Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture

After classroom finals were completed and end of semester projects were submitted, sustainable agriculture majors at Green Mountain College got down to the busy work of springtime farming. The Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture class, taught by local farmer and adjunct professor Kristen Andrews, concluded the school year with a three day field intensive that took place on GMC’s Cerridwen Farm.

All students in the sustainable agriculture program at Green Mountain College take Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture as part of their core course sequence. This course combines classroom study with projects and field experiences to teach students how a variety of organic farming systems operate. The semester concludes with a field intensive, in which students help Cerridwen Farm get ready for the busy summer ahead. This year, projects included planting onions and potatoes, starting seeds in the greenhouse, taking down old fencing, and lots of cultivating. Students also used the farm’s certified kitchen to cook lunches made from local ingredients.

Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture is just one of many courses in the sustainable agriculture sequence that combines classroom learning with hands-on application and exploration. This GMC program attracts students from all over the United States who come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from suburbs to long-time farmers to the inner city. As such, students bring a diversity of experiences and insights to Cerridwen Farm that ultimately make the program stronger and more vibrant.

Photo credits: Kristen Andrews

Written by: Alison E. Putnam

Hot Air Balloon: A first-time for most

On Wednesday, May 8th, a hot air balloon was brought on campus upon request by the senior class.  Rides began around 9am and lasted until around 10:30am.  There were supposed to be rides lasting until 12pm, but the wind picked up and the balloon fell over.  That was the end to the day as they would not let anyone else go up for a ride.  There was a line of people who were disappointed by this, but for those who had the opportunity to ride the balloon, it was great!

I decided to arrive there early and video tape the rides for people.  I was lucky enough that when I had the opportunity to ride the balloon, one of my classmates volunteered to record my experience with my camera.  For this reason, I am sharing this short video which summarizes how rides went for everyone.

~Andrew O'Neill

Music Appreciation Video Summary

As promised, here is the video summary from Daniel Kimatarle's Delicate Balance project.  Again, this does not include all of the performances, this is just a collection of highlights.  Enjoy the video.

For those of you that have left, have a great summer!  For those seniors graduating this May 11th, congratulations! 

~Andrew O'Neill

Music Appreciation: A Delicate Balance Project

Recently I had the pleasure of helping my fellow classmate Daniel Kimatarle with his Delicate Balance project related to raising awareness of music on the Green Mountain College campus.  The event was held on April 26th and drew roughly 30 students at one point.  The performances lasted more than an hour when students began to leave. 

Daniel asked me to video help shoot video during the evening and create a summary of the event, I decided I will share the final show with everyone once given permission by the artists and performers from that evening.  I have provided some photograps from that evening, but the video will hopefully be soon to come.

~Andrew O'Neill

Counting Down

Yesterday I finished my final assignment as an undergraduate at Green Mountain College. The week prior was one of intense, manic activity, which concluded with a huge sigh of relief and a well-deserved nap with the satisfaction of knowing I had finished student teaching, handed in a 130 page portfolio, taken a Praxis II test, and finally completed my Senior Study. All since Wednesday.

The remainder of this week will be filled with tying up loose ends, nostalgic reflection, and spending time with friends who will soon go their own way. On Saturday we will all don our mortarboards and robes and take that last long walk down Main Street in Poultney to receive our diplomas in front of a crowd of friends and family.

After graduation I will luckily still have a few weeks to spend in Poultney, but then I too will begin a time of huge transitions. I am getting ready to leave the comfort and security of Poultney, the campus community I have come to love and count on, and the vibrant culture of Vermont to pick up and move to an unfamiliar part of the country. I have accepted a job with Teach for America teaching secondary English in South Carolina, which from here might as well be a foreign country for this born and raised New Englander. While I feel incredibly honored and proud to have been selected for this competitive job (only 12% of applicants are hired), it is also intimidating. However, as I get ready to move on with this next big step in my life I have the security of knowing  that I have an incredible network of peers, professors, and co-workers behind me who have lent support through the last four years and will continue to be within reach even when I am far from home.

With love,

Alison E. Putnam