Source: FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT, INSTRUMENTATION AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN AGROECOLOGY
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0214338
Grant No.
2008-38422-19209
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2008-02153
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Aug 1, 2008
Project End Date
Jul 31, 2013
Grant Year
2008
Program Code
[NJ]- Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants Program
Recipient Organization
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
MIAMI,FL 33199
Performing Department
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Non Technical Summary
This project intends to enrich the Agroecology Program at Florida International University (FIU) by infusing scientific instrumentation into curriculum, establishing an organic garden, and recruiting and retaining minority students. The project will recruit students from Hispanic and other underrepresented groups into the Agroecology program, which will contribute to the USDA Priority Need Area (2) and Educational Need Area (f). By supporting internship activities, field trips, and organic garden activities, the program also addresses the Educational Need Area (e) of promoting experiential learning. With two new soil-chemical testing instruments purchased under the grant, students will acquire scientific soil-analytic skills while studying soil nutrient management issues. The scientific training also addresses the USDA Priority Need Area (1) and Educational Need Area (d). The project draws support from USDA-ARS, MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center, Miami Dade College, high schools, and local farmers. The project therefore provides USDA with an additional, cost-effective agriculture educational alliance in South Florida. Other activities include online Sustainable Agriculture course, internships and workshops for high school teachers and students, and a four-year college scholarship to one Hispanic student to make transition from a two- to four-year college in agri-science. The project benefits more than fifty students receiving training in agroecology theory and practice, and provides for fourteen agroecology interns, one graduate research assistantships, ten high school interns, and thirty high school agroecology teacher-trainees and one Hispanic student with a four year college scholarship.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360993020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
The main objectives of this Florida International University (FIU) project are to incorporate scientific instrumentation and field-analytic techniques into the existing core and elective agroecology courses and student research projects; establish a campus organic garden to provide students, teachers, and faculty with practical training and skills necessary for understanding the challenges and potentials of organic agriculture in South Florida; and continue to offer a comprehensive agroecology curriculum at FIU by targeting underrepresented populations and a significant number of students joining FIU with a high school or community college degree in agriculture or related sciences. The project will greatly enhance the scientific rigor of the existing Agroecology Program previously funded by the 2005 USDA CSREES HSI Program (Project 2005-38422-15940, Curricular Development and Capacity Building in Agroecology Sciences). Two scientific instruments (total nitrogen and carbon analyzer and soil organic carbon analyzer) and an on-campus organic garden will allow students in the Sustainable Agriculture, Agroecology, and Soil and Ecosystem classes to improve their hands-on scientific analytical skills and on-field practical organic production and resource management experience. More than fifty students will stand to gain these practical skills. This project will allow the project staff to continue their effort to recruit students from underrepresented groups in South Florida into the agri-science program. Specifically, funding for this project will enable the project staff to develop ten high school internships and fourteen paid internships in agroecology for college students at FIU. On two-year graduate research assistantship for a minority student will also be made available as well as one two- to four-year college transition scholarship of $41,960. Students trained in this program will compete for technically challenging careers and higher education degree programs in agriculture, which will enable them to succeed in attaining jobs with the USDA. Students of the close-knit South Florida communities will consider agriculture science career outside of Florida. Florida International University, as a non-land grant university, has the ability to (a) maintain incoming freshman interests in the agricultural sciences and (b) provide a multi-disciplinary focus to agricultural sciences to foster student interest in agriculture within the various programs at the university. Project will foster a multi-institutional alliance between the school and South Florida HSIs, two private research centers (MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center (MAERC) and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization Farm (ECHO Farm)), USDA-Agriculture Research Service (ARS) in Miami, public high schools and area farmers to educate each other on regional agricultural issues through frequent interactions, leading to an increased expertise in partner institutions in agriculture fields.
Project Methods
The project will offer an agricultural science curriculum at FIU, called Agroecology Program, to undergraduate and graduate students and target students from a Hispanic-dominant urban community in South Florida. Based in the FIU Environmental Studies Department and implemented in collaboration with MAERC, ECHO Farm, Miami Dade College (MDC), and USDA-ARS, this program will conduct instructional, experimental learning, student recruitment and retention, and dissemination activities. Project staff will continue to offer an eighteen credit hour Agroecology Certificate to undergraduate and graduate students. Two soil analytical instruments will be acquired with the grant support. Students and faculty in the program will maintain an organic garden on campus. Students of the Agroecology Program will have an opportunity to increase their analytical skill and hands-on field experience through participating in the organic garden program. A minority student will receive a graduate research assistantship for two years and will pursue a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on agroecology. Students in the Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology courses will undertake field tours to MAERC, ECHO Farm, USDA-SHRS, and area organic and conventional farms in order to become familiar with practical, scientific, and socio-economic aspects of agriculture and the environment, through experiential learning and hands-on activities. The Agroecology students will continue to maintain the local chapter of the Minority in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) and engage in agri-science educational, mentoring, professional, and social activities. A paid summer internship program will be offered to high school students who will conduct agricultural science experiments either at FIU or their home schools. An annual summer workshop in agroecology will be conducted for high school teachers. This program will include lectures, seminars, and field visits on issues related to agroecosystem principles. In the workshop, they will identify opportunities to connect high school students and teachers with USDA and other research institutions. One minority student from a two-year community college will be offered a scholarship to make transition into the FIU Environmental Studies Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts program with Agroecology Certificate. The student will get a total scholarship of $41,960 toward college expenditure, internship, and academic training and mentoring toward acceptance to an agri-science graduate program. An online version of Sustainable Agriculture course will be offered every summer. Throughout the grant program, project activities and results will be disseminated through promotional material, newsletters, articles, student presentations, and a website. Project staff will hold two annual agroecology workshops with an expert panel that will discuss sustainable agriculture issues. These workshops will also provide an opportunity for students to discuss their research through oral presentations and poster sessions.

Progress 08/01/08 to 07/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: This project served undergraduate and graduate students at Florida International University (FIU), with a particular focus on Hispanic and other minority community students. The project also benefitted students and teachers of area K-12 schools. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The students who had received agroecology internships and research projects gained lab and field training while improving leadership and communication skills. Knowledge was transferred to others as these students provided tours, held volunteer days, participated in the weekly farmers market, helped organize workshops and mentors high school students with their science projects. In all, more than 1000 students enrolled in various courses at FIU and area K-12 schools participated in various activities held. Field trips were also organized where students participated in agri-science related activities. We visited four high schools and talked to more than 120 students encouraging them to apply for summer internships and in the future, for college admission. Three high school students completed the projects at their schools. Two of them won first places at the regional science fair and participated at the Florida State Science Fair. We had conducted two week-long teachers agroecology workshops in 2010; about twenty-five K-12 teachers and ten high school students from Miami-Dade and Broward counties participated in the workshop. Ten high school students received summer agroecology internships to conduct a variety of projects at the Campus Organic Garden and on their school yard. We held several project meetings throughout the project period for internal evaluation. Dr. Burton English, professor of agricultural economics, The University of Tennessee, visited the campus in 2009 and 2011 to conduct the external evaluations of the program. Project Director, Bhat, attended the national HSI Project Directors meeting held in Washington, D.C. in October 2008, and three NACTA conferences (2008, 2010 and 2011) and presented the project activities. Student club: The agroecology students formed two student clubs over the years: The Garden Club and the MANRRS local chapter, both of which are very active on campus, at the Garden and in the community. The Garden recruits new students for volunteer and education work at the garden, helps with the staging of the weekly organic farmers’ market on campus, conducts educational tours for its members, and mentors high school students with their science projects. The two clubs have more than 60 members. K-12 school outreach: Further, through the grant program, we reached out to MDC and area high schools to recruit future agriculture students either to FIU or other colleges. Several teachers of the Miami Dade County Public Schools have approached us for assistance with developing training grant proposals, conducting field days and recruitment fairs, and offering advanced college courses for their students. The Miami Dade Public Schools’ Agricultural Science Program Officer, Miss Diana Collingwood coordinates with five area high schools to bring 30-40 students every year to the Agroecology Symposium held during the Spring semester. As mentioned earlier, we conducted the agroecology workshop for 25 Miami Dade and Broward school teachers and summer internship programs for 10 high school students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Publicity: We publicizde the program in different FIU classes and at various events. The program was announced on the departmental websites and on the Agroecology grant project website (http://agroecology.fiu.edu). A video of the program and the grant was made and posted on the site. Further, we visited Miami Dade College (MDC), one of the project’s collaborating institutions, to announce the programs to their faculty and students. More than 50 percent of the transfer students at FIU come from MDC. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The two courses, Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture, created an opportunity for change in knowledge among students through the revision of course activities which enhanced experimental and experiential learning. More than 50 students, close to sixty percent of who are Hispanic, raised 20 different vegetable production beds, each with a specific research experiment. Students analyzed soil characteristics, including soil nutrient, organic matter, and the pH. We purchased two scientific instruments, a total nitrogen/carbon analyzer and a soil organic carbon analyzer. Graduate student, Thelma Velez and other undergraduate students, have been using these instruments for their research on soil analysis, relating to their experiment on biochar. Ten students who had received agroecology internships conducted field projects at the campus Organic Garden, involving field experimentation, sampling, measurements and lab experiments. These projects included rain-water harvesting, drip irrigation projects, cover crop experiments, and compost projects. We have established an Organic Garden on campus. The Garden, which is 150 feet long and 50 feet wide, includes 15 vegetable plots, a shade-house for the nursery (funded by the university), eight fruit trees, worm-compost, a pond and a drip irrigation system. Some vegetable plots serve as community garden plots and are open to students on campus. About 50 students, who are members of the Garden Club and Minority in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) chapter, maintain these plots. Students of the Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture classes designed the garden plots, built the worm-compost unit, constructed the pond, and established the drip irrigation system. Students sell the produce at the weekly campus farmers market. Some of the vegetable plots serve as community garden plots and are open to students, faculty and staff on campus. Throughout the year more than 1000 students enrolled in various courses at FIU and area K-12 schools visited the garden for educational purposes. All in all, our new entire garden and the Shade House occupy about half-an acre, next to the South Florida Ecosystem Preserve on campus. We have spent about $5,000 from the grant on soil, compost material, tools, cement blocks, garden hoses, plants and other materials. The garden has drawn attention from students, staff and faculty university-wide as well as the general community. FIU didn’t have a true production agriculture teaching facility. In a short period of time, the organic garden has become the flagship of the Agroecology Program. Masters student support: Four graduate students, Ricardo Soto, Karen Panocchia, Stephany Alvarez, and Thelma Velez finished their master’s degree. All students assisted in change of knowledge through various presentations made on their research. Soto and Alvarez are currently creating a change in condition. Soto, who worked on the urban food desert problem using GIS, began educating high school students on sustainable agriculture. Alvarez began coordinating the Agroecology Program upon completion of her Master’s degree which focused on controlling mites in honey bees. Panocchia did an internship in the US Virgin Islands on sustainable living, and is now actively coordinating invasive species removal, thereby creating a change in action. Velez completed her research on the effect of different types of biochar on plant growth and soil nutrients, and along with Alvarez, was accepted as a USDA fellow to attend the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) conference and Career Preparation Institute. Alvarez also won first place in the Thesis Competition held by AAHHE, University of Texas A and M, and the USDA, thereby also creating change in knowledge through information shared. These scholarly activities along with the teaching resources such as the Campus Organic Garden, student Garden Club, and an effective collaboration with the area government and non-governmental agricultural institutions, and area organic farmers, the program has expanded the university’s faculty expertise in offering training and advice to college and high students and teachers on issues related to local and national agriculture and environmental management. The Organic Garden has created a sense of learning community among students, and has become a hub of social and learning interactions for students, staff and faculty on campus. Area high school students, who we are trying to target as potential future agroecology students at our university, are increasingly showing interest in our program and taking advantage of the summer high student internships. This networking has increased our ability to offer a cost-effective agricultural science education at a non-land grant university with large number of under-served Hispanic and other minority students. The local USDA National Hispanic Program Office designated our campus Organic Garden, built by students with the funding support of this grant program, as the Peoples Garden. Two of our students interned at a local organic farm and helped the farm owner build a mushroom production enterprise and a micro-green production unit. The same two students now have floated a joint business venture to establish urban edible landscapes in the area. One of the Hispanic students, who recently graduated from our Program with a master’s degree, received a job offer from the local USDA Agricultural Research Service. As part of the existing Agroecology Program, which was established under the 2005 Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grant, we continued to offer the 18-credit hour Agroecology Certificate. About eight students completed the Certificate requirements during the year. Fifteen more are taking classes toward the Certificate requirement. We gave paid internships to more than 10 students, some of whom travelled abroad, established fruit trees at the Garden, built a worm-compost unit, established a drip-irrigation system, and helped set up the weekly organic farmers market on campus. We visited four high schools and talked to more than 120 students encouraging them to apply for summer internships and in the future, for college admission. Three high school students completed the projects at their schools. Two of them won first places at the regional science fair and participated at the Florida State Science Fair. In every Spring semester of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, we conducted the annual Agroecology Symposium, which included a panel discussion on sustainable agriculture and more than 30 student presentations. More than 500 FIU students, faculty members, high school students and teachers and area farmers attended the symposia. The student Garden Club got fully organized and conducted weekly activities. We revised our website (agroecology.fiu.edu) and maintained agroecology resource library for students. More than 25 students completed the Certificate requirements in the last three years and 25 more are taking classes toward the Certificate requirement; more than 60 percent of them are Hispanic. We awarded internships to 15 students (ten Hispanic), supporting students to conduct experiments or field projects, namely, a farm internship in Great Briton, rain-water harvesting, composting, square-foot gardening, and establishing edible gardens at a church, a school, and a senior citizens home. We had conducted two week-long teachers agroecology workshops in 2010; about twenty-five K-12 teachers and ten high school students from Miami-Dade and Broward counties participated in the workshop. Ten high school students received summer agroecology internships to conduct a variety of projects at the Campus Organic Garden and on their school yard.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Kurlander, D. 2010. Development of a Drip Irrigation in FIU Organic Garden. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: LaPradd, C. 2010. Urban agriculture issues in Miami Dade. Panel Discussion, Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Marasigan, M. 2009. An Assessment of the Adoption of Agroecological Practices by Small Farmers in El Salvador. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Marewski, G. 2010. Organic food production: a farmers perspective. Panel Discussion, Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Marroquin, L. 2010. Urban Community Gardens--What Does It Take To Build One? Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Morales E. and Martin, C. 2010. Preliminary Research on a Native Plant Buffer Between a Natural Ecosystem and an Organic Garden. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Narender, P. 2010. Biofuel from algae: potential for sustainable biofuel production. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Narendar, P. 2009. Biofuels - Sustainable Energy Resources. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Onsted, J. 2010. Urban farmland losses. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Pandey, B. 2009. Survey of Naturally Occurring Diseases of Lygodium microphyllum in South Florida Natural Areas: Prevalence And Potential for Biocontrol Agents. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Pannocchia, K. 2009. Experimental and Experiential Learning in Agroecology in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami Saldana, Victoria. Significance of Biodiversity among Biofuel Producing Plants. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Soto, R. 2010. Urban food system and potential community gardening system in Miami. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2008 Citation: Soto, R. 2008. Agroecology and Urban Landscape Program at Florida International University. 2008 World Food Day Teleconference, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Stepien, D. 2010. Bio-diesel development program in India. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Tennant, R. 2009. Aprovecho Research Center: Sustainable Ecological Systems Internship, Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Thomson, m. 2010. The practice of permaculture in urban food production. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Tome, Braian. Current and Future Consumption of Biofuels in Karnataka, India. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Trujillo, D. 2010. Pipelining from high school to college and beyond: a personal Experience. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Trujillo, D. 2010. Holistic Gardening. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Trujillo, D. 2009. FIUs On-Campus Organic Garden. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Velez, T., M. Bhat, and K. Jayachandran. The Role of Co-curricular Education in Enhancing Class Room Agricultural Science Program in an Urban University. Presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Conference, Edmonton, Canada, June 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Velez, T. Sustainable agriculture for urban food systems. Miami Dietetic Association, Miami, October 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Velez, T. Effects on biochar on soil quality improvement. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Alvarez-Ventura, S. Measuring Impacts of Neem Oil and Amitraz on Varroa destructor and Apis Mellifera in Different Agricultural Systems of South Florida. West Palm Beach Beekeepers Association. West Palm Beach, FL, February 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Alvarez-Ventura, S., Bhat, M., and Jayachandran, K. Engaging Urban K-12 Agriculture-Science Education by Training the Trainers. Presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Conference, Edmonton, Canada, June 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Bhat, M. G. Agroecology--Its Relevance for the New Decade and the Future. Miami Dietetic Association, Miami, October 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Alvarez-Ventura, S. Measuring Impacts of Neem Oil and Amitraz on Varroa destructor and Apis Mellifera in Different Agricultural Systems of South Florida. Agroecology High school Summer Internship Program. June 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Alvarez-Ventura, S. 2010. Agricultural biodiversity: the problem of declining bees. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Bhat, Mahadev. Biofuel Technology, Institution, and Economics--Experiences of Developing Countries. Conference on Small and Medium Size Business Enterprises for a Green Energy Future, FIU Energy Security Forum, Miami, March 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2008 Citation: Bhat, M. G. 2008. Curriculum Enrichment, Instrumentation, and Experiential Learning in Agroecology. USDA CSREES Hispanic Serving Institutions Higher Education Programs Project Directors Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Bhat, M. G. 2009. The Return of Urban Food Gardens in America--Taking Control of our Own Food Production. Presented at the Marine Environmental Initiative, Biscayne Bay Campus, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Bhat, M. and Jayachandran, K. 2010. Agriculture Science Education in Minority-Serving, Urban Universities: Service Learning, Collaboration, and Community Engagement. Presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Conference, Pennsylvania.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Velez, T. Measuring the Impact of Melaleuca quinquenervia Biochar Application on Soil Quality, Plant Growth and Microbial Gas Flux. FIU Department of Earth and Environment Graduate Student Symposium. Miami, FL. April, 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Velez, T., Reed, S., and Jayachandran K. "Measuring the Impact of Melaleuca Biochar Application on Soil Quality, Microbial Gas Flux, and Plant Growth." Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting. Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Wogan, I. 2010. Connecting the Garden to the Farmer's Market at FIU. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Wolf, L. 2009. Earthship Design and Systems: Shelter Interfaced with the Earth, Sun, and Sky. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Burgess, L. 2010. FIU Organic Garden earns recognition from USDA. The Miami Herald newspaper, April 2010.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Cochrane, E. 2010. Teachers learn about agriculture, organic gardening at FIU. News.FIU.EDU. Available at http://news.fiu.edu/2010/07/summer-school-teachers-turn-out-for-agroecology-workshop/.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2008 Citation: FIU, 2008. Several scholarship and program brochures.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Garland, D. 2010. The Peoples Garden. A video featuring the FIU Organic Garden and the Agroecology Program. Available on agroecology.fiu.edu
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Haro, M. 2010. Student-run garden at FIU named Peoples Garden. News.FIU.EDU. Available at http://news.fiu.edu/2010/04/student-run-garden-at-fiu-named-peoples-garden/.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2008 Citation: The Beacon. 2008. The Community Garden. The Beacon, FIU Weekly Newspaper, November 30, 2008.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2008 Citation: Vimeo. 2008. Community Farming. Vimeo, FIU Student Media video blog, http://www.vimeo.com/2390620, November 2008.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2008 Citation: The FIU Magazine. 2008. FIUs Compost Blooms. FIU Magazine, Winter 2008, p. 20.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Bhat, M. 2010. Urban Agriculture and Agroecology for Sustainable, Healthy and Local Food. At the Ecological Integrity--Connecting Humans, Health and Habitat Conference organized by Center for Earth Jurisprudence, July 2010.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Collingwood, D. 2010. Agriculture educational opportunities for high school teachers and students. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Contreras, M. 2010. Urban Oasis Project: backyard gardening providing local food and better health in Miami's urban food desert. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Dautel, J. 2009. Recycling Nutrients Through Vermiculture and Composting at FIU. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Diamond, G. 2009. Rainwater Harvesting for Agriculture in the Bahamas  A Feasibility Study. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Dukes, W. 2010. Engaging students into agricultural experiential learning. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Dunn, M. 2010. Community gardens in Miami: The case of Roots in the City. Panel Discussion, Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: English, B. and de La Torre Ugarte, D. 2009. Can a Case be Made for Biofuel Sustainability. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Fleming, T. 2010. Organic farming in South Florida: a farmers perspective. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Garcia, Cristina . A look at rural farmers/labourers relationship with the biofuel program in India. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Gonzalez, J. 2009. Endosulfan Analysis with Gas Chromatography on Bufferstrip Soil Leachates. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Gonzalez, K. 2010. Integrating Sustainable Farming Techniques in the Fruit Grove at FIU Organic Garden. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Guillaume, S. 2009. Jatropha Plantation in Haiti. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Heinrich, J. 2010. Sustainability Analysis of Subsistence Farming In Two Riverine Communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Hunsberger, A. 2010. School and backyard food gardening in South Florida. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Izaguirre, C. 2009. FIU Community Garden: Meeting Food and Fiber Needs Sustainably. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Yanez, M. 2010. Foodshed Project in southern Florida. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Bacigalupo, D. 2009. Students grab shovels, go organic. FIU Student Media Online Journal, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Izaguirre, C. 2010. The Herbal Medicine Chest in Your Backyard. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Jayachandran, K. 2010. Some advances in agroecology research at FIU. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Johnson, A. 2010. Bio-ethanol in Brazil: Lessons for the US. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Jungman, A., M. Bhat, and K. Jayachandran. Internalization of Agricultural Curriculum at Florida International University: Evaluation of Student Experiential Learning Outcome. Presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Conference, Edmonton, Canada, June 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Klotz, R. 2009. The Limits to Organic Certification Faced By Guatemalan Smallholders. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2009 Citation: Kluson, R. 2009. Farm Level Sustainability Issues in Florida. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Koptur, S. 2010. The importance of plant insects to edible plants. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.


Progress 08/01/11 to 07/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: We taught two core courses, Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology. Students in the Agroecology class conducted hands-on field experiments on different tropical crops and production/resource management practices. Students of Sustainable Agriculture class participated in a community engagement project at a local farm being organized by not-for profit organization. Students in the program continue to look after the Campus Organic Garden built in 2008 with the help of grant funds. One half-time master students continued her research on the application of bio-char derived different tree species. She analyzed the effect of biochar on soil characteristics, including soil nutrient, gas flux, and organic matter. At least five students completed the Agroecology Certificate requirements during the reporting period. The graduate student who received funding under this program made several presentations on her master's research and agroecology in general. PARTICIPANTS: More than 50 students took the Agroecology classes. One graduate student continued to work on her master thesis. More than 100 university and K-12 students participated in the annual agroecology symposium. Several hundred K-12 students from the area schools visited the Organic Garden at Florida International University. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audience includes underrepresented Hispanic and other minority students. Sixty percent of our students served are Hispanic. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The grant program continues to enable the Florida International University to strengthen its Agroecology Program at the university and in the community and has allowed the Program to target under-represented students. More than 50 students--60 percent of which are Hispanic--took advantage of the agroecology courses, internship, workshops, and travel opportunities offered by the Agroecology Program. At least 100 more, including some high school students and teachers, attended the annual agroecology symposium. Our Garden attracts a large number of college students and K-12 students from the area elementary to high schools for gaining experiential learning in local food systems.

Publications

  • Bhat, M. G. Agroecology--Its Relevance for the New Decade and the Future. Miami Dietetic Association, Miami, October 2011.
  • Velez, T. Sustainable agriculture for urban food systems. Miami Dietetic Association, Miami, October 2011.
  • Velez, T. Effects on biochar on soil quality improvement. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2012.


Progress 08/01/10 to 07/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: We taught two core courses, Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology. Students in the class conducted hands-on field experiments on different tropical crops and production/resource management practices. More than 50 students, close to sixty percent of who are Hispanic, raised 20 different vegetable production beds, each with a specific research experiment. Students analyzed soil characteristics, including soil nutrient, organic matter, and the pH. Five students who had previously received agroecology internships conducted field projects at the campus Organic Garden, involving field experimentation, sampling, measurements and lab experiments. These projects included aquaponic, drip irrigation project, cover crop experiments, and compost projects. About 10 students completed the Certificate requirements during the reporting period. We awarded internships to five students (mostly Hispanic), who worked on projects involving aquaponic, permaculture design and other themes. We continue to publicize the program in different FIU classes and at various events. The program was announced on the departmental websites and on the Agroecology grant project website (agroecology.fiu.edu). Three graduate students and two Program Directors, Bhat and Jayachandran, atteded the NACTA conference and presented three posters. The agroecology students Garden Club, which is a local chapter of the national Minority in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), was very active on campus, at the Garden and in the community. The annual Agroecology Symposium was held in March 2011 and featured two panel discussions and more than 15 poster presentations by students. PARTICIPANTS: Jefrey Onsted (Project Director)--project management and symposium Mahadev Bhat (co-PD)--teaching sustainable agriculture, students mentoring. Krish Jayachandran (co-PD)--teaching agroecology, student mentoring Stewart Reed (Research Agronomist, USDA ARS)--student mentoring Diana Collingwood (Supervisor, Agri Science Program, Miami Dade Public School District)--K-12 student outreach. Five graduate students and 50 undergraduate students. TARGET AUDIENCES: Thirty high school students participated in Agroecology Symposium. Five graduate students and 50 undergraduate students were enrolled in thesis research, Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture classes, research internships and Symposium. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The USDA-NIFA HSI program has enabled Florida International University to further strengthen its agroecology program at the university and in the community and has allowed the Program to target under-represented students. More than 70 students--60 percent of which are Hispanic--took advantage of the agroecology courses, internship, workshops, and travel opportunities offered by the Agroecology Program. At least 100 more, including some high school students and teachers, attended the annual agroecology symposium. These scholarly activities along with the teaching resources such as the Campus Organic Garden, student Garden Club, and an effective collaboration with the area government and non-governmental agricultural institutions, and area organic farmers, the program has expanded the universitys faculty expertise in offering training and advice to college and high students and teachers on issues related to local and national agriculture and environmental management. The Organic Garden has created a sense of learning community among students, and has become a hub of social and learning interactions for students, staff and faculty on campus. Area high school students, who we are trying to target as potential future agroecology students at our university, are increasingly showing interest in our program and taking advantage of the summer high student internships. This networking has increased our ability to offer a cost-effective agricultural science education at a non-land grant university with large number of under-served Hispanic and other minority students. The local USDA National Hispanic Program Office designated our campus Organic Garden, built by students with the funding support of this grant program, as the Peoples Garden.

Publications

  • Stephany Alvarez-Ventura. Water Sustainability in Biofuel Production--A Lesson from India. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Thelma Velez. The Biofuels Push--Land Management Strategies for Sust Community Development. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Braian Tome. Current and Future Consumption of Biofuels in Karnataka, India. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Cristina Garcia. A look at rural farmers-labourers relationship with the biofuel program in India. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Michael Maniloff. Improving Transportation In India. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Allie Zangari. Applying Sustainable Biofuel Production to Rural Poverty Mitigation. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Drake Kurlander. Forestland Assessment: Biofuel Potential in Karnataka, India. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Victoria Saldana. Significance of Biodiversity among Biofuel Producing Plants. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Andrew Jungman. A study of the chemical process and economics of biodiesel production for two leading educational institutions in India. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, March 2011.
  • Mahadev Bhat. Biofuel Technology, Institution, and Economics--Experiences of Developing Countries. Conference on Small and Medium Size Business Enterprises for a Green Energy Future, FIU Energy Security Forum, Miami, March 2011.
  • S. Alvarez-Ventura, M. Bhat, and K. Jayachandran. Engaging Urban K-12 Agriculture-Science Education by Training the Trainers. Presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Conference, Edmonton, Canada, June 2011.
  • T. Velez, M. Bhat, and K. Jayachandran. The Role of Co-curricular Education in Enhancing Class Room Agricultural Science Program in an Urban University. Presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Conference, Edmonton, Canada, June 2011.
  • A. Jungman, M. Bhat, and K. Jayachandran. Internalization of Agricultural Curriculum at Florida International University: Evaluation of Student Experiential Learning Outcome. Presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Conference, Edmonton, Canada, June 2011.


Progress 08/01/09 to 07/31/10

Outputs
OBJECTIVE 1 (training students in scientific instrumentation and field analytical techniques)--we continued to offer two core Agroecology Certificate courses, namely, Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology. Roughly 20 students were enrolled in each class and conducted field experiments on tropical crops and resource management practices. Five students who had received agroecology internships conducted field projects at the campus Organic Garden, involving field experimentation, sampling, measurements and lab experiments. These projects included rain-water harvesting, drip irrigation project, cover crop experiments, and compost projects. OBJECTIVE 2 (establishing and maintaining the Campus Organic Garden)--students in the Agroecology Certificate courses and the university student Garden Club continued to maintain the Organic Garden and the Shade House. The Garden has more than 20 vegetable and fruit beds, a shade-house for nursery, a fruit grove, worm-compost, and a drip irrigation system. Some vegetable plots serve as community garden plots and are open to students, faculty and staff on campus. About 100 students, who are members of the Garden Club, maintain various parts of the Garden. Throughout the year more than 500 students enrolled in various courses within the university and area K-12 schools visited the garden for educational purpose. OBJECTIVE 3 (establishing a comprehensive agroecology targeting under-represented students)--As part of the existing Agroecology Program, we continued to offer the 18-credit hour Agroecology Certificate. About five students completed the Certificate requirements during the year and ten more are taking classes toward the Certificate requirement; more than 60 percent of them are Hispanic. We awarded internships to ten students (eight Hispanic) during the year, supporting students to conduct experiments or field projects, namely, farm internship in Great Briton, rain-water harvesting, composting, square-foot gardening, and establishing edible gardens at a church, a school, and a senior citizens home. We conducted a week-long teachers agroecology workshop in July 2010; about twenty-five K-12 teachers and ten high school students from Miami-Dade and Broward counties participated in the workshop. Ten high school students received summer agroecology internships to conduct a variety of projects at the Campus Organic Garden and on their school yard. In February, we conducted the annual Agroecology Symposium, which included a panel discussion on urban agriculture and ten student presentations. More than 125 students, faculty members, high school students and teachers and area farmers attended the symposium. Seven of our students attended the 2010 MANRRS in Orlando, Florida. Project Director Dr. Bhat made presentations about the grant program at the NACTA/SERD Conference held at State College, Pennsylvania and at the Conference on Integrating Health, Habitat and Humans held at Miami, Florida. Project Co-Director Jayachandran attended the national HSI Project Directors meeting held in Washington, D.C. in July 2010 to discuss the future of Hispanic Serving Institutions Higher Education grants program. PRODUCTS: We offered two Agroecology core courses and one course on Soil and Ecosystems. More than 50 students were enrolled in these classes, more than 30 of whom were Hispanic. Students conducted field experiments concerning different tropical crops, soil, organic matter, pests, production techniques and agricultural resource management. At least five students completed the Agroecology Certificate requirements during the year and ten more in the program. Students in the program and the project staff continued to maintain the Campus Organic Garden, which served as a teaching facility and served more than 500 college students, K-12 students, high school teachers and community members. We recruited several new students into the program during the year to enroll in the Agroecology Certificate, to participate in the summer internship programs and the student Garden Club. More than 100 students became members of the Garden Club and participated in the community garden plots and the weekly organic farmers market on campus. We organized the annual Agroecology Symposium. A panel of agricultural experts discussed issues related to urban agriculture. Ten students, including one high school student, made oral and poster presentations. More than 120 students, staff, faculty members, farmers and agency representatives participated at the symposium. During the summer of 2010, ten high school students completed their internship projects at our university and on their school yard. We also conducted a week-long workshop in agroecology for K-12 teachers and the high school interns. Seven of our students attended the annual MANRRS conference and one student did a summer internship at USDA, Washington, DC through Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. We also acquired several new books and updated the project website. OUTCOMES: The USDA-NIFA HSI program has enabled Florida International University to further strengthen its agroecology program at the university and in the community and has allowed the Program to target under-represented students. More than 70 students--60 percent of which are Hispanic--took advantage of the agroecology courses, internship, workshops, and travel opportunities offered by the Agroecology Program. At least 100 more, including some high school students and teachers, attended the annual agroecology symposium. These scholarly activities along with the teaching resources such as the Campus Organic Garden, student Garden Club, and an effective collaboration with the area government and non-governmental agricultural institutions, and area organic farmers, the program has expanded the university's faculty expertise in offering training and advice to college and high students and teachers on issues related to local and national agriculture and environmental management. The Organic Garden has created a sense of learning community among students, and has become a hub of social and learning interactions for students, staff and faculty on campus. Area high school students, who we are trying to target as potential future agroecology students at our university, are increasingly showing interest in our program and taking advantage of the summer high student internships. This networking has increased our ability to offer a cost-effective agricultural science education at a non-land grant university with large number of under-served Hispanic and other minority students. The local USDA National Hispanic Program Office designated our campus Organic Garden, built by students with the funding support of this grant program, as the Peoples Garden. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Throughout the year we send program information through the university email, Garden Club listserv, Earth and Environmental Studies student listserv, and the University News Magazine. A total of 30 oral and poster presentations were made at various conferences, workshops and symposium. About 15 of them were made by students on their research projects. Three local experts of agriculture industry (a farmer, community garden organizer and an administrator) held a panel discussion on urban agriculture. The program website (agroecology.fiu.edu) has been kept up-to-date and informative for students. A video featuring the Organic Garden was prepared and posted on the website. Project Director Bhat made oral presentations on project activities at one national conference and one local conference. The program was featured three times a year at in the University News Media. On being designated as a USDA Peoples Garden in April 2010, the Miami Herald, the top local daily newspaper, featured our Organic Garden. FUTURE INITIATIVES: One Hispanic master student fully funded through this grant project will continue to work on her thesis research relating to resting honey bee populations on agricultural farms. Another Hispanic master student will begin her work beginning Spring 2011. The annual agroecology symposium will be held in January 2011. The project staff will work with Garden Club student members to involve them more into the Agroecology Program. We hope to award several undergraduate student internships this year. Some of the students will continue to engage in community to help build school and backyard gardens.

Impacts
The FIU Agroecology Program is becoming increasingly popular among students, area high schools and community colleges, farmers and community organizations are clear. The levels of student participation in the annual agroecology symposium, brown bag meetings, and the weekly Garden Club activities have tremendously increased. Students are now growing produce at the campus Organic Garden and either take the produce home for their own consumption, or sell it at the campus Organic Farmers Market. They are putting the proceeds back into various Garden activities. Students trained through our program are reaching out to the community and building backyard, schoolyard and churchyard edible gardens. At least four such garden projects have been built during this year. These projects are generating local food and have increased awareness about healthy and local food among the project beneficiaries. The Agroecology Program is making a difference in student lives as well. Two of our students interned at a local organic farm and helped the farm owner build a mushroom production enterprise and a micro-green production unit. The same two students now have floated a joint business venture to establish urban edible landscapes in the area. One of the Hispanic students, who recently graduated from our Program with a masters degree, received a job offer from the local USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Publications

  • Morales E. and Martin, C. 2010. Preliminary Research on a Native Plant Buffer Between a Natural Ecosystem and an Organic Garden. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Johnson, A. 2010. Bio-ethanol in Brazil: Lessons for the US. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Stepien, D. 2010. Bio-diesel development program in India. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Narender, P. 2010. Biofuel from algae: potential for sustainable biofuel production. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Hunsberger, A. 2010. School and backyard food gardening in South Florida. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Koptur, S. 2010. The importance of plant insects to edible plants. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Alvarez-Ventura, S. 2010. Agricultural biodiversity: the problem of declining bees. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Contreras, M. 2010. Urban Oasis Project: backyard gardening providing local food and better health in Miami's urban food desert. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Trujillo, D. 2010. Pipelining from high school to college and beyond: a personal Experience. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Jayachandran, K. 2010. Some advances in agroecology research at FIU. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Fleming, T. 2010. Organic farming in South Florida: a farmers perspective. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Soto, R. 2010. Urban food system and potential community gardening system in Miami. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Yanez, M. 2010. Foodshed Project in southern Florida. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Thomson, m. 2010. The practice of permaculture in urban food production. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Onsted, J. 2010. Urban farmland losses. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Dukes, W. 2010. Engaging students into agricultural experiential learning. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Collingwood, D. 2010. Agriculture educational opportunities for high school teachers and students. Summer K-12 Teachers Agroecology Workshop, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Garland, D. 2010. The Peoples Garden. A video featuring the FIU Organic Garden and the Agroecology Program. Available on agroecology.fiu.edu
  • Cochrane, E. 2010. Teachers learn about agriculture, organic gardening at FIU. News.FIU.EDU. Available at http://news.fiu.edu/2010/07/summer-school-teachers-turn-out-for-agroe cology-workshop/.
  • Haro, M. 2010. Student-run garden at FIU named Peoples Garden. News.FIU.EDU. Available at http://news.fiu.edu/2010/04/student-run-garden-at-fiu-named-peoples-g arden/.
  • Burgess, L. 2010. FIU Organic Garden earns recognition from USDA. The Miami Herald newspaper, April 2010.
  • Bhat, M. and Jayachandran, K. 2010. Agriculture Science Education in Minority-Serving, Urban Universities--Service Learning, Collaboration, and Community Engagement. Presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Conference, Pennsylvania.
  • Bhat, M. 2010. Urban Agriculture and Agroecology for Sustainable, Healthy and Local Food. At the Ecological Integrity--Connecting Humans, Health and Habitat Conference organized by Center for Earth Jurisprudence, July 2010.
  • LaPradd, C. 2010. Urban agriculture issues in Miami Dade. Panel Discussion, Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Dunn, M. 2010. Community gardens in Miami: The case of Roots in the City. Panel Discussion, Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Marewski, G. 2010. Organic food production: a farmers perspective. Panel Discussion, Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Kurlander, D. 2010. Development of a Drip Irrigation in FIU Organic Garden. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Gonzalez, K. 2010. Integrating Sustainable Farming Techniques in the Fruit Grove at FIU Organic Garden. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami. Wogan, I. 2010. Connecting the Garden to the Farmer's Market at FIU. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Marroquin, L. 2010. Urban Community Gardens--What Does It Take To Build One Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Heinrich, J. 2010. Sustainability Analysis of Subsistence Farming In Two Riverine Communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Trujillo, D. 2010. Holistic Gardening. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Izaguirre, C. 2010. The Herbal Medicine Chest in Your Backyard. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.


Progress 08/01/08 to 07/31/09

Outputs
OBJECTIVE 1-- We successfully revised two, three-credit core courses, Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology, by requiring students to conduct hands-on field experiments on different tropical crops and production/resource management practices. During the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters, more than 25 students, close to sixty percent of who are Hispanic, raised 12 different vegetable production beds, each with the a specific research experiment. Students analyzed soil characteristics, including soil nutrient, organic matter, and the pH. We purchased two scientific instruments, total nitrogen/carbon analyzer and soil organic carbon analyzer. OBJECTIVE 2 --We have established an Organic Garden on campus, primarily by students. The Garden, which is 150 feet long and 50 feet wide, includes 15 vegetable plots, a shade-house for nursery (funded by the university), eight fruit trees, worm-compost, a pond and a drip irrigation system. Some vegetable plots serve as community garden plots and are open to students on campus. About 50 students, who are members of the Garden Club, maintain these plots. Students of the Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture classes designed the garden plots, built the worm-compost unit, constructed the pond, and established the drip irrigation system. Students sell the produce at the weekly campus farmers market. OBJECTIVE 3 -- As part of the existing Agroecology Program, which was established under the 2005 Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grant, we continued to offer the 18-credit hour Agroecology Certificate. About eight students completed the Certificate requirements during the year. Fifteen more are taking classes toward the Certificate requirement. We gave paid internships to six students during the year, some of whom travelled abroad, established fruit trees at the Garden, built worm-compost unit, established a drip-irrigation system, and helped set up the weekly organic farmers market on campus. We visited four high schools and talked to more than 120 students encouraging them to apply for summer internships and in the future, for college admission. Three high school students completed the projects at their schools. Two of them won first places at the regional science fair and participated at the Florida State Science Fair. In February, we conducted the annual Agroecology Symposium, which included a panel discussion on sustainable agriculture and 12 student presentations. More than 150 FIU students, faculty members, high school students and teachers and area farmers attended the symposium. During the year, the student Garden Club got fully organized and conducted weekly activities. We revised our website (agroecology.fiu.edu) and maintained agroecology resource library for students. We held several project meetings during the year doing the project internal evaluation. Dr. Burton English, professor of agricultural economics, The University of Tennessee, visited the campus to conduct the external evaluation of the program. Project Director, Bhat, attended the national HSI Project Directors meeting held in Washington, D.C. in October 2008 and presented the project activities. PRODUCTS: We fully revised two of the Agroecology core courses to give students with opportunity for hands-on field experience. More than 30 students enrolled in these classes, 20 of whom are Hispanic, conducted field experiments concerning different tropical crops, soil, organic matter, pests, and production techniques. At least eight students completed the Agroecology Certificate requirements. We purchased two scientific instruments worth more than $60,000. Students in the program and the project staff established an organic garden on campus that includes features such as tropical fruit trees, native edible plants, fifteen vegetable plots, one worm-compost unit, a shaded nursery, pond and a drip-irrigation system. We recruited several new students into the program during the year to enroll in the Agroecology Certificate, to participate in the summer internship programs and the student Garden Club. More than fifty students became members of the Garden Club and participated in the community garden plots and the newly established weekly organic farmers market on campus. The project director, Bhat, serves as a faculty advisor for this club. We organized the annual Agroecology Symposium on campus. A panel of agricultural experts discussed sustainable agriculture and bioenergy issues. Fifteen students, including two high school students, made oral and poster presentations. More than 150 students, staff, faculty members, farmers and agency representatives participated at the symposium. We also acquired several new books and updated the project website. OUTCOMES: The USDA-CSREES HSI program has enabled Florida International University to further strengthen its nascent production agricultural science program at the university. Increased publicity within and outside of the university elevated the student and faculty awareness about the career and economic opportunities that agricultural science field can offer. More than 30 students--50 percent of which are Hispanic--took advantage of the agroecology courses, internship, workshops, and travel opportunities offered by the Agroecology Program. At least 100 more, including 30 high school students, attended the annual agroecology symposium. These scholarly activities along with the teaching resources such as the Campus Organic Garden, student Garden Club, and an effective collaboration with the area government and non-governmental agricultural institutions, and area organic farmers, the program has expanded the university's faculty expertise in offering training and advice to college and high students and teachers on issues related to local and national agriculture and environmental management. Area high school students, who are trying to target as potential future agroecology students at our university, are increasingly showing interest in our program and taking advantage of the summer high student internships. This networking has increased our ability to offer a cost-effective agricultural science education at a non-land grant university with large number of under-served Hispanic and other minority students. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Throughout the year we send program information through university email, Garden Club listserv, Earth and Environmental Studies student listserv, and the University Alumni Magazine. About fifteen students presented their research projects at the annual agroecology conferences. Two agricultural scientists from outside held a panel discussion on sustainable agriculture and bioenergy issues. The program website (agroecology.fiu.edu) has been kept up-to-date and informative for students. Four area high schools with agricultural and environmental science programs were visited to recruit teachers and students for the summer student internships. Project Director Bhat presented a poster on the project activities at the national HSI project directors meeting and made a presentation at FIU Biscayne Bay campus on urban agriculture and the FIU agroecology program. Project Directors (Bhat and Jayachandran) and there students (Soto, Trujillo and Izaguirre) have been featured in the FIU Magazine, Student Media Online, and FIU Daily Beacon several times during the year. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Students will start using the two soil organic and nutrient scientific instruments fully into their class and thesis research projects. We will recruit a master student with full support of stipend and tuition waiver, who will carry out a thesis research on urban agriculture issues. We are also in the process of recruiting a student from the Miami Dade College into our program, which is a transition from a 2-year to 4-year degree college. The annual agroecology symposium will be held in January 2010. The project staff will work with Garden Club student members to involve them more into the Agroecology Program. We expect these students to stay engaged in courses, field tours and the campus weekly organic farmers market.

Impacts
It is too soon to realize the full impact of the program. However, early indications that the FIU Agroecology Program is becoming increasingly popular among students, area high schools and community colleges, farmers and community organizations are clear. The levels of student participation in the annual agroecology symposium, brown bag meetings, and the weekly Garden Club activities have tremendously increased. The program is making a difference in student lives as well. For example, one of the Hispanic students, who recently completed an internship with USDA in Washington, has gotten a temporary employment with the same agency. He is waiting to finish his masters degree at which time he is promised a permanent employment with USDA. Just in the last one year, the project staff has been contacted by four different community organizations and private businesses for technical assistance with their new community gardens and compost projects. More and more local organic farmers have been seeking us for student interns and employees, which will further enhance the technical skills of our students.

Publications

  • Izaguirre, C. 2009. FIU Community Garden: Meeting Food and Fiber Needs Sustainably. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Chebud, Y. 2009. Lessons From Four Decades of Water Resources Development in the Blue Nile Basin. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Diamond, G. 2009. Rainwater Harvesting for Agriculture in the Bahamas, A Feasibility Study. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Tennant, R. 2009. Aprovecho Research Center: Sustainable Ecological Systems Internship, Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Pannocchia, K. 2009. Experimental and Experiential Learning in Agroecology in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Marasigan, M. 2009. An Assessment of the Adoption of Agroecological Practices by Small Farmers in El Salvador. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Klotz, R. 2009. The Limits to Organic Certification Faced By Guatemalan Smallholders. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Gonzalez, J. 2009. Endosulfan Analysis with Gas Chromatography on Bufferstrip Soil Leachates. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Dautel, J. 2009. Recycling Nutrients Through Vermiculture and Composting at FIU. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Pandey, B. 2009. Survey of Naturally Occurring Diseases of Lygodium microphyllum in South Florida Natural Areas: Prevalence And Potential for Biocontrol Agents. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Guillaume, S. 2009. Jatropha Plantation in Haiti. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Narendar, P. 2009. Biofuels - Sustainable Energy Resources. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • The Beacon. 2008. The Community Garden. The Beacon, FIU Weekly Newspaper, November 30, 2008.
  • Vimeo. 2008. Community Farming. Vimeo, FIU Student Media video blog, http://www.vimeo.com/2390620, November 2008.
  • Bacigalupo, D. 2009. Students grab shovels, go organic. FIU Student Media Online Journal, Miami.
  • FIU, 2008. Several scholarship and program brochures.
  • The FIU Magazine. 2008. FIUs Compost Blooms. FIU Magazine, Winter 2008, p. 20.
  • Soto, R. 2008. Agroecology and Urban Landscape Program at Florida International University. 2008 World Food Day Teleconference, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Bhat, M. G. 2008. Curriculum Enrichment, Instrumentation, and Experiential Learning in Agroecology. USDA CSREES Hispanic Serving Institutions Higher Education Programs Project Directors Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Bhat, M. G. 2009. The Return of Urban Food Gardens in America--Taking Control of our Own Food Production. Presented at the Marine Environmental Initiative, Biscayne Bay Campus, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Kluson, R. 2009. Farm Level Sustainability Issues in Florida. Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • English, B. and de La Torre Ugarte, D. 2009. Can a Case be Made for Biofuel Sustainability. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
  • Wolf, L. 2009. Earthship Design and Systems: Shelter Interfaced with the Earth, Sun, and Sky. Annual Agroecology Symposium, Florida International University, Miami.
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