May 26 - June 2, 2013  |  Apply Now  |  Download Full Program Syllabus

There are currently nearly 900 million people going hungry across the globe. In the US, despite $60 billion yearly in government food nutrition programs, one in six children go hungry each month and 35 million people cannot ensure minimum daily caloric requirements, while about 1/3 of all adults are obese. Less than 1% of Americans farm for a living, and this number is decreasing. Unit 1 addresses the environmental and social impacts of different farming and food distribution models. This Unit explores the pros and cons of seed patents, genetically modified foods, organic certification, and introduces participants to experts in various farming and food policy capacities. Unit 1 aims to provide participants with a holistic understanding of issues surrounding local and global food security. 

Learning, Meeting the Experts & Visiting Partner Organizations

SUNDAY: Introduction to Food & How it Grows
Video: Smithsonian: Dig It! The Secrets of Soil. 
 
MONDAY: Different farming models
Reading: Balter, M. 2007. Seeking agriculture's ancient roots. Science 316: 1830-1835
Field Work: 

• Work on Willow Wisp Organic Farm with owner Greg Swartz, former Executive Director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York.
  
• Meet Amy Erlwein, organizer for the Sullivan County Farm Network, which works to support farmers and strengthen their communication with consumers. 
  

TUESDAY: Organic Certification & GMOs
Reading: James, Clive. 2008. Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: Brief No. 39.
Field Work:

• Work on Gorzynsky Ornery Farm with owner John Gorzynksi, who been at the forefront of the organic and local food movement since the 1970s.
  
• Visit Silver Heights Farm, a certified organic farm specializing in heirloom and open pollinated vegetable transplants. Meet with owner Trina Pilonero to discuss the dangers of GMOs.
  

WEDNESDAY: Eating for a Healthy Body & Planet
Reading: Frison, (2006) Agricultural biodiversity, nutrition, and health: Making a difference to hunger and nutrition in the developing world. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 27 (2): 167-179
Field Work:

• Meet Jen McClashen from Slow Food, an international grassroots movement that encourages access to food that is healthy both nutritionally and environmentally.
• Plant new trees and prepare a raw-food lunch at Rhio’s Garden with Rhio, a published author, speaker, and an expert on raw food and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
  
• Meet with Evan Axelrad from the US Department of Agriculture, to discuss national farming policies and GMOs.
  

THURSDAY: Getting Food from Farm to Table
Field Work:

• Promote and work at a local farmers market for Pure Catskills, a branding and buy local campaign that helps farms located in the NYC watershed thrive and farm responsibly. 
  

FRIDAY: Sustainable Regional Food Systems
Reading: "The Next Billions: Business Strategies to Enhance Food Value Chains and Empower the Poor." World Economic Forum (2009).
Field Work:

• Meet Jennifer Grossman, of Natural Resources Defense Council, and Michael Hurwitz, of Greenmarket to discuss the Catskills Foodshed Initiative, which aims to promote regional agriculture.  
  
• Potluck dinner with area farm interns from Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training, a cooperative effort of local farms organized to enhance educational opportunities for farm apprentices. 
  

SATURDAY: Workshop & Recommendations