I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Local Food Production

2. Course Prefix & Number:
HORT 1122

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

4. Course Description:

This course covers the proper growing methods for fruits, vegetables and herbs commonly grown in Minnesota, as well as newer species that show promise for future use. Emphasis is placed on maximizing production while maintaining sustainable practices that result in healthy food for personal and/or commercial use. The value of providing local produce, as well as the methods used to market and sell what has been grown is also stressed in this course.

5. Placement Tests Required:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Horticulture AAS
Landscape Diploma
Greenhouse Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Read and answer questions from current magazine article or internet site related to course content.
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Create a functional design for proper placement of both fruits and vegetables to be grown in a backyard or commercial setting.
Work as a team member to achieve shared goals	Work within a group to create a presentation board depicting a fruit or vegetable that can be propagated, grown, harvested, stored, and processed in Minnesota.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Describe the development of a fruit from pollination to maturity;
• Choose the best planting techniques for crops grown in Minnesota;
• List and describe advantages and disadvantages related to soils, topography, and sun exposure for the best layout of a backyard garden design;
• Identify and choose proper control of common fruit/vegetable diseases, insects, and weeds;
• Compare and contrast different ways to extend growing seasons (mulches, high tunnels, greenhouses, row covers, deep winter greenhouses, indoor seed starts);
• Compare and contrast differences in harvesting and preservation techniques of selected Minnesota fruits and vegetables;
• Seek and use reliable sources to obtain pertinent information on new trends, cultivars/varieties in the world of fruits and vegetables;
• Create a display of a fruit or vegetable that can be propagated, grown, harvested, stored, and processed in Minnesota; and
• Compare and contrast Farmer's Markets, Food Co Ops/Food Hubs, and CSAs (Community Sustainable Argriculture).

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Definitions
• Local Food
• Sustainable gardening
• Commercial gardening
• Farmer markets
• Food Hubs / Co-ops
• CSAs (Community Sustainable Agriculture)
2. Nomenclature
• Fruit and vegetable terms
• Classification
• Nomenclature
3. Pollination
• Flower parts
• Path of pollen to ovule
• Sterile and non-sterile flowers
4. Plant growth requirements
• Soil
• Nutrition
• Sun
• Moisture
5. Propagation methods
• Seeds
• Cutting
• Budding
• Grafting
6. Planting practices
• Site selection
• Spacing
• Garden layout/design
7. Planting technique advantages and disadvantages
• Seeds
• Plugs
• Transplants
• Containerized stock
8. Harvesting and storage practices
• Backyard
• Commercial
9. Seasonal growth
• Short/neutral/long day crops
• Cool vs. warm season crops
• Season extension practices
• Mulching
• Row covers
• Indoor seed starts
• Greenhouses
• Deep winter greenhouses
• High tunnel
10. Proper food safety practices
• Backyard
• Commercial
11. Pruning/support techniques for fruit and vegetable plants
12. Seed choices
• Hybrids, plant breeding
• Genetically altered seed crops
• Heirloom crops
• Saving your own seeds
13. Pests
• Biotic vs abiotic pests
• Chemical and non-chemical controls
• Common insects and diseases
• Weeds
14. Minnesota commercial grown fruits and vegetables
15. How about marketing and selling
16. Practical and philosophical approaches to local food issues
17. Career exploration