SCC Unveils New Sustainable Agriculture Building and Program
View article as it appears in GSAbusiness.com
Spartanburg Community College unveiled its newest campus addition - The Center for
Sustainable Agriculture - at a celebration and ribbon cutting event held on Tuesday,
September 11 at SCC's Giles Campus in Spartanburg.
With support from the Mary Black Foundation and the Dominion Foundation, SCC's Horticulture
Department constructed its Center for Sustainable Agriculture, a red barn-style building
serving as the centerpiece of a new certificate program focused on sustainable agriculture,
agribusiness and food systems. The new Center is located at the SCC entrance off Fairforest
Road.
Launched in fall 2017, the first of three classes were held this summer from May-July
at the new barn and surrounding property that includes gardening beds, a silo and
a rain barrel used to collect and store rain water runoff. The certificate program
is designed for individuals already employed or interested in the production of agronomic
crops in a sustainable environment, preparing them for jobs in the agribusiness and
food systems industry, but has garnered students with a keen interest in urban farming
and community food systems.
"This is intensive agriculture in a small-scale footprint. Students learn the ecological,
biological, environmental and economic impact of growing food such as fruits and vegetables
sustainably," explains Jason Bagwell, SCC's department chair of Horticulture. "The
program is designed to strengthen our local environment, food system and economy by
providing educated and skilled employees. It's a great way for someone to jump into
this profession or learn more to compliment previous education or skills they may
have already acquired. And, it's a flexible opportunity since students can begin any
term and credits transfer into our horticulture associate degree as well."
The Center for Sustainable Agriculture houses the production and education center
featuring classroom space, storage space, and a washing and harvesting center where
harvested crops are washed, weighed, packaged, and prepared for volunteer pick-up
and delivery to community partners like Hub City Farmers' Market.
The program is producing approximately 1.5 acres of organically raised, seasonally
grown fruits and vegetables, which includes four 4'x75' incubator beds for shared
community use. To date, 900 have been served through the Spartanburg Urban Mission
and its Northside and Cleveland Heights interns and neighbors.
Bagwell adds that future plans include the addition of fruit and nut trees as well
as bees, chickens and goats. "We hope to graduate students that are passionate and
prepared for the requirements of the profession and have knowledge of environmental
systems, design, farm construction, management, harvesting, and marketing of farm
to table systems."
In addition to serving students through education, and community partners through
produce, the Center for Sustainable Agriculture is available for guest tours and school
visits. To schedule a visit, contact Jay Moore, horticulture instructor, at
moorej@sccsc.edu.
For more information on the Sustainable Agriculture certificate program, visit
www.sccsc.edu/horticulture/ or contact Jason Bagwell bagwellj@sccsc.edu or (864) 592-4646.
Photos from the event are available for download at the following link:
www.flickr.com/SustainableAgEvent
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sccsc/sets/72157698082530112/with/28851075047/