2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Delaware Valley University has a long history of hands-on education in Horticulture leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. The campus farms, greenhouses and high tunnels provide infrastructure to teach horticulture production skills. There has, however, been a nationwide trend of decreasing enrollments in Horticulture majors but an increase in non-degree programs leading to careers in farming. In 2012, DelVal and the Rodale Institute initiated the Organic Farming Program to meet the growing demand for organic farm products by training and supporting the next generation of organic farmers, with an emphasis on military veterans. As a longstanding leader in organic production methods and research, the not-for-profit Rodale Institute was the ideal partner for DelVal to expand its traditional agricultural degree granting programs with the one-year certificate. The majority of the required courses in the program are traditional DelVal horticulture courses plus additional academic courses and an experiential farm practicum during the summer semester at Rodale. Funded by the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grant since 2014, the program is a mix of practical, experiential on-farm training and classroom-based curriculum. Although still relatively small, this program has grown from one student in the fall of 2012 to having had 34 participants (75% veterans) since then. As of spring 2017, approximately one third have completed the program and are now farming or have continued in school, one third are actively completing their course work; and one third of these participants did not complete the program for a variety of reasons. The certificate students comprise 12% of the entire Plant Science department, and almost 40% of the Horticulture majors. Courses that previously struggled to have suitable enrollments are now full. Integrating veterans and non-traditional students into established Horticulture courses can be challenging but has not only increased enrollment but has added diversity in the classroom and helped veterans utilize their unique skills attained in the military to become organic farmers and transition to a productive and peaceful civilian life.