Plant and Earth Science Department

Students who select this minor will learn about sustainable agriculture in its broadest sense, including issues related to maintaining and/or improving crop and animal productivity, preserving environmental resources for future generations, ensuring farm profitability, and ensuring rural community vitality and viability. They learn how to build markets and opportunities for producers, and they help consumers make "green" choices on purchased products.

Sustainable agriculturalists work as producers of value added crops, such as organic produce, grains and meats. Some provide technical support for crop and animal production systems, develop soil and nutrient management plans, work with producers to control insects, diseases and other pests with integrated pest management techniques, market locally-grown food products, and research ways to make agriculture more efficient, environmentally sound and sustainable for future generations.

Minor Requirements: 24 credits

Required courses

  • CROP 368 Sustainable Agriculture 3 cr.
  • ESM 220 Environ Sustainability: Theories, Issues and Mgmt 3 cr.
    • Prereq: ESM 105
  • AGEC 450 Introduction to Natural Resources Economics 3 cr.
    • Prereq: AGEC 230

Directed electives (15 cr.)

Select one from the following (social science):

  • COMS 315
  • ENGL 228
  • ESM 251
  • ESM 351
  • PHIL 304

Select two from the following (agricultural production):

  • ANSC 364 Sustainable Animal Production
  • ANSC 365 Poultry Production
  • ANSC 366 Swine Production
  • ANSC 367 Beef Production
  • ANSC 368 Sheep Production
  • CROP 263 Forage Crop Production
  • CROP 363 Pasture Production
  • CROP 468 Organic Production Systems
  • DASC 306 Dairy Production
  • ESM 343 Woodlot Management
  • HORT 327 Vegetable Science and Production
  • HORT 347 Fruit Science and Production

Select one from the following (agricultural economics):

  • AFES 310 Agricultural Human Resource Management
  • AGEC 345 Agricultural Law
  • AGEC 350 Agricultural Product Marketing
  • AGEC 360 Farm Management
  • AGEC 361 Small Agribusiness Management
  • AGEC 445 Land Use and Sustainable Agriculture Law

Select one from the following:

  • ANSC 115 Animal Welfare
  • AET 325 Alternative Energy Systems
  • CROP 451 Integrated Pest Management
  • ESM 305 Environmental Impact Assessment
  • GEOL 350 Geological Destinies of Nations
  • SOIL 311 Soil Fertility
  • SOIL 440 Soil and Water Conservation