultural fair worker
• Management and marketing of agricultural
• Operations
• Management of working lands and landscapes
• Agriculture/food/nutrition/natural resources-related research
• Policy-making