Agricultural Sciences

Agricultural Sustainability Courses

Location

Vermilion

Credential

Diploma

Program Length

2 years

Year 1 Required Courses

AN 133 Animal Handling, Welfare and Ethics - 3 credits

This course is an introduction to livestock handling and restraint. Efficient and low-stress handling techniques are presented and demonstrated to promote safety of both the handler and livestock. Students are required to work with herds and flocks during the lab sessions to gain confidence and proficiency. Along with discussions on the responsibilities of livestock care providers, the topic of animal welfare is introduced and current issues are debated in class. Welfare and ethics discussions focus on production issues, but may also include the recreation, research, draft and companion animal industries. Pre/co-requisites: None

AN 315 Beef Production - 3 credits

This course is designed to provide the student with a working knowledge of the beef industry in Canada. The main focus of the course is on beef cow-calf and feedlot operations. Topics include cattle types, animal handling facilities, feeding management, seasonal activities, genetics and breeding programs, economics, and marketing. Emphasis is placed on knowledge for employment and enterprise management decision-making. Pre/co-requisites: None

BA 333 Agribusiness Simulation - 3 credits

This course bridges the gap between learned theory and applied practices. Students are able to utilize a software program and make decisions as agricultural business managers in a team environment. Leadership practices, human resources, and financial analysis are all covered. Pre/co-requisites: None

BI 110 Ecology & Field Biology - 3 credits

This course introduces fundamental ecological principles and concepts. Interactions between organisms and their environments are emphasized throughout. Major themes include: the physical environment, natural selection, plant and animal adaptations, population dynamics, predator-prey systems, and ecosystem productivity. Time is spent in the field studying biotic and abiotic relationships in local community types using standard ecological field methods. Pre/corequisites: none.

BI 270 Managing Rangeland Ecosystems - 3 credits

A study of rangeland ecology, this course focuses on soil-plant-animal-water interactions in rangeland ecosystems. Basic factors determining survival and the competitive strategy of range plants are studied in detail. Sound range management strategies designed to ensure ecosystem stability and sustainability are emphasized. Considerable time is spent in lab learning to key and identify native plants. Prerequisite: BO 120. Co-requisites: None

BO 120 Field Botany & Plant Taxonomy - 3 credits

Native plants and communities of Alberta are studied focusing on general and applied plant botany. Students obtain practical field experience in plant community relationships while identifying, collecting, and preserving plants for further study. Students spend considerable time learning to use plant keys for taxonomic classification and for identifying plant species and families. Pre/co-requisites: None

CO 166 Scientific Writing & Computer Applications - 3 credits

This course explores fundamental approaches to scientific writing. Considerable time is spent discussing what constitutes critical content and how that content is effectively organized for a variety of documents used in the scientific industry. Strategies for efficient technical writing are emphasized for discipline-specific applications. Students become familiar with common computer software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Pre/co-requisites: None

MA 202 Statistics & Data Management - 3 credits

This course provides an introduction to the basic statistical procedures and data management techniques commonly used in the environmental sciences. Emphasis is placed on methods for organizing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, graphing and interpreting environmental data with database and spreadsheet software. Major analytical topics include measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability distributions, parametric and non-parametric hypothesis tests, correlation analysis, simple linear regression, and single-factor analysis of variance. Pre/co-requisites: None

SO 210 Introductory Soil Science - 3 credits

This course provides an overview of soil formation processes and the fundamental morphological, physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil. Students gain knowledge of soils through lectures and hands on experience. Students become familiar with The Canadian System of Soil Classification to the Order level and the issues associated with ‘problem soils’. Prerequisites: None. Co-requisites: SC 200

SU 100 Introduction to Agricultural Sustainability - 3 credits

This course is designed to introduce students to the agriculture industry and sustainability practices within it by exploring specific disciplines and career paths. This course includes an overview of both the livestock and crops industries, as well as looking at many of the current events and concerns in each of those industries. This course will look at the practices, metrics, and the current market outlook of the agriculture industry. Emphasis in this course will be placed on connecting students with industry professionals through guest lectures and networking opportunities. Pre/co-requisites: none

Year 2 Required Courses

AE 100 Microeconomics - 3 credits

This course deals with the economic principles underlying production, markets, and the national economy. Agricultural examples are used throughout. Pre/co-requisites: None

AN 327 Beef Sustainability and Technology - 3 credits

This course is the final of four beef production courses. This course focuses on applying what is learned in other beef production courses in the program to real life. Students analyze case studies and make decisions based on their previous knowledge they have learned about the industry and beef production. Emphasis is placed on connecting students to industry personnel through guest lectures and networking opportunities in this course. Prerequisite: AN 315 or AN 316. Corequisites: None

LA 277 Agricultural Law & Policy - 3 credits

This course introduces the learner to select elements of the legal and political environment that plays a significant role in agribusiness. It provides students with the tools to understand and analyze both current and future agricultural laws and policies. Pre/co-requisites: None

SC 125 Environmental Mapping & Technology - 3 credits

This course is an introduction to the theory and techniques of collecting, using, manipulating, and displaying spatial data in the field of environmental sciences. Students first learn general environmental mapping; focused on map reading, map contents, coordinates systems and the National Topographic System (NTS maps). Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments are used for navigation, and students learn to collect and upload differentially corrected field coordinate data. Key concepts in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing are then introduced. Students learn the fundamentals of GIS, including map projections, data models, spatial analysis, and environmental applications of GIS. Lastly, students are introduced to the principles of remote sensing, to the various types and sources of drone and satellite imagery and to a variety of remote sensing applications in the environmental sciences. Students gain practical experience and introductory proficiency in GIS using the ESRI suite of GIS products, including ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro. Pre/co-requisites: none.

SC 281 Invasive Plant Ecology & Management - 3 credits

This course focuses on vegetation management strategies for industrial sites, natural areas, and anthropogenic landscapes. Plant biology and competitive strategies of weed specie are studied in detail with emphasis on invasive plants. Integrated tools and techniques for control are described and include prevention, cultural, manual, physical, and chemical approaches. Students spend considerable time in lab identifying weed species, seedlings, and seeds. Prerequisites: BI 270 & BO 120. Co-requisites: None

SC 301 Applied Hydrology - 3 credits

This course focuses on the main components of the hydrologic cycle and how this impacts quantity, quality and distribution of water resources within a watershed basin. Precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, streamflow and groundwater flow are examined with reference to drought, flooding, erosion and sedimentation. Students are introduced to field techniques in stream discharge measurement, and geomorphic characterization of watersheds. Pre/co-requisites: None

SC 437 Aquatic Habitat Protection - 3 credits

This course looks at various human activities known to have an impact on freshwater habitats, and why/how these impacts occur. Students are also introduced to techniques used to eliminate or minimize the impacts of an activity on freshwater habitat, as well as those commonly used in attempts to restore such habitat where degradation has already occurred. Pre/corequisites: none.

SO 242 Fertility Management - 3 credits

This course studies the nutrient requirements mainly for field crop production. The type of nutrients required by plants, sources of these nutrients, and methods of application are considered. Emphasis is given to understanding the chemical and physical properties of fertilizers commonly used, availability of nutrients to plants, and the potential for loss of applied nutrients from the soil. Soil testing and economics of nutrient application are considered. Prerequisite: SO 102. Co-requisites: None

SU 200 Ag-vocacy and Consumer Messaging - 3 credits

This course is designed to give the students the resources to advocate for the agriculture industry and its sustainability. This course will provide the students with tools to act as advocates in addition to supporting producers in advocating and communicating about agriculture with the public and policy makers. This course will look at current issues facing the relationships between consumers, the public, policy makers and their communities. Emphasis will be placed on the students taking the tools they have learned and applying them through in class debates, utilizing resources available through industry and volunteering with community agricultural education programs. Pre/corequisites: none.

SU 201 Industry Practicum - 3 credits

Second Year Agricultural Sustainability students are placed in approved agricultural related organization with a focus on sustainability in the industry for a three-week period immediately after the successful completion of their first-year studies. They gain practical experience and skills in a working environment; and are able to grow their network and knowledge of jobs in the field. This on-site experience is followed up with 1 hour/week tutorial in the fall college academic term. Prerequisites: all first year Agricultural Sustainability courses. Corequisites: none.

New: Student Land Sustainability Planning course

This course is optional to students offered during the summer months between year 1 and year 2. Students can choose this or or SU 201 Industry Practicum

SU 202 Student Land Sustainability Planning - 3 credits

Second Year Agricultural Sustainability students are part of the team responsible for creating and maintaining the plan for the long-term sustainability of the college Student Managed Farm (SMF) and the college land. The students enrolled in this course will work closely with the SMF students to have in place a continually evolving 5-year plan for ever increasing sustainability of the college farm, college land and all of its stakeholders. Students will be enrolled in this course during the 4^th semester here at the college after the successful completion of their first-year studies. They will gain practical experience and skills in a dynamic teamwork environment making decisions and plans involving many stakeholders and balancing the 3 pillars of sustainability. Prerequisites: all first year Agricultural Sustainability courses. Corequisites: none.

Students choose either SU 201 or SU 202 for year 2.