Urban and Community Agriculture Minor

Urban agriculture means different things to different people in different locations. Urban and community agriculture creates entrepreneurial opportunities and helps bring fresh, nutritious food to local communities. These urban farms range from small school gardens to huge high-tech vertical indoor operations.

Starting in 2018 the Huntley College of Agriculture began offering the Urban and Community Agriculture Minor to all students in all majors at Cal Poly Pomona. These classes cover the “how to” of urban farming --- everything from how to grow fruits and vegetables sustainably to how to run a successful urban farm business enterprise, to how to engage with community organizations and interpret and implement policies that affect urban agriculture at local, state, and national levels.

Working definitions of Urban Agriculture include:
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Natural Resources Conservation Service
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Community is at the heart of our urban agriculture program. We partner with non-profit organizations, government agencies, companies, chefs, and farmers to provide opportunities and real-world experiences for our students. We do this through service-learning and case study experiential learning in our classrooms. We also have established an urban agriculture student leadership program with our partners and with funding from the US Department of Agriculture Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program. The program, called SoCal Farm to Table Ambassadors, selects a cohort of students each semester to lead collaborative projects and experiential learning opportunities with community partners as well as recruit new students to our urban agriculture classes and programs.

Students can work on numerous urban agriculture research projects. We investigate everything from urban farm soil health, pest management and food safety, to designing educational resources for urban farmers, to increasing efficiency and sustainability in hydroponic and aquaponic systems.

Yes!  Colleges and programs across the Cal Poly Pomona campus intersect with Urban and Community Agriculture. Examples include, but are not limited to, Nutrition and Food Science (College of Agriculture), International Business and Marketing (College of Business), Ethnic and Women’s Studies (College of Education and Integrative Studies), Urban and Regional Planning (College of Environmental Design), College of Engineering, The Collins College of Hospitality and Management, and College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences. Students are welcome to propose electives to their minor advisor in Plant Science. We encourage and assist students in selecting electives that best fit their interest, current practice, and future plans in Urban and Community Agriculture.

A survey of plant science methods, social enterprise, and emerging business models for urban agriculture. Emphasis on production, distribution and marketing of food and other products within cores of metropolitan areas. Topics include community and school gardens, backyard plots, rooftop gardens, aquaponics, hydroponics, vertical farming and more. Attention to community devleopment components of urban agriculture. Lecture, discussion, urban farm case studies and guest speakers with an emphasis on Southern California.

Prerequisite(s): GE Area B2.
GE Area: B5
Component(s): Lecture
Grading Basis: Graded Only
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once

The diverse components of agricultural production on a small scale. Examine a number of existing small scale production models. Critically analyze small-scale production systems to determine how well they achieve economic prosperity, environmental preservation, and social equity.

Component(s): Lecture
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

The diverse components of agricultural production on a small scale. Students will examine a number of existing small scale production models. Students will also critically analyze small-scale production systems to determine how well they achieve economic prosperity, environmental preservation, and social equity.

Corequisite(s): PLT 4965.
Component(s): Laboratory
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

Policy that affects urban agriculture and on the social issues that urban agriculture can influence. Examination of pertinent political and social issues, and apply course material to case-studies and service-learning opportunities in Southern California.

Component(s): Lecture
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Service Course

Focus on the policy that affects urban agriculture and on the social issues that urban agriculture can influence. The success of urban agriculture is often due to community organizations striving for better policies and social conditions. Students will examine pertinent political and social issues, and apply course material to case-studies and service-learning opportunities in Southern California.

Corequisite(s): PLT 4975
Component(s): Laboratory
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

Introduction to the characteristics of urban agriculture business models and the knowledge required to start an economically sustainable urban agriculture business. Exploration of resources and support to urban farmers. Students develop a business plan focusing on existing or proposed urban agriculture enterprise.

Component(s): Lecture
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

An integration of principles of culture, procurement, identification, and quality of both standard and gourmet vegetables, fruits, and herbs for restaurant and culinary uses. On site studies/discussion. Organic vs. standard produce. Case studies.

Component(s): Lecture
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

A survey of the business, production, social and regulatory aspects of farmers’ markets. The logistics and marketing aspects of selling at farmers’ markets and managing farmers’ markets will be discussed along with the history of the modern farmers’ market and current trends.

Component(s): Lecture
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

Group study of a selected well-defined topic or area not covered by a regularly offered course.

Component(s): Laboratory
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken multiple times only with different topics
Repeat for Credit Limit: 5
Minimum - Maximum Units: Total credit limited to 6 units applicable to a degree, with a maximum of 2 sections per semester.

Care, management, and manipulation of bees. Practical application of principles for effective establishment and maintenance of apiaries. Pollination and value of bees to agriculture. Recognition and control of bee diseases. Recognition and importance of native, commercial and introduced plants as nectar and pollen sources.

Corequisite(s): PLT 3360L.
Component(s): Lecture
Contact Hour(s): 2 hours lecture/discussion.
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

Current advances, issues and future directions in agriculture to ensure the long-term economic prosperity, environmental preservation, and social equity of food, fuel and fiber production.

Component(s): Lecture
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

Current advances, issues and future directions in agriculture to ensure the long-term economic prosperity, environmental preservation, and social equity of food, fuel and fiber production.

Corequisite(s): PLT 3650.
Component(s): Laboratory
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

Interdisciplinary examination of organic agriculture in plant and social sciences. Topics include its origins, philosophical and biological assumptions, and production practices that meet crop, processing, and livestock standards under the USDA National Organic Program. Current advances in soil science, plant science, entomology, plant pathology, food safety, and national and international organic certification standards.

Component(s): Lecture
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken only once
Course Category: Major Course

Group study at an advanced level of a selected well-defined topic or area not covered by a regularly offered course.

Component(s): Lecture, Seminar
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken multiple times only with different topics
Repeat for Credit Limit: 5
Minimum - Maximum Units: Total credit limited to 6 units applicable to a degree, with a maximum of 2 sections per semester.

Group study at an advanced level of a selected well-defined topic or area not covered by a regularly offered course.

Component(s): Laboratory
Grading Basis: Graded including RP
Repeat for Credit: May be taken multiple times only with different topics
Repeat for Credit Limit: 5
Minimum - Maximum Units: Total credit limited to 6 units applicable to a degree, with a maximum of 2 sections per semester.