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In Vermont, agriculture is much more than food production. It is a way
of life, a culture, and a landscape that beckons businesses, workers and
tourists. Vermont's agriculture, working landscape and rural communities
face many challenges: a global economy, low farm commodity prices,
population and development pressures, pests, and environmental pollution.
UVM, properly called the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is one of many land grant colleges established under the Morrill Act, named after Vermont's senator Justin Smith Morrill. The college, together with the State Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, is dedicated to providing the education--liberal and practical--and the research and outreach needed to sustain sound, prosperous agriculture and rural communities. |
UVM's ecological responsibilities therefore include:
At UVM, academic programs within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
are linked with the Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station, UVM Extension's
educational programs, four research facilities, and three academic centers.
Through a focus on the working landscape and sustainable communities, many
projects promote sustainable agriculture and economic development, bringing
together scientists, farmers, marketing experts, and consumers, including buyers
for UVM's dining halls.
The Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station is a state-federal partnership
created to conduct applied agricultural research. In 1997 there were 161 Station
projects designed to respond to special challenges and opportunities facing
Vermont. Research programs of noted excellence have been developed in dairy
product research, sustainable agriculture, tree physiology and forest
entomology, yeast and fungal genetics, soil chemistry, integrated pest
management, microbiology and molecular genetics, and mammary gland
biology.
UVM Extension is dedicated to bringing the benefits of research to Vermonters through practical education programs concerning Vermont communities, families and homes, farms, businesses, and the natural environment. In 1997 Extension faculty and staff reached more than 110,000 Vermonters through workshops, presentations, and one-on-one assistance. Extension also distributes agriculturally related information through radio programs, newspaper articles, and a television program, Across the Fence, reaching an estimated daily Vermont audience of 80,000. UVM Extension has four program areas:
The Agriculture program promotes the vitality of agriculture in Vermont. Examples of assistance provided to Vermont farmers include courses in financial management and recycling of agricultural plastics; the Women's Agricultural Network, a program that assists people interested in starting or expanding agriculturally related businesses; and an integrated pest management (IPM) program that focuses on reducing pesticides in the production of apples, vegetables, fruits, and ornamental plants through education and research.
The Family and Community Resource and Economic Development program is designed to help communities, families, and individuals to improve the quality of their lives. Faculty, staff, and volunteers reach more than 6,000 Vermont youths through 4-H programs. A sustainable rural development effort involves ten communities in the Northeast Kingdom.
The Natural Resources and Environmental Management program focuses on helping to sustain and enhance the quality of Vermont's natural resources. One educational program brings together foresters, youth, farmers, loggers, teachers and others concerned with water quality. In 1997, faculty and staff worked with Vermonters to report sightings of the Asian long-horned beetle, a pest that infests maple treeswhich comprise one of out of four trees in the state.
The Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health program works with low-income families, food service professionals, farmers and others to improve food safety and nutrition through workshops, long distance education, one-on-one meetings, newspaper articles, and radio and television programs.
In addition to these established programs, Extension has the flexibility to
respond to natural crises. In 1997 and early 1998 Extension teams worked with
communities hit by floods and ice storms.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has four facilities serving as focal points for teaching, research and outreach:
The Paul Miller Research Center on Spear Street, or UVM Farm, has a herd of 280 Holsteins and Jerseys for animal science classes and for research on ruminant nutrition and mastitis control. Student-run cooperatives provide experiential learning in managing horses and a dairy operation. Research at the farm includes experimenting with rotational grazing and with methods of applying liquid manure and compost. An estimated 30,000 visitors come to the center each year.
The Blasberg Horticultural Research Center in South Burlington is home to 700 kinds of ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials. Collections of crabapples, apples, lilacs, small fruits, junipers, and woody plants are used for research and education as well as by professional plant organizations and gardening groups. A non-profit organization called Friends of the Hort Farm promotes public involvement and advocates for preservation of the center.
The Morgan Horse Farm, a 215-acre farm in Weybridge and a National Historic site holds a national reputation for breeding America's first light horse, the Morgan.
The Proctor Maple Research Center serves as a living classroom for maple producers and for students in Botany, Forestry, and Environmental Studies. Collaborative research includes projects on lead levels in maple syrup and maple tree physiology. This center also is the headquarters for the Vermont Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Program, a unique collaboration of university, state, and federal researchers conducting studies on responses of forest ecosystems to environmental change.
Supporting these research facilities, the Agricultural Testing Lab analyzes
samples of soil, manure, and feed, and sends farmers reports recommending ways
to improve management practices.
UVM's agriculturally related centers are organized to encourage interdisciplinary research and collaboration with academic units and other organizations. Three centers focus on rural studies, sustainable agriculture, and food science:
Center for Rural Studies: The Center for Rural Studies (CRS) tackles social, economic, and resource-based problems of rural people and communities in Vermont, the U.S., and abroad. Founded in 1979, CRS provides research and consulting services in agriculture, human services, education, rural community and economic development, and Vermont community data. CRS is well known as a storehouse for valuable data, including official U.S. Census materials, and the Report Card, 36 indicators of performance for Vermont's 300 public schools.
Center for Sustainable Agriculture: Since 1994 the Center for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) has worked with other agricultural programs to protect environmental quality, reduce dependency on nonrenewable resources, and support profitable production. CSA coordinates research and training, including studies of pasture management, sheep and goat dairy, and water quality protection. The Center also has an internship program linking students with farmers.
Center for Food Science: In 1996 UVM, working in partnership with the Vermont Technology Council, created the Center for Food Science to promote sustainable job creation and economic development in the Vermont food industry, with a focus on the specialty food sector.
In addition, a UVM faculty member coordinates the U.S. Department of Agri-culture's Northeast program in Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, which funds $2.15 million in grants.
In an effort to promote Vermont agricultural products, faculty and students at UVM have recently begun to work with Marriott Education Services, which provides food services on campus, to increase the quantity of Vermont products served. Marriott purchases baked goods, meats, and dairy products locally, and requires its produce distributor to provide local produce whenever available. Following the recommendations of its Food Services Committee, Marriott has upgraded its menus and improved its vegan, vegetarian, and heart-healthy options.
UVM Environmental Council
http://esf.uvm.edu/envcnclVersion 1.5
Last revised:Content managed by Gioia Thompson
Environmental.Council@uvm.edu
UVM Environmental Council
http://esf.uvm.edu/envcnclVersion 1.5
Last revised:Content managed by Gioia Thompson
Environmental.Council@uvm.edu