Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences for this project's reporting period included underrepresented students studying Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems. These students were enrolled in majors and courses that focus on the science and practices of organic agriculture. The experiential learning curricula included internships, work, and study in the campus organic farm-based Leadership Development Programming, and participation in an Agroecology Field Quarter. As of August 2024, UC Santa Cruz supported the enrollment of 96 Agroecology majors, a 20% increase in enrollment over the previous year of the grant. Hispanic and Latino identifying student enrollments in the major increased over 20% from year 2022-2023 to 2023-2024, growing from 14 students to 22 students, representing 31% of students in the Agroecology major. This 31% representation surpasses the UC Santa Cruz campus average of 26% for Hispanic/Latino students. Women-identifying student enrollments increased over 20% in 2023-2024, growing from 28 students to 41 students, representing 58% of students in the Agroecology major. This representation surpasses the UC Santa Cruz campus enrollment average of 48%. Relevant to gender equity efforts, non-binary students are also significantly overrepresented, two-to-one, in the Agroecology major, compared to campus averages. The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) includes first-generation to college, low-income students with diverse social and personal identities from historically marginalized backgrounds. Enrollments of these students include California Dream Act recipients, independent students, formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students. We have seen EOP enrollments increase 100% in 2023-2024, growing from 9 to 18 students, now representing 25.4% of students in the major. This 25.4% representation is trending quickly towards the campus enrollment average of 27.4%. In addition to the degree program gains in this project reporting period, UC Santa Cruz had 244 students served by OREI funded staff through the Leadership Development Program, Internships, and Field Quarter. The demographic backgrounds of student participants across all programs included African American representation of 8.6% compared to 4.5% campus-wide, Hispanic/Latinos at27.5% compared to 26% campus-wide, Native American/Alaskan Native at 2.9%, compared to 0.7% campus-wide, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian at 0.4% compared to 0.3% campus-wide. Female identifying students made up 63.5% of participants compared with 48.3% campus-wide, and non-binary students represented 9% compared to 5.5% campus-wide. The UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology Leadership Development Program, specifically, had 80 undergraduate students participating in year 2 (Fall 2023-Summer 2024). Demographics included African American students at 11% compared to 4.5% campus-wide, Hispanic/Latinos at 36.3%, compared to 26% campus-wide, Native American/Alaskan Native 2.5% compared to 0.7% campus wide. Female students made up 56% of participants compared with 48.3% campus-wide, and non-binary students represented 10% of participants, compared to 5.5% campus-wide. The demographic background of the Field Quarter-Super Course participants included 13 undergraduate students, 11 of which identified as not white or male. Detailed demographics from UC Berkeley and UC Davis were not compiled during this reporting period. Changes/Problems:Y2 project deliverables were somewhat delayed in completion due to hiring and onboarding of Key Personnel. However, as we ended Y2 of the project, all key personnel have been hired or replaced, and the project is now fully staffed. The key personnel replacements occurred across the three lead partner campuses (UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, UC Davis) as well as at the UC Agriculture and National Resources Organic Agriculture Institute. At UC Berkeley, Berkeley Food Institute Executive Director (an OREI Key Person) left their position and was replaced in January 2024. UC Berkeley Education Coordinator staff also departed and a new hire finalized in June 2024. At UC Davis, the Student Farm Director (an OREI Key Person) left their position and was replaced with a new Director who was settling into the position in 2024. The UC Agriculture and National Resources Organic Agriculture Institute position was newly hired in July 2024.? What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?UC undergraduate students from three UC campuses participated in the first pilot of a 7- week UC Agroecology Field Quarter - or "Supercourse", hosted by UC Santa Cruz. There were 13 students enrolled in 17 units, a program consisting of three classes and a lab. Courses included; ENVS 133C - Agroecology Practicum, ENVS 130A - Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture, ENVS 130L - Laboratory, and ENVS 130C - Field Experiences in Agroecology and Sustainable Food. Students lived, worked, and traveled as one cohort for the full 7 weeks. Lectures and demonstrations were combined with field applications to give students direct experience and knowledge of organic agriculture and horticulture practices and principles. The UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology's Farm and Garden served as the residential location for the first 3 weeks of hands-on instruction. Partner hosts include UC Davis Student Farm, UC Berkeley Oxford Tract, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Field work took place on 15 regional organic farming operations. Together, these farms serve as living laboratories for integrating theory and practice. Students built a professional network with prospective mentors and employers across university, farm operations, state and federal agencies, and non-profit and community-based organizations. Student mentoring, recruitment, advising and retention through the Student Leadership Development Programming. New activities within this project reporting period include informal professional development for UC Santa Cruz Leadership Development Program core team staff. This happens through inclusion of academic research based in theoretical and philosophical frameworks to better contextualize, understand, and implement effective educational programming, and the collection of professional and continuing education topics of interest for undergraduate staff. In the Y2 reporting period, the project partners continued to supervise and facilitate 140 Student Leadership staff across the 3 partner campuses to act as peer mentors and role models for advising early career undergraduate students pursuing hands-on organic agriculture, research and education. These students typically worked 8-20 hours per week and participated in organic agriculture skills and leadership development activities led by staff supported by this grant. Of the 140 students, UC Santa Cruz employed 85 undergraduate student staff, UC Davis employed 2 Graduate students and 36 Undergraduate student staff, and UC Berkeley employed 5 Undergraduate student staff. Of all students participating in these programs, four were paid directly from this grant (two at UC Santa Cruz and two at UC Davis). All the remaining student staff were supported by multiple different funding sources. However, program development has had an impact far beyond the students funded by this grant - and all student staff have been critical to supporting the main goals and objectives of this project, Furthermore, the Leadership Development Program student staff are supervised by professional staff that are paid for by this OREI project. These grant-paid staff are responsible for designing and managing these student employment and career development programs. Internship and Course Enrollments. In the Y2 reporting period, the project partners continued to supervise and facilitate student interns (UC Santa Cruz - 156, UC Davis - 261, UC Berkeley - 80), resulting in nearly 500 students enrolled in for-credit internships related to Agroecology and Organic Agriculture. The internship activities took place at the three campus farms, gardens, produce stands, and cafés. Students were engaged in learning experientially for 6 to 12 hours per week alongside our seasoned researchers, production managers and student staff. At UC Davis, 148 students participated in internships across 9 projects related to organic agriculture (African Food Basket, Ecological Garden, Flower Project, Fresh Focus, Kids in the Garden, Market Garden, Student Collaborative Organic Plant Breeding Education or SCOPE, Farm Shop, Vineyard). Of this total, 69 students returned for at least one additional quarter, in which they deepened their knowledge in organic agriculture by staying within a project or expanded their knowledge of organic agriculture by shifting to a different project. Summer interns (45) participated in weekly seminars with sustainable agriculture professionals from UC Davis, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the regional agriculture community. Five new internships were created related to food sovereignty (African Food Basket & Fresh Focus Seed Saving) that directly supported underrepresented BIPOC students. Relatedly, 15 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in AAS190 - Race & Agriculture in Black California, physically hosted and partially staffed by the UC Davis Student Farm. The UC Davis PLS49 - Organic Vegetable Production class hands-on activities and staff were supported by this grant. Over 200 UC Davis students conducted field research in classes related to organic agriculture and agroecology, with student and professional staff supported by this grant. UC Berkeley, supervised interns worked at the campus Oxford Tract farm, focused on student-led workshops and programing, including regular work days, communications, and travel arrangements. UC Berkeley held Alumni Career Panels and Research Pathways, taking 8 students on a field trip to UC Santa Cruz to participate in a panel with local organic farmers discussing crop rotation, soil conservation, no till methods, and cover crop techniques. We co-presented research on organic no-till methods as modes for sustainable agriculture then toured the farm and gardens at UC Santa Cruz. UC Berkeley provided three workshops at Oxford Tract Farm, including instruction on: no-till, land sovereignty, processing food for added value, herbal for 30 students from UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz for 3 hours as part of a student run DeCal course at Berkeley Student Farms. The workshop trained 12 UC Berkeley students and 30 community members on how to use BCS tractors for productive urban farming. The group also visited UC Davis to learn about tractor training in a full day train-the-trainer workshop, to prepare for managing training for UC Berkeley students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?UC Santa Cruz has reached our target audience of underrepresented undergraduate students by creating and utilizing a lower division, large capacity course (ENVS 80F - introduction to Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems) that also meets at General Education requirement. This course includes 3 hours per week of fieldwork in a discussion section that brings students to the campus farm and cafe over a 10-week quarter period. These direct experiences in organic farming and the broader food system often sparks interest and inspiration to get further involved. The course has between 100-170 students enrolled who are curious about agroecology and organic food and farming. We guest present and publicize additional educational opportunities within this course, encouraging interested students to take the next step and intern with us, consider pursuing the Agroecology major and related coursework. We make students aware of student staff employment opportunities, and the Leadership Development Program as a whole. We also publicize any fellowship and scholarship opportunities that we and others may offer. This course fieldwork activities at the UC Santa Cruz farm are supervised and near-peer mentored by Leadership Development Program student staff who are underrepresented and were once in the shoes of the new-to-campus undergraduate students. We create an intergenerational mentoring and advising structure where underrepresented students can role model and recruit from within relatable communities of students. Outreach for all of the programming opportunities mentioned above is also emailed to advisors, specifically focused on 1st year students and transfers. Opportunities are also shared through Student Affairs professional staff and their list serves, such as the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiative, the Office of African, Black, and Caribbean (ABC) Student Success, and Educational Opportunities Program (EOP). Our staff are present at partner events with these units and seek out underrepresented students who may be interested in Agroecology and Organic Agriculture. We make presentations in classes with similar interested student groups. We manage student facing resource-focused email lists for Agroecology major students and Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences engaged scholars. Internships, Leadership Development Program employment positions, and Field Quarter enrollments are all recruited using the activities above. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Major goals for the next year (Y3 of the project) are to: Begin to establish a UC System-wide Field Quarter administrative home within UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Organic Agriculture Institute, in partnership with UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies Department faculty and academic staff. Redesign the UC Agroecology Field Quarter and offer it in Summer 2025, based on experiences and feedback from students, instructors, hosts, and partners. Partners will create a shared logic model based on feedback and previous course experience. Evaluation tools will be revised, and implemented, for further course improvement. Complete the intercampus exchange advising conceptual development, with UC Santa Cruz leading analysis, design, and final drafting of advising materials for transfer credit agreements, and related protocols. Project partner faculty and staff will work to provide advising to faculty, staff advisors, and student peer advisors guiding materials on the instructional opportunities at each campus as well as information on how to best host and support students enrolling at partner campuses UC Santa Cruz and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Organic Agriculture Institute staff will research and produce critical mentoring professional development activities and resources for UC Ag and Natural Resources, Organic Ag Institute mentors focused on underrepresented student support. Project staff will develop critical mentoring competency workshops for working with underrepresented students. Provide professional development training workshops for UC Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers. The Co-PDs and Key Personnel will research and develop advising protocols and materials for the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Internship and Mentoring program. UC Santa Cruz will finalize the Leadership Development Program logic model and outcome development based on the recent feedback from stakeholders, and develop an outcome survey for UC Santa Cruz's Leadership Development Program team. We will work closely with other UC campuses to explore and support their evaluation development in their specific contexts. UC Santa Cruz will implement professional development workshops for their Leadership Development Program based on staff and student needs and interests.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The two major accomplishments in the Y2 reporting period included piloting the UC System-wide Agroecology Field Quarter or "Supercourse", and building the programmatic foundation for the student Leadership Development Program. Additionally, project partners increased and improved educational opportunities in organic agriculture through internships and employment on campus organic farms, as well as increased the numbers of people gaining University of California bachelor degrees focused on organic agriculture research, extension and industry. All of these curricular advancements occurred in the context of increasing support and success of underrepresented students pursuing UC degree programs and careers. Successfully piloting the UC Agroecology Field Quarter accomplished significant progress towards our project's primary three goals. Our 1st goal of creating quality organic education was accomplished by gaining UC Santa Cruz Academic Senate course approval and Chancellor course fee exception approval to launch the UC Agroecology Field Quarter in Summer 2024. Students from three different UC campuses (UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz) enrolled, with50% of students reporting they visited farm projects in the communities they grew up in. Enrolling students from different UC campuses officially initiated the UC intercampus exchange program in teaching organic agriculture practices and research across campuses. Thirteen students enrolled in the first UC Agroecology Field Quarter, 11 of which identified as underrepresented by race and gender. More than 50% of students enrolled reported that the course offering reduced attendance costs and shortened their time-to-degree. All enrolled students completed the course. Given the UC Agroecology Field Quarter enrollment demographics, we accomplished the project's 3rd goal of increasing support for underrepresented students. All students were invited to take an online post-course survey three weeks after the course conclusion. Seven students responded (54% response rate). The findings showed clear progress towards our 2nd goal, to increase degree completion and enter organic careers. All survey respondents reported that the course helped increase their understanding of organic agriculture (57% 'a great deal' and 43% 'a lot'). Similarly, all respondents were either 'extremely likely' (86%) or 'likely' (14%) to contact someone they met through this course for both academic opportunities (internships, coursework, etc.) and for work opportunities (jobs before or after graduation). All survey respondents (100%) 'strongly agreed' that the course helped them find a pathway forward in academia that resonates with them, and all agreed (86% 'strongly agreed' and 14% 'agreed'), that the course helped them find a pathway forward in work/career that resonates with them. Nearly 90% of students reported they would "Definitely recommend the Field Quarter to other students." Direct student feedback through the survey and end of session focus group exemplifies and expands on all these findings. For example, students stated the course was "Life changing and fun! Exhausting but worth it! I feel more confident in my career path after college now", and "The course gave me tangible ways to take next steps. Seeing young people in these farming operations makes career paths less daunting" and "When I started college, I found it hard to connect. Traveling in this course helped me break out of my mold." Another student reported "Visiting different sites across California is a really valuable experience and spending time with like-minded students, faculty, and people certainly gives you a chance to grow and refine." These findings further show progress to our 3rd goal, to increase the success of underrepresented students, in that the majority (71%) of evaluation respondents were from racially underrepresented backgrounds. We continued developing outcomes for the Leadership Development Program. Building on the efforts of the UC partners in Y1, we worked with the UC Santa Cruz Leadership Development Program core staff team to further develop these outcomes, created a logic model, and integrated a philosophical and theoretical framework to connect academic and co-curricular goals with a broader theory of change. This contributed to goal 1, increasing the quality of programming. Outcomes continued to be developed through a participatory process, by obtaining input from professional staff supervising undergraduates and undergraduate student staff participants. At UC Berkeley, 32 students participated in Spring capstone internships with community-based organizations, such as school district gardens and kitchen classrooms, farmers' markets, botanical gardens, coalitions, seed libraries, and anti-hunger organizations. Students gained practical experience working with the community, and valuable hands-on career readiness in an organic food system. One student reported that the internship, "Expanded my passion for Food Systems and gardening and made me realize that volunteering at a similar org is something I want to continue in my career". "I think one of the skills I was lacking before this experience was hands-on field work so this opportunity filled that gap in my skill set." These impacts for students point to the project accomplishing an increase in the quality of undergraduate educational opportunities in organic agriculture, and increase in the numbers of students pursuing careers in organic agriculture.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences for this project's reporting period included underrepresented Agroecology, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems undergraduate major students, undergraduate student interns, and undergraduate students enrolled in the campus farm-based Leadership Development Programming at UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley. 1. Internship enrollments. Across the three UC campuses, there were 463 student interns (UCSC - 156, UCD - 227, UCB - 80) enrolled in for-credit internships related to Agroecology and Organic Agriculture. The internship activities took place at the three campus farms, gardens, produce stands, and cafés. Students were engaged in learning experientially for 6 to 12 hours per week alongside our seasoned researchers, production managers and student staff. 2. Student mentoring, recruitment, advising and retention through the Student Leadership Development Programming. The project coordinated 144 Student Leadership staff across the 3 partner campuses to act as peer mentors and role models for advising early career undergraduate students pursuing hands-on organic agriculture and agroecology education. Of the 144 students, UCSC employed 86 undergraduate student staff, UCD employed 2 Graduate students and 47 Undergraduate student staff, and UCB employed 9 Undergraduate student staff. Some of these students were paid by the funds from this grant; others were paid for by multiple different sources, but still supported the main goals and objectives of the project. There were a total of 62 undergraduates enrolled in the UCSC agroecology major's degree program, 100 were enrolled in the UCD Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems major degree program, and 40 were enrolled in the Food Systems minor program. Changes/Problems:Year 1 project deliverables were significantly limited in scope and delayed in completion due to the unanticiapted loss of nearly all the project's Key Personnel to departures and leave periods. This occurred across the three lead partner campuses. At UCSC, Key Personnel, Center Farm and Research Lands Manager, Darryl Wong left their position, and was not replaced. Key Personnel, Jan Perez took personal leave for a significant period of the year. At UC Berkeley, Key Personnel, Berkeley Food Institute Executive Director, Nina Ichikawa, left their position and was not replaced. At UC Davis, Key Personnel and Student Farm Director Katharina Ullman left their position and was replaced with a new Director from outside UC Davis. Hiring is underway for replacing these Key Personnel across the partner campuses and accelerated progress is expected in Year 2 of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This OREI project is entirely dedicated to professional development through the expansion of undergraduate degree programs and curricular offerings. Please see above for more details. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have not yet disseminated results to communities of interest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to accomplish the remaining Year 1 project deliverables within the next reporting period. Year 1 project deliverables were significantly limited in scope and delayed in completion due to the loss of nearly all the project's Key Personnel to departures and leave periods. The following are the deliverables not yet addressed in Year 1 that are planned for completion in Year 2. The Co-PDs and Key Personnel at each campus will complete the intercampus exchange advising conceptual development, with UCSC leading analysis, design, and final drafting of advising materials for transfer credit agreements, and related protocols. Project staff will work to provide advising faculty, staff advisors, and student peer advisors guiding materials on the instructional opportunities at each campus as well as information on how to best host and support students enrolling at partner campuses UCSC and ANR Organic Agriculture Institute staff will research and produce critical mentoring professional development activities and resources for UC ANR mentors focused on underrepresented student support. The Co-PDs and Key Personnel will research and develop advising protocols and materials for UC ANR Internship and Mentoring program. The Co-PDs and Key Personnel will research and produce critical mentoring professional development activities and resources for UC ANR mentors focused on underrepresented student support. Project staff will develop critical mentoring competency workshops for working with underrepresented students. Provide professional development training workshops for UC ANR researchers. Project participants will continue researching, designing, and beginning to establish a UC System-wide Field Quarter administrative home within UC ANR, in partnership with UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies Department faculty and academic staff. The project evaluator will work on the following activities: Finish development of participatory evaluation plan, particularly including students in the development process. Conduct formative evaluation for supercourse and exchange activities, to better recruit students Develop instruments and implement evaluation for Leadership Development Program and the Supercourse.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The accomplishments occurred mainly under the project's first goal (1) increase the quantity and quality of undergraduate educational opportunities across the U. of California (UC) in organic agriculture, and (3) increase the support and success of underrepresented students pursuing these UC degree programs and careers. In the first year, the project began to integrate curricular and career advising, and mentored fieldwork in production-based and research-based internships. This happened primarily through the expansion of the Student Leadership Development Program at the campus instructional and research farms. The professional staff employed by this grant at each campus farm provided significant internship coordination and hosted a total of 463 undergraduate student interns. UC ANR faculty and staff researchers conducted organic agriculture research and extension projects, state-wide. A Bay Area "No-Till" research field trip to UC Berkeley was co-organized by campus and ANR partners and attended by 25 undergraduate students. Key Person Muramoto developed and updated the California Organic Systems Researchers Map, which indicates the most relevant ANR researchers with whom we will develop relationships to set up mentorship with undergraduate student interns. UCSC Co-PI Parr initiated development of the Supercourse and Field Quarter program using the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology farm as the primary host site, with visits to organic farm operations, UC ANR research stations and UC Davis and UC Berkeley campuses. The first pilot of the Supercourse is scheduled for summer 2024. Project staff researched and began designing a UC System-wide Field Quarter administrative home within UC ANR, in partnership with UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies Department faculty and academic staff. Undergraduate Student Leadership Development Program staff acted as peer mentors and role models for advising earlier career undergraduate students pursuing organic agriculture and agroecology education and careers. UCSC employed 86 undergraduate student lead staff, UCD employed 2 graduate students and 47 undergraduate lead student staff, UCB employed 9 undergraduate lead student staff. Project staff developed programming linkages between the UC Davis SCOPE project and UC Santa Cruz with organic seed partners on the Central Coast. As part of these linkages, UCSC started a common bean field research trial. In addition, project staff from UCD and UCSC developed a new, now funded OREI SCOPE 3.0 project that will continue building the student-centered organic seed breeding program across our campuses. UCSC project staff held an alumni career panel and research pathways workshop, with Parr presenting. UCSC project staff created an internship as part of a partnership between UC Santa Cruz organizations and programs including the Educational Opportunities Program, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiatives and Career Success, and the Graduating and Advancing New American Scholars: Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (GANAS) grant. This internship and partnership will provide targeted curricular and career advising. A GANAS intern was hosted by the UCSC campus farm research and education programming. UCB created and hosted a career panel and research pathway workshop featuring UC alumni and student researchers. The event was attended by 35 undergraduate students. UCSC Project staff worked to create program linkages between our OREI program activities and two other USDA-funded grants on our campus: (1) Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates Grant (a.k.a. SUPERDAR) and (2) the Multicultural Scholars Program Grant). As part of these program linkages, students joined a Bay Area "No-Till" Field Trip to regional organic farms and campus farms at UCSC and UCD. Relatedly, UCSC hosted a jointly organized "Soil as Teacher" workshop, attended by 25 undergraduates, including UCSC USDA-funded fellowship students. Program staff began development of a participatory evaluation framework. They identified desired short, medium and long-term outcomes for the effort to include in evaluation instruments.
Publications
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