US (AL): Wallace State Community College to add Sustainable Agriculture certificate beginning with the spring 2015 semester
Sustainable agriculture allows individuals to grow fruits and vegetables organically, using high tunnel greenhouses to cultivate produce year round. For instance, instead of planting one garden a year, the high tunnel greenhouses can yield three gardens a year.
“Sustainable agriculture is more geared towards backyard, small scale operations. It’s growing fruits and vegetables using nothing but all-natural processes. It allows you to grow fresh vegetables you can sell and use almost year round,” said Wallace State’s Anthony Hilliard, department head of the college’s Agricultural Production/Horticulture program. “Sustainable agriculture is growing in popularity nationwide. I’m excited we’re getting ready to offer this to our students. I think it will be very worthwhile.”
According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the total and direct employment impact in food and kindred products manufacturing is approximately 146,000 jobs statewide. Among these jobs, Cullman County, the home county of Wallace State, ranks first in poultry and egg production and second in vegetable and melon farming.
Also, one of every 4.6 jobs in Alabama is related to agriculture, forestry or a related industry.
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