Updated 9-16-14
Sustainable Agriculture – CSS 1900 – 3 Credits
Syllabus – Fall 2014
Lectures Tuesday and Thursday 10:10 to 11:00 am (101 Bradfield Hall)
Labs Wednesday or Thursday 1:25 to 4:25 pm (135 Emerson Hall)
Contact Information
Instructor: Dr. Matthew Ryan
E-mail: mrr232@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-4964
Office: 515 Bradfield Hall
Office Hours: Wed 10-12, or by appt.
Teaching Assistant: Silene DeCiucies
E-mail: sd686@cornell.edu
Phone: (802) 595-2872
Office: 918 Bradfield Hall
Office Hours: Mon 10-12, or by appt.
Course Overview
Introduction to agronomy and agroecology and an exploration of environmental, economic,
and social factors that influence agriculture. Students participate in interactive discussions
about food systems and food security. Labs include field trips to a variety of field crop,
vegetable, and dairy farms and experiential activities designed to enhance understanding of
important themes in sustainable agriculture, including multifunctionality and resilience.
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
 Define sustainable agriculture and explain what it means.
 Give examples of common sustainable management practices and strategies.
 Compare different methods of crop and livestock production in terms of economic,
social, and environmental factors.
 Synthesize information about soil and crop management from diverse sources.
 Provide appropriate and constructive feedback to other students
Student Responsibilities
 Arrive on-time and attend lectures and labs for the full duration
 Participate in class discussions and activities
 Take notes during field trips, videos, and other lab activities
 Use course Blackboard site
 Work on assignments outside of class
 Bring i-clicker to lectures and especially to review sessions
 Read assigned material (available through Blackboard in ‘Assignments’ folder)
 Be creative and thoughtful with grant proposal and Film Festival assignments.
 Turn in assignments on-time; late assignments will lose 10% of their points per day
 Be respectful to others and try to be open-minded about new perspectives
Text Book
 Introduction to Agronomy: Food, Crops, and Environment. Second Edition.
Craig C. Sheaffer and Kristine M. Moncada. 2012. Cengage. Material covered in this
text is has changed substantially from the first edition.
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Updated 9-16-14
Fall 2014 Lecture Schedule for CSS 1900
Tuesday and Thursday, 10:10 to 11:00 am (101 Bradfield Hall)
Date
26-Aug
28-Aug
2-Sep
4-Sep
Topic
Introduction
Sustainable Agriculture
9-Sep
History of Agriculture
Iroquois Agriculture and Soil
Sustainability (Jane Mt. Pleasant)
Crops and Crop Rotation
11-Sep
16-Sep
Cropping Systems
Soil and Tillage
18-Sep
Water in Agriculture
23-Sep
14-Oct
16-Oct
21-Oct
23-Oct
Nitrogen and Legumes (Laurie
Drinkwater)
Exam 1
Foodsheds and Foodprints (Gary
Fick)
Agroecology
Bioenergy (Jerry Cherney)
Resources at Mann Library
(Ashley Downs)
No Lecture – Fall Break
Dairy Production (Julio Giordano)
Organic Agriculture
Genetic Engineering
28-Oct
Exam 2
30-Oct
Integrated Pest Management
(Stephen Young)
Permaculture (Steve Gabriel)
Perennial Grains
Climate Change
Cover Crops
25-Sep
30-Sep
2-Oct
7-Oct
9-Oct
4-Nov
6-Nov
11-Nov
13-Nov
18-Nov
20-Nov
25-Nov
To be determined
Urban Agriculture (Jeff Liebert)
Economics of Sustainability (Gary
Fick)
Assignment
Read "SARE: What is Sustainable Agriculture?”
Read Chapters 1 (History of Agriculture) and 2
(Agriculture Today)
Read Chapter 3 (Feeding the World)
Read Chapter 4 (Classifying and Naming
Crops)
Read Chapters 12 (Soils) and 13 (Cropping
Systems)
Read 14 (Tillage and Crop Establishment)
Read “SARE: Smart Water Use on Your Farm or
Ranch” and Chapter 10 (Environment)
Read pages 186 to 197 in Chapter 8 (Plant
Physiology and Growth)
Study for Exam 1
Ithaca Farmers Market Assignment Due
Read Chapters 11 (Agroecosystems)
Multifunctional Agriculture Assignment Due
Read Chapter 18 (Organic Agriculture)
Read Chapter 9 (Improving Plants)
Cover Crop Assignment Due
Read Chapters 15 (Weeds) and 16 (Plant
Disease and Insects)
Reading to be determined
Read “Urban Agriculture: What are some of the
obstacles to growing food in cities?”
Deadline for loading videos for Film Festival
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Updated 9-16-14
27-Nov
2-Dec
4-Dec
16-Dec
No Lecture – Thanksgiving Holiday
Review for Final Exam
No Lecture
Final Exam (2:00 to 4:30 pm)
NE SARE Proposal Due
Fall 2014 Laboratory Schedule for CSS 1900
Wednesday or Thursday, 1:25 to 4:25 pm
Date
Location*
Topic
Discussion of SARE article, cover crop
video, introduce cover crop project, cover
crop seeding in field plots
Aug 27 and 28
135 Emerson Hall
Sep 3 and 4
Cover Crops Continued,
introduce assignments
Cover crop seeding in greenhouse
Sep 10 and 11
Dilmun Hill and McDaniel Nut
Grove (~15 minute walk)
Student farm tour, organic vegetables,
mushroom production, and
multifunctional agriculture
Sep 17 and 18
Raymond Donald & Sons
Farm (~30 minute bus trip)
Conventional corn and soybean production
Sep 24 and 25
135 Emerson Hall
Oct 1 and 2
Oct 8 and 9
Oct 15 and 16
Oct 22 and 23
Oct 29 and 30
Nov 5 and 6
Early Morning Farm (~30
minute bus trip)
Cornell Crops Garden
(~15 minute walk)
Jerry Dell Farm and Freeville
Research Farm
Oechsner Farm (~30 minute
bus trip)
Cornell Dairy
(~15 minute walk)
Finger Lakes Fresh and Food
Hub (~20 minute bus trip)
Nov 11 and 12
135 Emerson Hall
Nov 19 and 20
135 Emerson Hall
Nov 26 and 27
Dec 3 and 4
No Lab – Thanksgiving Holiday
No Lab – Study Period for Final
Watch ‘Fresh’ and introduce SARE grant
proposal and film festival assignment
Organic vegetable production, community
supported agriculture
Cover crop harvest, bioenergy crops
discussion of food crops
Organic dairy, direct marketing, and
vegetable research plots
Organic small grain production for milling
and malting
Dairy research at Cornell
Hydroponic lettuce production and food
distribution
Peer-to-peer feedback on videos and NE
SARE project
2nd Annual Sustainable Agriculture Film
Festival
*Note that some field trips are tentative and subject to change
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Updated 9-16-14
Course grade will be based on:
 Participation (3%)
 Field Trips (12%)
 Ithaca Farmers Market Assignment (5%)
 Exam 1 (15%)
 Cover Crop Assignment (5%)
 Multifunctional Agriculture Assignment (5%)
 Exam 2 (15%)
 Film Festival Assignment (10%)
 NE SARE Grant Proposal Assignment (10%)
 Final Exam (20%)
Score
98-100
94-97
90-93
88-89
84-87
80-83
78-79
74-77
70-73
68-69
64-67
60-63
0-59
Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Academic integrity: Absolute integrity is expected of every Cornell student in all
academic undertakings. Any fraudulent act by a student to advance his or her academic
status merits a severe penalty and such cases are governed by the Code of Academic
Integrity. A pamphlet titled the Code of Academic Integrity and Acknowledging the Work of
Others is available from the office of the dean of faculty, and at www.policy.cornell.
edu/Code_of_Academic_Integrity.cfm.
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