Sustainable Food Systems Course Listings

The major in sustainable food systems includes two distinctive Goshen College offerings: the Sustainability Core sequence and the Agroecology Summer Intensive Semester at Merry Lea. The minor includes the Agroecology Summer Intensive Semester plus one additional course.

Major in sustainable food systems

45-47 credit hours

Sustainability Core (24 credit hours)

• Biol 207, Roots of Environmental Crisis 3
• Bus 121, Introduction to Entrepreneurship 3
• Bus 155, Organization of Business2
• Bus 307, Career Planning 1
• Econ 309, Environmental Economics 3
• Sust 155, Sustainability Seminar (taken two times, 1 credit each)2
• Sust 201, Introduction to Sustainability 3
• Sust 205, Sustainability Policy 3
• Sust 409, Sustainability Internship1
• Sust 410, Sustainability Capstone 3

Agroecology Summer Intensive (15 credit hours)

• Sust 210, Animal Husbandry 3
• Sust 215, Food Systems 3
• Sust 316, Crop & Soil Management 4
• Sust 318, Ecology of Agricultural Systems4
• Sust 408, Internship (on-farm) 1

Remaining major requirements (6 credit hours)

• Choose two of the following courses 6-8
  • Biol 201, Botany (4)
  • Biol 205, Pollinators in Peril (3)
  • Econ 345, Economics of Sustainability (3)
  • Hist 375, Eating in America (3)
  • Kin 360, Teaching Health Concepts (3)
  • Pjcs 360, Designing for Social Change (3)
  • Posc 210, Public Policy (3)
  • Soc 320, Environmental Sociology (3)

Student learning outcomes

Graduates in Sustainable Food Systems will:

1. Raise food for self and others in cooperation with soil, plant, animal, and human communities across a given landscape.
2. Articulate hope for the future in our growing adoption of sound agroecological solutions that store carbon in soils and contribute to the regeneration of our lands, waters, and societies.
3. Cultivate an evolving personal “ethic of eating” based on experiences throughout the food system including: production practices, workers’ rights, equitable supply chains, and meaningful labeling.
4. Experience and reflect on the mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of tending growing things and sharing meals; consider how to pass these benefits on to others.
5. Articulate the roles of food literacy/education, food security, food policy, and food sovereignty in building a food-oriented community development strategy using food and agriculture to create economic opportunities, healthy neighborhoods, and build community assets, pride, and power.
6. Apply a systems-thinking approach to developing lasting solutions to complex social-
   environmental-economic issues in the food system.
7. Envision bringing about a more just, regenerative, and equitable food system through career, innovation, advocacy, and lifestyle.

Planning guide

First year	Goshen Core Introduction to Sustainability Roots of Environmental Crisis Introduction to Entrepreneurship Sustainability Policy
Second year	Goshen Core Sustainability Seminar Major Elective Organization of Business Agroecology Summer Intensive (15 credits) (summer after second year)
Third year	Goshen Core Environmental Economics Career Planning Sustainability Seminar Internship II (off-farm) SST
Fourth year	Balance of Goshen Core Major Elective Environmental Economics Sustainability Capstone Note: students often are part-time in final spring semester (or another one)

Planning and advising notes

Other courses besides those listed above are acceptable to fulfill the major electives category at the discretion of the major advisor to tailor the major towards students’ individual career goals.

Goshen College financial aid is able to be used for the summer semester just as it is used for the fall and spring semesters; contact financial aid for more details.

Minor in sustainable food systems

18-19 credit hours

Agroecology Summer Intensive at Merry Lea

• Sust 210, Animal Husbandry 3
• Sust 215, Food Systems 3
• Sust 316, Crop & Soil Management4
• Sust 318, Ecology of Agricultural Systems4
• Sust 408, Merry Lea Farm Internship1
• One of the following courses: 3-4
  • Biol 201, Botany of Seed Plants(4)
  • Biol 205, Pollinators in Peril (3)
  • Biol 222, Soil Science (4)
  • Bus 155, Organization of Business (3)
  • Soc 320, Environmental Sociology (3)
  • Posc 210, Public Policy (3)

Advising notes

Once the summer semester has been completed, other courses besides those listed above are acceptable to fulfill the minor in Sustainable Food Systems to tailor the minor towards students’ individual career goals, at the discretion of the minor advisor.
Goshen College financial aid is able to be used for the summer semester just as it is used for the fall and spring semesters; contact financial aid for more details.

Agroecology Summer Intensive semester program description

The Agroecology Summer Intensive (ASI) semester is a residential, interdisciplinary program completed mostly outside in the field.  Students live together as a cohort at Merry Lea’s Rieth Village, surrounded by the award-winning Merry Lea Farm.  Days are spent with hands-on learning opportunities in the gardens, orchards, pastures, and animal barns as well as locally working with community development projects, entrepreneurial business ventures, local farms, research/outreach agencies, and more.  Students gather communally and share food they themselves have helped produce.

The emphasis throughout is on holistic thinking.  Diverse student and faculty perspectives across the arts & humanities, social & natural sciences, the health fields, and other backgrounds enable the ASI cohort to examine sustainability issues from multiple angles and fully engage community partners.  This holistic approach frees up students to connect their interests and passions in new and innovative ways that might not happen in a more traditionally-disciplined environment.  Students work with professionals in many sustainability fields and are introduced to a wide range of new and developing career paths.

For more information about the Agroecology Summer Intensive, see: https://www.goshen.edu/academics/agroecology-summer-intensive/