AMHERST, Mass. — The University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture honors its 100-year old tradition of offering practical college classes in animal husbandry with two fully online classes this spring, Pastured Poultry, and also Raising Cows, Sheep and Goats for Meat Production. STOCKSCH 297PA – Pastured Poultry explores sustainable methods of raising poultry for meat and egg production for home and/or commercial use. It will cover planning and managing a pastured poultry operation, including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and exotic fowl, such as guineas, quail, and partridge. STOCKSCH 268 – Raising Cows, Sheep and Goats for Meat Production provides students with a clear understanding of how to think through the planning and management process from purchasing and nutrition to marketing and finances will be addressed.
Unlike most university animal sciences classes, the Stockbridge School of Agriculture has a long history of teaching practical animal husbandry focused on animal health and welfare. The two instructors of these animal husbandry classes are experienced and active practitioners as well as university instructors. Nicole Burton who teaches the Meat Production class manages a farm and homestead in Wendell, MA where she raises woodland pigs, breeds and raises sheep for meat and wood, and raises beef for home consumption. Deborah Niemann manages a small farm in central Illinois where she raises poultry, goats and other animals, in addition to maintaining an active teaching blog for homesteaders (see; thriftyhomesteader.com). These two instructors continue the legacy of Levy Stockbridge, the first employee for the Massachusetts Agricultural College, and his motto “learn by doing.”
Both of these 3-credit college level classes may be used to satisfy the degree requirements for the UMass Sustainable Food and Farming 15-credit Certificate, the 60-credit Associate of Science and/or the 120-credit fully online Bachelor of Science degree programs. Credits may also be transferred to other colleges or universities. The UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture Sustainable Food and Farming program is the only online program in the U.S. that offers 40 online classes that may be taken either individually or toward completion of one of these three fully online degrees.
In addition to these two animal husbandry classes, Stockbridge is offering Farm Management Planning and Marketing, Holistic Fruit Production, Global Food Systems and several others. Spring classes begin on January 21, 2020 and registration is now open. For information on the 11 online classes offered this spring semester at UMass Amherst, please see: https://onlinesustfoodfarm.com/.
–University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture
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