NEWS

2/9/2011- USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Dr. Kathleen Merrigan visits NCSU and Campus Farmers Market.

9/1/2011- Welcome our newest graduate student Stephen Ratasky. Stephen is a Raleigh native and will be examining how to design an Agroecology Education Farm that strategically integrates sustainable agriculture education for students and community.

6/1/2010- Michelle Schroeder-Moreno wins the Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award

5/1/2010- Ariel Fugate- Undergraduate Spring Research Symposium Winner! Great job Ariel and see link to her poster on the Who We Are page.

4/22/2010- Agroecology NCSU Program highlighted on NPR

Agroecology Program at NCSU has a Facebook page! Check us out and stay informed of agroecology and sustainable programs and courses at NCSU.

Teaching, Agroecology Program and Outreach

Agroecology Program

One of the primarily things Dr. Schroeder-Moreno does is direct the Agroecology Minor Program and the Agroecology Major in the Plant and Soil Sciences Program

Agroecology is a new discipline that uses concepts from ecology and systems perspectives to design and manage sustainable food systems. In other words, agroecology is the science behind sustainable agriculture.

Active Learning and Opportunities for Service Learning

Throughout the agroecology programs and agroecology courses, Dr. Schroeder-Moreno emphasizes active and interactive learning where students learn from each other, from various faculty experts in sustainable agriculture across a diversity of disciplines, from local sustainable farmers and from community organizations focused on sustainable food systems. Through the agroecology courses, students also participate in service learning projects, where they learn from community members and share their knowledge about an aspect of sustainable agriculture. In the past year, students have worked with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (IFFS) and their community gardens programs. Follow the link to check out an Intro to Agroecology student talking about his service learning experience with IFFS community gardens or just simply click on the video below.

If you are interested in knowing more about agroecology or sustainable agriculture, consider enrolling in one of the classes below or the agroecology programs.

Courses I Currently Teach

  • Introduction to Agroecology (CS 230, 3 crdt)- Offered every fall and spring (online in spring),
  • Advanced Agroecology course and lab (CS 430/590, 4 crdt)- Offered every spring
  • Critical Issues in Sustainable Agriculture (CS/SSC 620, 3 crdt)- Graduate seminar co- taught with Dr. Julie Grossman in Soil Science and offered once every other spring- Look for it for Spring 2012.
  • Sustainability of Tropical Agroecosystems (CS 495, 3 crdt) study abroad course in Costa Rica. More information on course application and study abroad scholarships can be found out- http://studyabroad.ncsu.edu/
  • CEFS Sustainable Agriculture Summer Internship Program (CS 495, 6 credits).  Sustainable agriculture internship program for 8 weeks every summer at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS). More program information and application information at http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/getinvolved/internships.html.

Agroecology Education Farm- Under Development!

Yes, you heard it here first! A 6 acre Agroecology Education Farm located at the NCSU Lake Wheeler Field Station near the Historic Yates Mill Park is being developed as we speak. This will be a premier facility in Raleigh that connects NCSU students, faculty and staff with the surrounding community in sustainable and organic agriculture educational experiences and events. While it is too soon for any tours, some sneak peaks of this education center will include an organic vegetable garden designed by NCSU students, a children’s vermicompost education area, a riparian buffer and agroforestry walk, a native beneficial insect habitat buffer and important North Carolina crops planted on contour strips to reduce nutrient loss on a slope. For more information on site development process or interest in volunteering contact Michelle.