About
this Curriculum
This curriculum is developed by the Center
for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS)
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College
of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).
Development of this curriculum was funded
in part by a grant from the North Central
Region Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education Program (SARE).
The curriculum is still under development.
Currently, only the first three modules
are available. We hope to have modules IV,
V, and VI available by the end of 2005.
In addition, we plan to add materials to
the first three modules, including information
on careers, references and resources, more
case studies, and prepared presentations.
We welcome suggestions for improvement
from teachers, farmers, students, and others
with interest and knowledge in the area
of sustainable agriculture. Contact Diane
Mayerfeld with your comments.
The curriculum is divided into six different
modules: an introductory module and five
more narrowly focused modules. Each module
is designed to be taught in as little as
5 hours of class time (or one week), though
if you choose to use all the material in
the module, it will take longer. The modules
are designed to be taught independently,
however, we strongly recommend that teachers
ensure that their students are familiar
with the basic concepts covered in Module
I before proceeding to any of the other
modules. These basic concepts can be introduced
(or reviewed) in as little as two hours.
The following key themes inform the whole
curriculum:
- Sustainable agriculture addresses social,
environmental, and economic impacts.
- Food system and agroecosystem analysis
offer critical theoretical frameworks
for understanding agriculture.
- Sustainable agriculture is defined and
driven by goals. Practices are sustainable
only insofar as they support those goals.
Thus the same practice may be sustainable
in one context and unsustainable in another.
- Real world examples provide the best
opportunities for understanding the potential
and the challenges of sustainable agriculture.
The curriculum provides some case study
examples, but teachers are strongly encouraged
to introduce students to people engaged
in sustainable agriculture or food businesses
in their immediate area.
Educators are welcome to adapt and reproduce
sections of the curriculum for non-commercial
use.
Many people helped with the development
of this curriculum. Special thanks are due
to the following individuals:
Louis Beck, teacher, Union High School
near Waterloo, Iowa
Calvin Buowkamp, teacher, Pardeeville, Wisconsin
Dela Ends, farmer, Brodhead, Wisconsin
Dean Gagnon, Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction
Janet Gamble, Michael Fields Agricultural
Institute, East Troy, Wisconsin
Shelly Gradwell, Practical Farmers of Iowa
Dale Gruis, Iowa Department of Education
Laura Krouse, farmer and professor at Cornell
College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa
Gary Lake, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dave Lubben, farmer, Monticello, Iowa
Douglas Maxwell, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Brad Meyer, Practical Farmers of Iowa
Jodi Minzlaff, student, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Shellie Orngard, Iowa State University
Bert Paris, farmer, Belleville, Wisconsin
Dennis Uppena, teacher, Cassville, Wisconsin
Mark Voss, teacher, Middleton, Wisconsin
All the staff at CIAS, including Cris Carusi,
Dick Cates, Susan Church, Trish Haza, John
Hendrickson, Angela Martinsen, Brent McCown,
Ruth McNair, Michelle Miller, Don Schuster,
and Steve Stevenson.
The first version of Toward a Sustainable
Agriculture was published by the Wisconsin
Rural Development Center and CIAS in 1991.
This curriculum draws some ideas and activities
from the original publication. Copies of
the original curriculum can still be ordered
for $15.00. Send a check, payable to “UW
Madison - CIAS,” to:
CIAS
Curriculum Project
1535 Observatory Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
* clearly state that you want the 1991
curriculum.
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