Student Info
Name: Keith Koch
Term: Fall 2018
Credits: 16
Title: Autumn’s Apprentice and Rooting into Regenerative Routines
Contact Info
Contract mode: Undergraduate In Program Individual Learning Contract
Sponsor name: Sarah Williams
Internship Info (if applicable):
Internship hours/wk:
Internship credits: 12
Academic credits: 4
Field Supervisor
Field supervisor: Alexia Allen
Title: CEO of Farm Town
Organization: Hawthorn Farm LLC
Subcontractor
Name:
Title:
Organization:
Program Description
Narrative:
Autumn’s Apprentice and Rooting into Regenerative Routines is a contract designed to document the journey into living and working on a regenerative suburban farm during the harvest season. In addition to participating in tasks related to autumn chores and routines on Hawthorn Farm, the student will connect with the community of regenerative farms in the area and explore related literature and media. The student will read The Lean Farm by Ben Hartman, The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk, The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and reflect through journal entries and ePortfolio posts on these books. The student will be researching various media in the form of podcasts and Youtube to collect and reflect on resources related to the topic of regenerative farming. The student will be visiting a few local farms, participating in workshops, and attending conferences, which will be documented and reflected on through journal entries posted to an E-Portfolio.
| Learning objective | Activity | Deliverable |
| To learn about the core routines and responsibilities of a suburban permaculture in the Autumn season. | Living and working on Hawthorn Farm, an 8-acre farm, there will be lots of opportunities to take care of animals and tend to the land in all the ways that the harvest season requires. Every week there is a community farm day in which all members of the farm and a few changing members of the public come together to accomplish tasks. The different members of the farm are all versed in different areas of expertise and we will collaborate on crafting creative ways to articulate and educate on important topics and concepts to the general public. |
I will document my hours logged into a spreadsheet. I will turn in an evaluation from my supervisor at the end of the quarter. I will document my learning and experiences through an E-Portfolio and post at least once a week with pictures, video, and/or text. |
| To learn about regenerative farming concepts, practices, and design. | Reading and responding to “The Lean Farm” by Ben Hartman on efficient farming practices. Reading and Responding to “The Resilient Farm and Homestead” by Ben Falk. Reading and Responding to the “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. Researching relevant topics on internet sources like podcasts and YouTube. Watch and Respond to “Inhabit” a documentary about regenerative systems. |
I will respond to the books I read through journal entries, relevant articles, and social media posted to my E-Portfolio. I will write summaries of any resources I come across on the internet. I will log my hours. |
| To educate myself on the examples of regenerative farms, practices, and food culture in my community, bioregion and beyond. | There are many local examples of regenerative farms in the area and I will visit a few that I admire and journal about the experience. I will attend the Northwest Permaculture Convergence. I will attend the Biodynamic Conference. I will travel to Nashville, Tennessee to visit some local farms and document my experience. |
I will include reflections, summaries, documented media coverage, and resources I collect to my E-Portfolio. |
Evaluation of Work
- Narrative evaluation from field supervisor emailed to sponsor
- Narrative evaluation from the sponsor
- Narrative self-evaluation from student
- Weekly Postings to E-Portfolio
- Spreadsheet of hours logged
- Social Media posts including video, recording, pictures, and articles.
- The student will complete all assignments as described on the syllabus, including weekly documentation of the ePortfolio on the Project pages of the SOS: Food and Ag program website. Required components of the ePortfolio, as templated include: approved ILC description; weekly post; log of activities and hours; map; image gallery, and bibliography. Because the student’s in-program ILC project requires–or would benefit from–a field supervisor (required for internships), subcontractor (required for upper division science credit), or mentor, the student’s in-program ILC should include the faculty as well as a field supervisor, subcontractor, or mentor with particular expertise in the student’s subject area. A descriptive assessment of in-program ILC work completed with their guidance, expertise, or supervision will be submitted by email directly to the faculty by Thursday noon of week 10. This assessment will be discussed between the student and the field supervisor, subcontractor, or mentor, then provided on professional letterhead as an attached .doc file (not pdf) with current contact information directly to the faculty sponsor through email (williasa@evergreen.edu). The student will complete comprehensive mid-quarter and final narrative self-evaluations and submit them to faculty at mid-quarter and prior to their final, end of quarter student-faculty conference. The student will post and, when possible, do an in-class final present during week 10 consisting of a ten-minute PowerPoint (Keynote, Google Slides) presentation of 10-15 slides with text that demonstrates the highlights of the student’s in-program ILC Project. (Note: As a “best of the student’s ePortfolio” this presentation will not be about the creation of new material, but rather the final presentation will assemble and tell the story of existing material regarding the student’s in-program ILC project.) The student will update their Academic Statement yearly; graduating seniors will work on revisions to their final Academic Statement with faculty prior to the final evaluation conference. Due to limited campus support of various WordPress themes and off-campus student use of mobile apps, the students will use the WordPress theme of the templated ePortfolio provided on the SOS: Food and Ag program website.