Albany, NY – This summer, a course that is 80 percent hands on and life application is introducing eight to 10 students to urban agriculture and sustainable farming techniques at Old World Farm in Stillwater, NY. Students are traveling to the Saratoga County located farm four mornings a week to learn about topics including food distribution patterns, basics of plant propagation, raising healthy seedlings, the role of irrigation in farm systems, what shapes our ecosystem, and more.
“Building self-reliant communities through Community Support Agriculture farming encourages youth to take a personal responsibility for their careers and character development, build a sense of purpose and pride in what they can do, and provide our culinary classes and kitchens with fresh produce as a result of their labors,” said Culinary Science Teacher Lorraine Clarke. Open to all, the class is targeted to LaSalle high school students who need to earn the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) certificate required for graduation by the NYS Education Department.