Growing a Sustainable Food Systems Program at the University of Victoria:
A comparative analysis of sustainable food systems at post-secondary institutes in western Canada and the United States
An Environmental Studies 382 Term Project
By:
Julia Bennett,Chloe Donatelli,Andrea Evans,
Stafford Richter & Andrea Zittlau
For:Lorenzo Magzul
SUBMITTED: December12, 2010
Introduction
Taking words and putting them into action is the motivation behind this
research report. Over the past decade and a half, professors and students alike have
conducted volumes of research on how to best integrate hands-on agricultural learning
into core academic curriculum at the University of Victoria (UVic), resulting in a number
of proposals on the subject. A common theme among these proposals is the advocation
for the use of the Cedar Hill Corner Property (CHCP) as a teaching and learning site
(Campus Urban Agricultural Collaborative, 2010). Located in the Southeast quadrant of
campus, next to the Mystic Vale riparian zone, this 29.1-acre parcel of land is the last
indication that the Gordon Head neighbourhood was used for agricultural production.
The most recent of these proposals is the PEAS Educational Program and Research
Centre, put forward by the Campus Urban Agriculture Collaborative (CUAC). CUAC,
which is a student-led initiative, advocates for the creation of a Centre for Permaculture,
Ethnoecology, Agroecology and Sustainability on the Cedar Hill Corner Property (CUAC,
2010).
Past uses of the Cedar Hill Corner Property have been firmly rooted in
agriculture: the Lekwungen First Nation used the site as a camas harvesting meadow.
More recently, the Turner family used the property as a grain and cattle farm from 1923-
1939 (CUAC 2010). Even after UVic acquired the land from the CJVI radio station in
1964, additional agricultural use happened on the site. In 1974, for example, the Biology
Department experimented with growing corn on the CHCP (Campus Planning &
Sustainability, 2010).
While many students’ vision for the CHCP involves exploratory learning
opportunities, this does not reflect the institutional vision for the property. Within the Uvic
2003 Campus Plan, proposed usages for the site include “academic expansion, faculty
and student housing, sports and recreational facilities, parking and any other special
opportunity uses that may arise” (Campus Planning & Sustainability, 2010 p. 5).
Developing the land without incorporating a hands-on agricultural learning component
would squander a unique opportunity for UVic to become a leader in sustainable food
systems.
Given this context, we attempt to address the following research questions in
this report: What is the feasibility of transforming the CHCP into a living laboratory for
the sustainable production of food and provide research and experiential learning
opportunities for the UVic community? Can UVic become a leader among post-
secondary institutions by fostering the re-localization and sustainability of food
production through hands-on learning, while also integrating sustainability into teaching,
learning, research, and community partnerships? Let’s find out!
Methods
A combination of methods was utilized to answer our research questions. We
first analyzed sustainable agriculture initiatives offered by a variety of post-secondary
institutions as case studies. From these case studies, we identified common themes that
are necessary to develop a sustainable food system program at UVic in the near future.
Building upon the comparative research within the “Models of Success” section of the
PEAS proposal, our research evaluates and compares courses offered at Lane
Community College, the University of British Columbia, and the University of California
Santa Cruz (CUAC, 2010). Using websites, we also researched other post secondary
institutions that have farms, gardens, agricultural programs or food studies programs.
From this research, we identified 20 relevant post secondary institutions, including the
schools identified as models of success by CUAC, and emailed their program and/or
farm directors a survey about the establishment and function of their facility or program.
The survey questions focused on funding, land tenancy, program design, establishment,
academic support, and community connections (see Appendix A). From our research
and surveys, we narrowed our focus to five model schools, which will be summarized
hereafter.
In addition to researching model programs at other post-secondary institutions,
we also attempted to identify faculty members at UVic who could act as champions for
the PEAS proposal within their departments. Another important role of finding
departmental champions was to gain insight on their visions and views of the PEAS
proposal. We emailed a survey to the 17 cross-departmental faculty members who were
identified by CUAC (2010) as being interested in the PEAS proposal and urban
agriculture. There were varying levels of interest and colourful responses, but no one
came forward to champion the proposal.
We also interviewed staff and faculty members to give us guidance. We met with
Rita Fromholt, the Sustainability Coordinator to gain an administrative perspective of the
strengths and weaknesses of the PEAS proposal. She provided us with practical
directions to move forward in. Fromholt identified the academic aspect of the PEAS
proposal as the most feasible. She recommended focusing on the Continuing Studies
program or an interdisciplinary Food Studies minor or diploma program. To follow up
with Fromholt’s suggestions, we interviewed Dr. Bill Carroll, director of Social Justice
Studies; Dr. Robert Gifford, director of Human Dimensions of Climate Change; and Dr.
Janet Pivnick, Continuing Studies Coordinator. These interviews provided us with
practical information about the potential of developing a Food Studies minor or diploma.
5 Barriers to Establishing a Sustainable Food Systems School at UVIC
1. Program Funding
The BC provincial government has put a funding freeze in place for new
academic programs until 2013 (Fromholt, personal communication, November 26,
2010). This means that a completely new food program at UVic is not a viable option
until then. However, there are options for overcoming this barrier. These include
introducing programming through the Continuing Studies department, which has
different funding stipulations and is not subject to the funding freeze, and pulling
together existing courses, professors and funding to create an interdisciplinary minor.
2. The Complexity of an Interdisciplinary Education Model
If a new food program is to be established at UVic, it must be interdisciplinary in
nature. Interestingly enough, the interdisciplinary model of education was identified to us
as both a barrier and a strength (Fromholt, 2010). As food is a central element to all
aspects of life, interdisciplinary education would bring together diverse academic
knowledge and student interest, offering a much more comprehensive understanding of
study. Interdisciplinary models of education have been implemented at UVic, such as
the Environmental Studies Department and Social Justice Minor, however this process
can be complex to establish. The interdisciplinary structure does not fit well with the
standard processes for funding and faculty allocation at the University, which are
generally divided along strict departmental lines (Fromholt, 2010).
3. Land
Land, if anything, is political. Issues of precious space, conflicting priorities for its
use, and the monetary value that land holds cannot be ignored when petitioning for the
allocation of land towards growing food. The Cedar Hill Corner Property is very
contentious because it is one of the largest sections of undeveloped land left in the
municipality of Oak Bay and on university property. As a result, there are many
competing interests for the space (Fromholt, 2010). The University would like to maintain
the option to develop and expand on the CHCP land for many years into the future,
making it difficult to designate space for immediate use (Connelly, Food Forum, October
14, 2010).
4. The Transient Nature of Students
Without paid positions that would focus on actualizing the ideas of the PEAS
proposal, there will be an ongoing problem of organizational memory loss. The creation
of academic programs about food has been an area of interest and work by students at
UVic for many years. However, due to the transient nature of university students, these
ideas are abandoned or forgotten, yet continually rediscovered and re-imagined by new
groups of students. Valuable knowledge and insights are displaced because continually
starting from square one takes a great deal of time and energy.
5. Project Champions
The last barrier is a lack of connection to academic programs and faculty. It has
been stressed by many that it is vital to have strong academic support for this endeavor.
CUAC has been encouraged throughout their years of work to find an academic
champion who will support and bring forward their proposal. Faculty support would
legitimize the proposal by showing how it could be incorporated into teaching and
research. Because faculty are already so busy, garnering their support has been
difficult, and an academic champion has yet to be identified. From the faculty survey, we
also gathered that many felt that growing food on campus was idealistic or impractical.
CASE STUDIES:
Kwantlen Polytechnic University: The Richmond Farm School
Municipally-Enabled Agriculture (MEA) seeks to re-create a resilient agricultural
system on a bio-regional level through “enterprise that is human scale, ecologically
sound, in and around cities, for and by communities” (Condon et al., 2010, p. 106).
Kwantlen Polytechnic University put MEA into practice by creating the Richmond Farm
School. Established in 2009, the Richmond Farm School project is a collaboration
between the Institute for Sustainable Horticulture (ISH) at Kwantlen Polytechnic
University, the City of Richmond, the Richmond Fruit Tree Sharing Project and the
Richmond Food Security Society.
After contentious discussions, the Terra Nova Rural Park was selected as the
land that would be used for the program site. The Terra Nova Rural Park and nearby
Orchard are approximately 136 acres, of which 50 acres are currently being farmed by
the students of the Richmond Farm School in collaboration with volunteers from the
Richmond Food Security Society (Steves, personal communication, December 8, 2010).
Vancity made a $50,000 grant to the Institute of Sustainable Horticulture of
Kwantlen Polytechnic as start-up funding for the Richmond Farm School (Mullinix,
personal communication, November 28, 2010). Student tuition is revenue neutral,
meaning that funds are invested back into the school to pay for equipment maintenance
and instructors’ salaries. In recognition of the community-oriented nature of small-scale
farming, the Richmond Farm School offers unique tuition options. Couples can enroll as
a single student, and non-profit organizations can register a member of their society to
participate as a student.
The Richmond Farm School is a non-credit program geared towards mature adult
learners seeking additional education out of general interest and/or in the pursuit of an
alternative career. Enrolment is divided into two categories: general interest students,
who register on a course-by-course basis, and cohort students, who must complete both
the core class component (350 hours of total instruction) as well as the practicum
component (350 of hands-on farming work) in order to receive a certificate of
completion. Cohort students are also eligible to lease an acre of subsidized “incubator”
farmland from the municipality of Richmond for up to three years upon program
completion (Mullinix, 2010).
2010 was the first year the Richmond Farm School was in operation. As a brand
new program, only nine students completed their studies, and of whom some are
considering leasing incubator land. Kwantlen will continue “to reconnect people with who
and what they are, a product of the land that we all share and are dependent upon”
(Mullinix, personal communication, November 28, 2010) through the expansion of their
programs. The next progression for Kwantlen’s Institute of Sustainable Horticulture will
be the introduction of a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Agriculture in the fall of 2011.
UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the UBC Farm
The University of British Columbia (UBC) has a variety of academic programs
that educate students about food security and sustainable food systems. The Faculty of
Land and Food Systems (LFS) addresses issues involving food safety, resource use
and shared environmental resources. LFS is one of three founding faculties at the
university, although it changed its name from Agricultural Sciences to its current name in
2005. With 42 faculty members, there are currently 1,100 undergraduate and 160
graduate students in the Faculty. Food and Environment is a focus area within Applied
Biology in LFS. It combines agricultural sciences, ecology and environmental thought, in
order to improve the state of agricultural sciences. Graduate programs offered through
LFS cover a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from agricultural economics, to food
science, to integrated studies in land and food systems (UBC, 2010).
The UBC Farm is located on the UBC campus. It is the only working farm within
the city of Vancouver. The farm includes a 24 hectare piece of land which is used for
research and learning. The UBC Farm revitalization initiative began in 2000 when
students from what is now the Faculty of Land and Food Systems filled a community-
planning meeting to raise awareness about the Campus Plan. The area called the South
Campus was (and will remain until 2012) labeled as a future housing reserve. Faculty
members responded to student concerns and published a vision paper called “Re-
inventing the UBC Farm” (UBC Farm, 2000). This paper proposed potential goals,
objectives, academic integration, location and funding for the future farm. After the
proposal was accepted, the UBC Farm Working Group was created, which included
faculty and community members as well as one student from each participating faculty.
This group reports to the Dean of Land and Food Systems on issues that arise
concerning the farm. Local and non-local foundations provided grants that funded the
creation of the UBC farm. There were 11 large donations and various smaller donations.
The UBC Farm used the University of California Santa Cruz, California State Polytechnic
University in Pomona, and the College of the Atlantic in Maine Beech Hill Farm as
models.
Some of the produce from the farm is sold at the UBC Farm Market. The
market is open to the public every Saturday from May until October and offers over 60
types of fresh fruit, vegetables, berries, herbs, flowers, eggs, and honey. Those who
have plots at the farm can supply their produce to the market, such as the Maya
Education Society, who provide medicinal and nutritional plants grown at the farm, and
the UBC Farm Bee Project, which provides both honey and beeswax. The Musqueam
Nation also operates a garden plot where they grow produce for their community kitchen
(UBC Farm, 2000).
Since 2001, the UBC Farm has been incorporated into approximately 30
courses in the faculties of Land and Food Systems, Applied Science, Forestry, Science,
Education, and Graduate Studies. In 2004, an internship program was piloted at the
farm as an introduction to organic agriculture. The Farm is also open to school-age
children and offers opportunities to learn different agricultural skills ranging from
pumpkin and spring salad harvests to planning, growing and caring for your own
gardens. The UBC Farm has become a largely self-sustaining and flourishing part of
campus that helps students, faculty, children and the community increase knowledge
about and practice of sustainable food systems (UBC Farm, 2000).
The University of Washington Farm
The University of Washington (UW) Farm was started in 2004 on a 1/3 of an
acre parcel of unused land located next to the biology greenhouse. Among students and
faculty who spearheaded the initiative was biology lecturer Dr. Alan Trimble, who
participated in the University of California Santa Cruz student farm back in the 1970s.
While teaching ecology at UW Trimble saw a disconnect between students and the
source of their food, so he pushed for the creation of a farm to bridge this gap (Santos,
2008).
The small farm is now bursting at the seams. With strong academic,
community, and administrative support, the farm has proposed an expansion to a
nearby field that is 1 acre large. It is funded through sources such as the UW Office of
Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability (UW ESS) and the Campus Sustainability
Fund, which is allocated from students’ Services and Activities Fees (The Daily, 2010).
The Farm Director and Educational Coordinator are paid to run the farm’s activities, but
there is also a great volunteer network that is the workforce of the farm. Over 50
students regularly volunteer, taking on tasks in all areas of the farm, from planting, to
composting, to taking care of the chickens, to firing the cob oven at the monthly pizza
bake, to outreach and social media (UW Farm, 2010).
Though there is no agricultural academic program at UW, there are strong ties
between the farm and academic programs. Biology 240, The Urban Farm, focuses on
the connections between human health, food production and sustainability, with a
hands-on component at the farm to teach students basic skills about growing food in an
urban context. The Tuesday Farm Seminar, which is open to the public, but can also be
taken for credit as Bioloy 486, showcases guest speakers covering a variety of topics
such as growing fruit trees and becoming a certified organic farmer (UW Farm, 2010).
Although the Biology department is most directly linked to the farm, other
disciplines are beginning to also make links. The farm has been incorporated into
additional Biology, Environmental Studies, Anthropology, and Geography courses
through tours and hands-on projects. The department of Landscape Architecture
collaborated with Biology to create a green-roof on top of the shed next to the
greenhouse (Kelley, 2010). Additionally, students can apply for a Sustainable Agriculture
Internship for credit, in which they assist in farm operations, mentor volunteers, engage
in research, and complete a final project that will benefit the farm (UW Farm, 2010).
The farm has also connected to the UW community by partnering with different student
groups on campus. The farm collaborated with Students Expressing Environmental
Dedication (SEED) to create a community garden for students living in residence
(SEED, 2010). A sister organization to the farm, the UW Student Food Cooperative
(UWSFC) is a new organization working to address issues of food justice through
projects such as a community supported agriculture (CSA) program and a cafe where
students can work for food credits. The co-op plans to work intimately with the farm so
as to use food grown on campus, as well as to share labour, resources, and knowledge
(SFC, 2010).
Lane Community College Learning Garden
The Learning Garden Club (LGC) and Learning Garden were established in 2006
at Lane Community College due to interest from students (Hayward, personal
communication, 2010). Since its inception, the garden has evolved from a single 400-
foot plot to numerous raised beds that cover an acre of land (Learning, N.D.). The LGC
has been able to put funds, resources and time towards complementary and necessary
infrastructure to accompany their space, and have built a deer fence and irrigation
systems throughout the gardens (CUAC, 2010).
For the first few years the LGC patched together funding for the gardens through
a variety of means, such as small community grants and donations and allocations of
club fees from the student government. In 2009, however, a referendum was put to the
student population and it was voted that $1 from the fees of every student would go
towards the gardens in order to ensure its continued success. With present student
enrollment numbers, the garden receives about $35,000 each year (Hayward, 2010).
With that money, the LGC has been able to hire a full time garden coordinator, who is
responsible for overseeing all of the garden operations (CUAC, 2010).
The position of a full time garden coordinator helps to address one of the
garden’s biggest barriers, which is the inconsistent volunteer support and high turnover
rate of students at a two-year program at a community college (Hayward, 2010). The
full-time coordinator ensures that there is continuity at the garden despite the transient
nature of those who attend the institution. Informal academic support for the garden has
also helped to ensure its survival. Student volunteers may qualify for work-study
positions, internships or service learning credits from specific faculty who choose to
support the garden with their curriculum (Transforming, 2010). Certain professors also
require students to do volunteer hours in the garden in order to satisfy their course
requirements, which further address the need for a consistent base of volunteers for the
farm. As a result, hundreds of students volunteer in the garden each year (Hayward,
2010).
Lane Community College is currently in the process of creating an academic,
for-credit course that will be permanently associated with the garden (Hayward, 2010).
At present, the garden is primarily run as a student-led interdisciplinary education model,
where students have the opportunity to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
using permaculture principles. Plots at the garden are made available to students for
experimentation and enhancement of knowledge. Students are encouraged to cultivate
seasonal, heirloom and native varieties of plants and to practice their own seed saving
methods (Learning, N.D.). The produce obtained from the farm is then allocated to
student volunteers, the culinary arts program, the cafeteria, catering services and a
student-run restaurant on campus. Last year, the garden produced over1000 lbs of
organic produce and it is hoped that in the year to come the quantity produced would be
much greater (Hayward, 2010).
University of California Santa Cruz Centre for Agroecology and Sustainable Food
Systems
The Centre for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS)
demonstrates leadership in sustainability, innovation, academics, community
development, as well as in social science and scientific research (UCSC, 2010). The
Centre is well established and has influenced the development of sustainable agriculture
programs at other universities, such as the University of Washington and the University
of British Columbia (Santos, 2008; UBC, 2010). The Centre for Agroecology and
Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) is an
important model for UVic because, although it is a large program, its success presents
the potential for what is achievable at a post-secondary institution.
CASFS operates the two-acre Alan Chadwick Garden, established in 1967, as
well as a 25-acre farm, established in 1974 (UCSC, 2010). The centre itself was not
created until the early 1980s (UCSC, 2010). Sustainable agriculture practices began at
UCSC just two years after the University was established in 1965 (UCSC, 2010). The
UCSC’s chancellor at the time was an advocate of creating a garden on campus, so the
university hired a manager for the garden (Allen & Brown, N.D.). The Environmental
Studies department provided academic funding to the farm and garden during this
period. Although the farm and garden were connected to academic programs and an
apprenticeship program by the mid 1970s, the Environmental Studies board proposed to
formally institutionalise the farm and garden through the Agroecology Program, which
later became CASFS (UCSC, 2010). Stephen Gliessman was hired by the ES faculty to
develop the program Agroecology Program (Allen & Brown, N.D.). The Agroecology
Program received both private and public funding from philanthropists, foundations and
the state (Allen & Brown, N.D.). Institutionalizing the program and securing funding
ensured the future of the farm and the garden. Other facilities operated by CASFS now
include a visitor centre, an agroecology lab, and a solar greenhouse (UCSC, 2010).
CASFS offers both practical and theoretical learning opportunities. The
apprenticeship program was the first program offered by CASFS (UCSC, 2010). It began
informally in 1967 under the supervision of Alan Chadwick, but is now offered for
extension credit (See CUAC, 2010). CASFS also offers an Agroecology practicum as
another practical learning opportunity (UCSC, 2010). Although classes from a variety of
disciplines use CASFS facilities for field and laboratory work, most academic
programming is offered through the Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture stream
within the Environmental Studies Undergraduate Program (UCSC, 2010). Degrees
related to sustainable agriculture and agroecology are offered at the graduate level as
well (UCSC, 2010).
CASFS also offers students the opportunity to practice sustainable living through
the Program in Community and Agroecology (PICA), which is an “experiential
living/learning program” that began in 2002 (PICA, 2010). The program combines
theoretical classroom components, hands-on applications, community internships, as
well as sustainable lifestyle practices (PICA, 2010). CASFS also focuses on community
development through the Life Lab Science Program. Life Lab is a non-profit organization
that assists grade schools to develop gardens and curricula centred on food and
agriculture (Life Lab, 2010). CASFS co-operates the Garden Classroom, which is
located on the UCSC campus and used to train grade school teachers for the Life Lab
Science Program (Life Lab, 2010).
Common Themes
The five schools used as case studies all have successful programs designed
to educate students and community members about food security and sustainable food
systems through both academic study and hands-on practice. Although the programs
and facilities range greatly in age, size, and design, there are important themes that can
be highlighted as key to developing a model tailored to UVic.
When establishing a new program or learning facility it is evident that having a
“champion” - be it a professor or a significant member of the University administration -
is necessary to drive it forward. Although students’ interest is important to guide the
direction and growth of a new program, students are transient and are limited in their
ability to navigate institutional structure and influence curriculum development. Several
of the schools described here either hired garden managers, or formed a management
group to keep the programs organized. Another important factor to the success of the
food security and sustainable food systems programs at the case study schools is the
availability of funding, both initial and on going. Be it through grants, course fees, or
student fees, funding must be secured in order to make the proposal of a new program
or facility feasible in the short term, and sustainable in the long term.
It is also important to note that each of the programs examined held
partnerships across their campus and/or into the greater community. Kwantlen’s
program is connected with the municipality of Richmond, while each of the other schools
cites the involvement of numerous academic disciplines and/or campus groups. This is
important because it recognizes the fact that food security is an encompassing issue
and must be addressed by building widespread connections and even between
disparate ideas and groups of people.
Recommendations
Based on our research, both looking at case studies of other post-secondary
institutions as well as the barriers and opportunities at UVic as an institution, we came
up with three steps that UVic could realistically take towards offering more educational
opportunities in the field of sustainable food systems:
1. Support the Campus Community Garden through UVSS membership fees.
The Campus Community Garden (CCG) currently provides gardening space to
UVic students, faculty and staff through plot rentals to individuals, as well as communal
gardening space for Campus Community Garden Club participants. It has been
connected to some core academic courses in the past, with hands-on projects in the ES
200 class of the Spring 2008 and directed studies projects in Nursing and Women’s
Studies, but such endeavours have been completely driven by student interest. Although
the Office of Sustainability has become increasingly involved with the relocation of the
CCG, especially with planning and financing, volunteers largely run the organization.
Thus, the CCG is seeking funding through a referendum vote to create a new
UVSS membership fee dedicated towards funding the operations of the garden. If the
referendum is successful, the CCG would have the means to finance a director or
education coordinator to manage garden activities. The director of coordination would
create and maintain partnerships with faculty and other organizations so as to
consistently offer hands-on learning opportunities through course work, as well as
workshops open to the larger campus community.
2. Create an interdisciplinary minor in Sustainable Food Systems.
There are numerous courses related to food systems already offered across
disciplines at UVic, and the number of students taking these courses continue to grow
as food security and sustainability become issues of increasing concern. With faculty
drive, pulling together the existing food related courses could create an interdisciplinary
minor in Food studies, similar to Social Justice Studies or Human Dimensions of Climate
Change. The only new curriculum that would need to be developed would be the
introductory and capstone courses.
The interdisciplinary nature of such a program is both a strength and
weakness. Recognizing the complexity of issues like food security and sustainable food
systems allows the search for solutions that are dynamic and collaborative by bringing
together diverse perspectives from students and faculty from a variety of academic
backgrounds. The challenge lies in introducing these unconventional ways of teaching
into the institutional structure. Classes must be larger if they are to be team-taught, for
instance. Another issue is that funding from course fees can only be allocated to one
faculty, even though students and professors are coming from a variety of disciplines
(Frumholt, personal communication, Nov. 26, 2010).
3. Establish an applied Sustainable Food Systems program through Continuing Studies.
Creating a Sustainable Food Systems Diploma through Continuing Studies would
complement a minor program by building on theory through practical application. This
partnership would be similar to the Restoration of Natural Systems Diploma, which is
associated with the School of Environmental Studies, or the Social Justice Diploma,
which is associated with the Social Justice Studies.
Continuing Studies is, in fact, starting to develop a new program, which will be
decided on in February. There is significant potential for the new program to be related
to food security, as it was determined to be of highest priority from a community mind
map. The stress of the program would be the theoretical foundation behind the hands-on
application, so as to set it apart from other educational opportunities related to food
production that are offered in the region. The focuses of the program would include
growing food on Vancouver Island in the context of climate change, the incorporation of
First Nations Knowledge into food production, and the relationship between food
security and poverty. The program would by no means be an agricultural school, but
there would be potential to partner with post-secondary institutions which did have larger
programs (personal communication, Dec. 3, 2010).
Appendices
Appendix A: Survey Questions Sent to other Post-Secondary Institutions
1. How did your program/initiative start up? (student interest, faculty,administration, community)
2. How was funding secured for the program?
3. What were the greatest barriers in establishing your program? Successes?
4. Does your program have a hands-on agriculture component? If so, whichwas established first - the farm/garden or the academic department?
5. How is the farm/garden otherwise connected to the campus and thebroader community?
Appendix B: Survey Questions Sent to Professors at UVic
1. What is your perspective on the PEAS proposal?
2. What would you be willing to contribute to this project?
3. What do you see as the biggest barrier to implementing a program like this?
4. How can a farm/garden component of the minor program connect to the campus and the broader community?
5. Do you think that the university administration would be more inclined to support this initiative if it was zoned mixed development?
6. What is your vision for the Cedar Hill Corner property or a sustainable agriculture program?
7. We are researching farms, gardens, and sustainable agriculture programs at other post secondary institutions. We are focusing on funding, land tenancy, program design, and academic support. Are there any other areas we should focus on for our report?
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