The campus’ greenhouse at Cosumnes River College, formerly home to a full nursery program, is in the process of being revamped over the next few years.
Horticulture Professor Dave Andrews said the facility originally hosted the program from 2012 until 2017. Andrews said that due to a lack of enrolment over the last two years, the building is significantly emptier than it was in the past.
“Before, we would have around 30 students working in the greenhouse over the semester, but as time went on we started to only get about 12 to 13,” Andrews said. “If we don’t have enough people, we can’t really maintain it at the level it was at before.”
Andrews said a lack of career opportunities in the area is largely to blame for the downturn in the program’s enrolment. He said there are not enough jobs in the market, and therefore not as many people working towards degrees in agriculture.
“You have to shift with the changes and needs of the community,” said Andrews. “Things are shifting towards sustainability and food production.”
In order to reverse this decline, Andrews said the Department of Horticulture and the Department of Nutrition and Food have teamed up to develop a Certificate of Proficiency in Plant-Based Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture.