Clemson University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College are using communications technology and non-traditional strategies to offer university horticulture education opportunities to a much larger and more diverse student clientele than is currently served by the traditional campus. This pilot project focuses on delivery of a complete Clemson horticulture/turfgrass science baccalaureate degree program through the technical campus. This partnership was selected for the pilot project, in part, because of the strong commitment to turfgrass related educational programs at each school. Faculties and administrators worked together to remove “campus-bound education” barriers and develop alternate degree pathways. A critical component of this pathway is the offering of select courses through Clemson TELECAMPUS, which delivers live, interactive instruction throughout South Carolina via the South Carolina Educational Television system. The Clemson University Forestry and Agriculture Network (CUFAN) will be used to further enhance interactive opportunities between students and instructors, and to access university support facilities. Additional campus services and resources will be focused to provide an innovative and enriched distance learning opportunity.
Bring together a university landscape horticulture professor who believes in school gardens, a landscape design class, a landscape construction class, enthusiastic elementary school teachers and a willing principal, and you can create wonderful teaching gardens. The interactions among university students, elementary teachers, and students were a true learning experience for everyone. University students were involved in a true problem-solving project, being forced to look at problems and solutions through the eyes of elementary school children. Their expertise was valued as they were asked to explain horticulture to first and second graders. For some, this was the first time they really understood some of the concepts. Teachers and students were active participants throughout the process. Sharing thoughts and ideas was dynamic throughout the design and construction. Ways to initiate and maintain university–school partnerships will be presented.
In 1993, Carolina Nurseries and the Dept. of Horticulture at Clemson Univ. entered into a partnership for a research and development program to solve short- and long-term production problems in the ornamental nursery industry. Carolina Nurseries, located near Charleston, S.C., is a 110-ha commercial container-grown landscape plant nursery that sells >12 million units yearly. Research is conducted on site in a specially designed area that provides nursery conditions and control of other variables, including water and pesticide applications. An on-site graduate student works cooperatively with faculty on campus and manages the research area, collects data, maintains the projects using standard nursery practices, interacts with Carolina Nurseries personnel, and initiates needed studies. Over the past 6 years, research diversity increased with cooperative efforts from faculty in the Depts. of Entomology, Pathology, and Agricultural Engineering. In addition, cooperative studies with faculty members with Univ. of Georgia, Michigan State Univ., and North Carolina State Univ. have been completed. Research results were presented to the nursery industry at research update meetings at the research area site. Approximately 200 attendees from commercial nurseries and horticulture-related companies in surrounding states attended the 1998 research update. Surveys collected at research updates are helpful in tailoring research to the specific needs of the nursery industry, and are the basis for some of the current research projects. Research results are also in published in the Southern Nursery Association Research Proceedings, Journal of Environmental Horticulture, and The South Carolina Nurseryman Newsletter.
In 1993, Carolina Nurseries and the Department of Horticulture at Clemson Univ. entered into a partnership to create a research and development program to solve short and long term nursery production problems. Research is conducted on site at Carolina Nurseries in a specially designed 0.6-ha area built by the nursery. Faculty from the Depts. of Horticulture, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Plant Pathology and Entomology have worked with graduate and undergraduate students located on site. The nursery staff is involved in overall planning and stay current with results so that research can be immediately implemented on the nursery. Yearly funding for the graduate student is provided by the nursery and grant funds are obtained from various companies for labor and supplies. Carolina Nurseries has committed to funding research to improve their production and also sharing the results with the rest of the nursery industry. Research findings are presented in peered reviewed articles, conference proceedings, abstracts, and oral presentations. Outstanding training opportunities for students and staff are available to also improve career development for future nursery managers. Faculty interaction with companies and the nursery industry are enhanced.
Minnesota has a long history of strong citizen involvement in environmental, community development, economic development, and human rights issues. Therefore, it is not surprising there are many individuals, organizations, communities, and educational institutions in Minnesota actively involved in the sustainable agriculture debate. The challenge we face is how to help these strong forces work in collaboration to solve rural problem s.
In 1990 representatives of five community-based organizations and the U of M agreed to form the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) to be housed at the University and governed by a board of community and University representatives. The purpose of MISA is to bring farmers and other sustainable agriculture community interests together with University administrators, educators, researchers, and students in a cooperative effort to undertake innovative, agenda-setting programs that might not otherwise be pursued in the state.
The State Of Illinois passed legislation banning landscape wastes deposition in land fills. Approximately 18% of all solid wastes going into Illinois landfills were landscape wastes including grass clippings, branch prunings, leaves and wood. A cooperative program between the Horticulture Department, the Cooperative Extension Service and the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources was initiated to train county extension advisers, municipalities, and the consuming public on methods for landscape waste reduction and recycling.
Workshops, video tapes, Master Composters, mobile displays, fact sheets and a model municipal composting facility were developed. Publications and other educational materials will be displayed.
University (MSU)] for reviewing an earlier version of this paper. This work was supported, in part, by grants from MSU Project GREEEN, The Joyce Foundation, and the Center for Agricultural Partnerships as provided by the American Farmland Trust and the
EMG programs are affiliated with a land-grant university and its extension system. The university programs train and certify EMGs to disseminate research-based information to the public. The program has an educational emphasis, avoiding promotion of
community–university partnership funded by the UMN Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute to address some of the issues centered on development of food skills and community gardening, and to create additional workforce and career opportunities for Northside
eOrganic is the organic agriculture CoP and resource area for the national web-based extension community of land-grant university content providers, eXtension. eOrganic was initiated as a CoP in 2007 (the first eXtension CoPs were initiated in 2006