ILC

Student Info

Name: Sheilah Cannon

Term: Spring 2018

Credits: 16

Title: Growing a Farm: Cultivating a New Farm Business

Contact Info

Contract mode:  Undergraduate In Program Internship with Individual Learning Component
Sponsor name:  Muehleisen, David

Internship Info (if applicable):

Internship hours/wk: 15
Internship credits: 5
Academic credits: 11

Field Supervisor

Field supervisor: Beth Leimbach

Title: Assistant Farm Manager

Organization: The Evergreen State College

Program Description

Narrative: This one quarter project entitled Growing a Farm: Cultivating a New Farm Business, is designed to outline the steps needed to start a sustainable farm business. The student will gain fundamental skills through hands on farm work through an internship on an organic farm, as well as navigating the legal requirements requisite for opening a new farm based business. Text and online study materials include Rhonda Hart’s Deerproofing Your Yard and Garden,  Lane Greer and John Dole’s, Woody Cut Stems for Growers and Florist, Dr. Catherine Kleier’s The Great Courses: Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany, and Brian Capon’s Botany for Gardeners

 

Learning objective Activity Deliverable
 To learn propagation, field cultivation, and post harvest handling related to annual and perennial crops.  I will participate in transplanting and succession of crops, as well as all aspects of field cultivation such as bed preparation, application of fertilizer, irrigation details, and post harvest handling of spring crops.  Field supervisor will provide a written evaluation of student’s work at the end of the quarter. Student will document work in weekly postings on e portfolio and keep a field journal.
To learn how to start a farm based business following the legal steps  required to open a new business.

To learn how to install plantings and infrastructure for a start up farm.
  • I will apply for permits and follow and all the necessary steps that entail starting a farm business in Washington State.
  • I will chose and plant  species for first year of farm production.
  • Text include Lane Greer and John Dole’s Woody Cut Stems for Growers and Florist, and Rhonda Hart’s Deer Proofing Your Yard and Garden.
  I will provide documentation of the approved ILC project, weekly post, log of activities and hours, image gallery, and bibliography. I 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.  For the final presentation I will post and, when possible, present in class on Tuesday of week 10, a ten-minute PowerPoint (Keynote, Google Slides) presentation of 10-15 slides with text that demonstrates the highlights of my in-program ILC Project.
 To gain a deeper understanding of plant botany.  I will study The Great Courses Plant Science:An introduction to Botany, by Dr. Catherine Kleier. The course consist of 24 lectures that are 31 minutes in length. The student will complete 2-3 lectures per week.  I will provide weekly lecture notes and a photographic essay with captions documenting my weekly learning process.

Evaluation of Work

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 should provide the faculty with a field supervisor, subcontractor, or mentor’s descriptive assessment of in-program ILC work completed with their guidance, expertise, or supervision by Thursday noon of week 10. This assessment should be discussed between the student and the field supervisor, subcontractor, or mentor, then provided on professional letterhead as an attached .doc file with current contact information directly to the appropriate faculty sponsor through email (williasa@evergreen.edu or muehleisen@evergreen.edu ). The student should 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.  For the final presentation each student will post and, when possible, present in class on Tuesday of week 10, 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 should not be about the creation of new material, but rather the final presentation should assemble and tell the story of existing material regarding the student’s in-program ILC project. All students must update their Academic Statement yearly; graduating seniors are encouraged to work on revisions to their final Academic Statement with faculty prior to the final evaluation conference.