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Land Use
Policies and Sustainable Farming Creating
Opportunities and Avoiding Conflicts Summer
& Winter – Online Only Agriculture as a business, lifestyle and land use is influenced by many external forces including the marketplace, consumer preferences, the weather, federal agricultural policies and programs, and international competition. In the United States, land use policies, typically established and administered at the local government level, also have a tremendous influence, both positively and negatively, on agriculture. Particularly in urbanizing areas of the country, land use policies may shape the future of local farming as much or more than the economics of food and food production. This course will provide
students with an opportunity to explore the political, economic and societal
forces that influence land use decisions, an understanding of the history of
land use policies and planning in the U.S. as they relate to agriculture, a working
knowledge of current land use policies and programs tied to agriculture and
farming, and an opportunity through case studies to dissect and debate land
use issues and conflicts surrounding agriculture. Student Learning
Objectives: · To understand the many forces, viewpoints and
considerations that shape land use decisions and policies that affect
agriculture in the United States. ·
To understand
the myriad of land use policies and programs that support agriculture and
farming in the U.S. · To understand the land use decision making processes
in the U.S. and how to influence the outcomes. Class Topics (by week): 1. Perspectives on land and land use 2. History of land use policies in the U.S. 3. Agriculture-specific land use policies and programs 4.
An introduction
to actual land use issues and cases involving agriculture. 5. Public dialogue and debate – case studies in land
use conflict. Instructor: Mr. Robert Wagner.
Mr. Wagner has worked in the field of agricultural land use policy and
farmland protection for 30 years with over 25 years with the national,
nonprofit conservation organization the American Farmland Trust. Mr.
Wagner will present all the lectures and provide overall leadership for the
discussion sessions. Invited guests will be featured throughout the
course. Format: On-line during a 5-week summer session (July 11 –
August 14). Technology: To view the PowerPoints with notes, make sure you have the Adobe Acrobat Reader (which is available free here). If you have any problems with technology, please contact the UMass Online Tech Support office for help here. According to UMass Online, in order to take this course you must: · have access to a personal computer (Mac or Windows) · be familiar with basic computer skills · be connected to the internet have at least a 56 kbps modem · have an e-mail program and account · have a Java capable browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer) · NOTE: Explorer seems to work better sometimes! Class Size: Limited to 15.
COURSE GRADING CRITERIA There will be no final
examination. A final grade will be calculated as follows: Class
discussion and participation =
10% Quizzes
=
10% Journal
assignment
= 20% Blogs
and formal testimony = 60% (These
are essentially essays. There will be 5 total: three at 10% each and
two at 15% each) For information contact,
Mr. Robert Wagner at; bwagner954@yahoo.com To
register, see: Continuing
& Professional Education
This class is part of the Sustainable
Food and Farming Certificate Program. A UMass Certificate may be
earned by the successful completion of 15 credits of approved courses in this
series. For information, contact Dr. John M. Gerber at; jgerber@umass.edu |
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@2013 John M. Gerber |
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