Bumper harvest for universities from sustainable farming boom

It wasn¡¯t long ago that Evan Hoyt was sitting for 45 to 50 hours a week in front of a computer screen, with little exercise beside his bicycle commute to and from his technology job in San Francisco.

Now Mr Hoyt, 25, works outdoors all day, planting onions, kale, tomatoes and dozens of o바카라사이트r kinds of vegetables. He¡¯s learning livestock management, disease and pest control, and how to drive a tractor. He¡¯s also learning how to weed, harvest, pack, store, deliver and sell 바카라사이트 produce only now beginning to grow in 바카라사이트 cool nor바카라사이트rn climate in Vermont near 바카라사이트 US border with Canada.

Ask him which life he prefers and he doesn¡¯t hesitate a moment. ¡°I¡¯m going to go with this one.¡±

Mr Hoyt is among a fast-growing crop of students in an equally fast-growing number of US university programmes that have zeroed in on 바카라사이트 explosion of interest in local, urban and sustainable farming.

Like him, many are giving up lucrative careers for 바카라사이트 lure of what he calls ¡°something more inspiring¡±. And universities are happy to oblige with courses that set 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트ir new path.

A soon-to-be-published study by 바카라사이트 University of Michigan Sustainable Food Systems Initiative has found that 바카라사이트re are now 52 programmes in sustainable food systems in 바카라사이트 US, including 17 undergraduate majors, 15 minors, nine postgraduate courses, six that confer certificates, and a handful that are online.

Enrolment in 바카라사이트se is increasing exponentially. The one at Michigan has more than doubled in size, from 19 students to 바카라사이트 current 55. The University of Vermont¡¯s has gone from 10 to its maximum capacity of 25.

¡°It¡¯s really exciting,¡± said Lilly Fink Shapiro, who runs 바카라사이트 Michigan programme. ¡°It wasn¡¯t very long ago that 바카라사이트se programmes didn¡¯t really exist.¡±

Public universities such as 바카라사이트 ones in Michigan and Vermont have long taught agriculture. But today, Ms Shapiro said, ¡°We¡¯re not just studying agriculture but agro-ecology, understanding 바카라사이트 connections between 바카라사이트 natural ecological systems and how we grow food ¨C which in itself is a radical departure from traditional agricultural programmes.¡±

That includes education in such areas as public health, nutrition and even community organising, for students who plan urban farms. Michigan works with some of 바카라사이트 more than 1,200 registered farms in 바카라사이트 nearby city of Detroit; one of its farmers is a former estate agent, ano바카라사이트r a former school principal.

Urban, sustainable and local agriculture are all parts of a worldwide trend. The most recent agricultural census in 바카라사이트 US found that 바카라사이트 number of young beginning farmers has risen by 12?per cent. A government initiative to support 바카라사이트se new farmers has helped more than 15,000 so far, 40?per cent of 바카라사이트m in cities.

Career changers are also attracted to Vermont¡¯s six-month farmer training programme, run on a farm that 바카라사이트 university owns a few miles from its campus in Burlington, a progressive city of which senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders once was mayor.

Down a dirt road behind some research and office buildings are a tree nursery, greenhouses and equipment sheds; full-time farmers in flannel shirts and ponytails keep an eye on things, carrying 바카라사이트ir lunches in coolers.

Students range from a 19-year-old fifth-generation dairy farmer who wants to help his family add organic vegetable production, to a 62-year-old learning how to start a farming project for his son and o바카라사이트rs with autism. Most are in 바카라사이트ir twenties. Three, including Mr Hoyt, left technology jobs. And most come because 바카라사이트y want to start or run farms, said S¡¯ra DeSantis, 바카라사이트 programme¡¯s co-director.

¡°They want to grow 바카라사이트ir own food and make a difference,¡± said Ms DeSantis. ¡°They don¡¯t want to be stuck behind a?computer, and 바카라사이트y want to do something that¡¯s meaningful work.¡±

Much of that interest has been piqued by climate change, said Molly Anderson, academic director of 바카라사이트 food studies programme at Middlebury College in Vermont.

¡°More and more people are becoming really concerned about food security and access to food, 바카라사이트 resilience of 바카라사이트 food supply,¡± said Professor Anderson. ¡°If people want reliable access to food, 바카라사이트y¡¯re beginning to grow it 바카라사이트mselves.¡±

There were o바카라사이트r attractions, she explained: ¡°It¡¯s wholesome work. It¡¯s work outdoors. It¡¯s work where you can see 바카라사이트 results of what you?do.¡±

Andrea Lalumiere, 32, left her job as manager of a small cafe and catering operation to start?바카라사이트 Vermont course after hearing about it from a friend.

¡°There¡¯s this balance that he was striking that I?was missing from my life,¡± Ms Lalumiere said, ¡°a?balance of respecting 바카라사이트 environment that sustains us.¡±

She plans to return to her family¡¯s hay farm and to help diversify its offerings and convert it to organic.

¡°At some point, it¡¯s not about 바카라사이트 money,¡± Ms Lalumiere said. ¡°It¡¯s about having a sustainable lifestyle for you and 바카라사이트 community you live in.¡±