• Permaculture Design
  Instructor: Keith Morris
  AS310 - Classroom and Field - 4 Credits

  Permaculture is the study and practice of the way human beings- as individuals and societies- can participate in the creation of ethical and ecological support systems. This course will focus on permaculture as a framework for understanding, evaluating, and integrating the vast diversity of technologies, trends, and different perspectives in the movement for “sustainability,” and advance permaculture ethics and skills as a new cultural paradigm. Upon successful completion of this course students will receive a registered Permaculture Design Certificate.

• Agricultural Power Systems (B)
  Instructors: Rick Thomas
  AS215b - Classroom and Field - 2 Credits

  In this course, students will explore a variety of power systems as we work campus land. Through the use of hand tools, power tools, draft horses, oxen, tractors, and associated farm and forest technologies, students will define the cost-benefit relationship and collectively make decisions about the appropriate use of power for the summer growing season. Students will spend field time with each power system learning the use and care of hand and power tools, how to care for, harness, hitch, drive, and work draft horses and oxen, tractor driving and power-take-off equipment education and operation safety. Students will develop a Power Portfolio to clearly compare and contrast any power system they may choose to utilize on their home-farm or woodlot.

• One Cow Revolution
  Instructors: Julia Shipley
  AS140 - Classroom and Field - 1 Credits

  One Cow Revolution will address the information and issues related to the care and feeding and keeping of a single cow and hand milking her. This class will include lectures and readings based on my book in progress called, Living with a Family Cow, as well as articles from Small Farmer’s Journal, Mother Earth News, the Cream Line and: Keeping a Family Cow and The Family Cow. Additionally, instruction methods will include field trips to one cow farms, cow feeding and care, hand milking, processing milk into butter, cheese, yogurt, ice cream.

• Homestead Arts
  Instructor: Julia Shipley
  AS245 - Classroom and Field - 1 Credits

  In weekly workshops students will learn to craft Sterling’s farm produce into finished products. Projects will include techniques for harvesting, drying and preparing teas and salves from our herbs and flowers; jamming and canning our local fruit and vegetables; knitting and basic basket making from our wool and woodlot fibers; soap produced from our livestock tallow and lard; and butter and wood- oven baked bread using our local milk and grains. With an emphasis on the disciplines and rewards of craft, students will acquire “hands-on” skills as well as considering the economics of homestead arts.

---

FACULTY & Staff PROFILES

---

STUDENT LIFE
The satisfaction of Sterling’s summer sessions comes from the richness of the surrounding communities. Most weekends students are free to do as they please; with the added experience of farm chores for all participants.

   Enrichment

• Opportunities to pursue additional interests such as processing wool, driving draft horses, producing herbal medicines, and making cheese are plentiful. Both the College and the surrounding community contain a wealth of resources and knowledge of farming and related skills.
• Students learn how to prepare nutritious and healthful foods by creating menus, purchasing locally grown foods, and using organic produce from the Sterling gardens. Menus are developed based on student input. A kitchen manager provides guidance, participates in menu planning, and prepares some of the meals. Most days students enjoy their meals outdoors on the picnic table. Students are also responsible for clean-up.
• Potential weekend workshops in tractor operation, logging, blacksmithing, fiber arts, traditional music and dance, basketry, building a bread oven, etc. as driven by student interest and opportunity.
• In August students will attend the 35th Annual Northeast Organic Farmers Association Conference in Amherst, Massachusetts. NOFA’s yearly summer conference draws hundreds of participants from around the country for hands-on workshops, key-note lectures, music, dancing, networking, alternative energy and farming equipment sales, animal demonstrations, farm tours, and much more. This conference is an outstanding opportunity to learn more about current sustainable agriculture techniques and hear directly from experts in the field. Visit www.nofa.org and www.nofamass.org for more information

   Facilities

• Sustainable Ag students and interns live in two of the college’s residences consisting of a kitchen, living room, dorm rooms, and showers. Students can also choose to live outside in tents on platforms.
• The Sterling College farm includes certified organic vegetable gardens, a small greenhouse, a movable hoop-house, a small orchard, solar and wind powered barns, and a variety of livestock including sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, poultry, and draft horses. We implement a mixed-power model, using both tractors and draft animals in our gardens, pastures, and forests.
• The College’s library provides internet access and contains a wide collection on agricultural, environmental, and outdoor topics. Classes meet in Mager Hall and utilize two barns, pasture, a woodlot, and gardens as teaching spaces.
• The student lounge in Dunbar Hall offers a dry place to relax—play the piano, watch a movie, or curl up with a book.
• The Jefferson Residence Apartment offers bathroom facilities, a large living room space, an equipped kitchen, and cozy dining area. Fields and mountains dominate the view from the apartment’s windows and porches. This common space is ideal for study groups, social gatherings, and evening events.

   Farm Responsibilities

• All students are required to work on the farm, forest, and gardens as part of the experiential component of the courses.
• Students are expected to work 20 hours a week including a share of the farm chores. This includes daily care of animals, greenhouses, and gardens; food harvest and preservation; fencing and facilities construction, maintenance and repair; animal health, handling, and feeding; haying; and a variety of other projects that arise over the course of a summer.
• Rick Thomas will instruct the Tools and Technology component of the work program; where students are trained in proper tool use, care, and repair.
• In August students will attend the 35th Annual Northeast Organic Farmers Association Conference in Amherst, Massachusetts. NOFA’s yearly summer conference draws hundreds of participants from around the country for hands-on workshops, key-note lectures, music, dancing, networking, alternative energy and farming equipment sales, animal demonstrations, farm tours, and much more. This conference is an outstanding opportunity to learn more about current sustainable agriculture techniques and hear directly from experts in the field. Visit www.nofa.org and www.nofamass.org for more information.

   Recreation

• The Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the lakes and streams of both are just outside the back door. Biking, hiking, camping, paddling, and swimming are popular activities. (Some College recreation equipment is available for student use and encouraged!)
• Northern Vermont is also the home of many creative artists, among them writers, musicians, and visual and film artists. Most notable among regional events are annual productions presented by the acclaimed Bread and Puppet Theater, concerts by the Craftsbury Chamber Players, a group of professional musicians who summer in our community, and intimate Saturday night folk or bluegrass concerts at The Music Box in Craftsbury. Don't forget Vermont agricultural events!
• Students can talk with local folks at the Saturday Farmers’ Market, offering baked goods, fresh produce, artisan cheeses, crafts, and music. Throughout the summer county and state fairs highlight agricultural events.
• Burlington, a lively college town, is 65 miles to the west, while the rich French culture of Canada is only 30 miles to the north. Students can enjoy the rural lakes of Quebec’s "Eastern Townships" and urban centers such as Montreal and Quebec City. Montpelier, Vermont’s capital city is 38 miles to the south with access to an independent movie theater, restaurants, live music, and contra dancing.

---

ADMISSIONS
The satisfaction of Sterling’s summer sessions comes from the richness of the surrounding communities. Most weekends students are free to do as they please; with the added experience of farm chores for all participants.

   Who Should Apply

• College students, academically advanced high school students and graduates, and adult learners are eligible to apply. Successful college students interested in exploring small-scale, sustainable agriculture for academic credit are welcomed to apply. Most college students will discover that Sterling’s experiential approach to learning will enhance their overall college experience. Students are encouraged to pursue the transfer of credit earned over the summer to their home institutions. Sterling College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
• High school graduates and academically advanced high school students who are at least 16 years old are encouraged to apply. Sterling’s Sustainable Agriculture Semester is an excellent opportunity to earn college credit while in high school, experience college-level study, and explore small-scale, sustainable agriculture.
• Adult learners with appropriate life or work experience who are interested in gaining theoretical and practical knowledge of small-scale farming should apply.

   How and When to Apply

• We are currently accepting applications for the 2009 summer program.
• Applications will be considered as they are received.
• Deadline for applications is May 1, 2009.
• To apply for admissions to the 2009 Sustainable Agriculture Semester, please submit the following:
          • Application
          • $35 application fee
          • Academic transcript(s)
          • Two letters of recommendation
          • Essay — Explain how the Sustainable Agriculture Semester will build on your prior experience and help you prepare for future pursuits.
• Students will be notified of an admission decision on a rolling basis.
• Accepted students are asked to submit a $500 enrollment deposit within two weeks of notification to hold their place. This deposit will be applied toward tuition for the summer.
• Contact Admissions to request an application by mail.
          Call: 1-800-648-3591
          Email: admissions@sterlingcollege.edu
          Mail: Sterling College, PO Box 72, Craftsbury Common, VT 05827

   Enrollment Options

• Students can choose to enroll in the full ten week 12-15 credit semester or one of the two five week sessions based on their individual needs and interests.
• Community students can elect to take just one or two courses while living off campus.

   Program Costs

• Sterling’s summer programs, including the Sustainable Agriculture Semester, are designed first on academic integrity and student opportunity, and second on affordability.
• For Sterling’s summer academic programs we have reduced our tuition and fees to make them as affordable as we can, instead of using the complex and time consuming practice of need- and merit- based tuition discounting.
• The 2009 fee for the full 12-15 credit Sustainable Agriculture Semester is $10,000. Students may choose one or both of the five week programs. The cost of a single program is $5,500. The fees are comprehensive and include all tuition, room, board, and lab charges.
• The SAS is limited to 12 residential students per session. In case of space limitations, full semester students will be given priority for the second session.

   Financial Aid

• Scholarships up to $3,000 are available.
• Financial aid in the form of grants, and subsidized or unsubsidized education loans are available through federal, state, and private sources. Sterling’s financial aid office will assist students and families in determining eligibility.
• To learn more about Summer Program financial aid call:
  1-800-648-3591 or email: financialaid@sterlingcollege.edu.