Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems program

The Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems program at Seattle Central College provides students and community members with knowledge and skills in agroecological sciences, natural resource management, and environmental science and conservation. With an emphasis on ‘urban’ organic agriculture in western Washington, this program trains participants to sustainably manage production and operations as the underpinning of a resilient, equitable, and local food system through the following credentials:

• Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Associate of Science Transfer: Track 1 (AS-T: Track 1) Degree (minimum of 107 credits)
• Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Associate of Arts Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA) Degree (minimum of 101 credits)
• Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Emphasis (minimum of 24 credits)

The Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems program degrees and emphasis are not offered at this time. The program is currently under review. Please contact the program coordinator for details: Grace.Sparks@seattlecolleges.edu

• NEW: Sustainable Agriculture Applied Planning and Management Certificate of Completion (20.4 Continuing Education Units and equivalent in content to ENVS 196, ENVS 198, and ENVS 199 combined)

Program courses and credits include:

Core courses

• ANTH 270 - Food, Culture, and Politics (5)
• ENVS 200 - Careers Seminar in Sustainable Agriculture (2)
• ENVS 202 - Agroecology: An Ecological Approach to Agriculture (5)
• ENVS 204 - Soil Science and Conservation (5)
• ENVS 214 - Food Systems Analysis (5)
• ENVS 216 - Urban Vegetable Production (5)
• ENVS 218 - Urban Fruit Production (5)

Capstone courses

• ENVS 196 - Spring Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture (2)
• ENVS 197 - Internship in Sustainable Agriculture (2-5)
• ENVS 198 - Summer Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture (2)
• ENVS 199 - Fall Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture (2)
• UGR 214 - Introduction to Scientific Research (2)
• UGR 294 - Independent Research in the Sciences (1-5)

Quarterly schedule

Graduates of the Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems program will be able to:

• Describe the ecological principles that support agroecosystems at different geographic and economic scales, including the significance of plant diversity and soil properties and processes to terrestrial ecosystems and human societies.
• Select and grow bioregionally appropriate vegetable, bush, and tree crops according to their site-specific growth and cultural requirements within polycultural intercropping, succession planting, crop rotation, and season extension systems.
• Apply agroecological and permaculture design practices to sustainable urban agriculture and food system challenges to then develop and implement whole micro-farm management and business plans from greenhouse seeds to local direct market sales.
• Discuss how the emergence, growth, and practice of urban agriculture affect the sustainability and equitability of local and global food systems, and how those systems, in turn, relate to associated fields in natural resource management and environmental science and conservation.
• Demonstrate a synthesis of existing and new knowledge and skills and the ability to work as part of a team and independently within a sustainable agriculture internship, practicum, or research work environment.

For more information, contact:

Grace Sparks
Seattle Central College
Department of Biology, Instructor
Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems program,
Coordinator and Instructor
Grace.Sparks@seattlecolleges.edu