Community Works Journal recently had the opportunity to interview Erin Brannen, an AmeriCorps Anti-Hunger Intern in the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) program sponsored by the Vermont Department of Agriculture. Among other activities, Erin edits Cultivate the Seeds of Knowledge, a newsletter produced with the support of Agriculture in the Classroom Partners such as the Vermont Farm Bureau. The first issue (Winter 2000) was published in early March, and is rich with resources, sample units connected to standards, and information about local suppliers who support this initiative. AITC is one of the partners in the Education for Sustainability project featured in this issue.

Community Works asked Erin to tell us about Vermont Agriculture in the Classroom Partners. She explained that AITC was started by a national consortium and has existed throughout the United States for some time, though current Vermont coordinator Kristen Thurber was hired only last summer. The focus of AITC differs slightly in each state due to regional differences in the agricultural scene.

“Vermont’s unique focus has been to develop relationships between farmers and teachers, moving learning out of the classroom and into the community.”

“If the student comes away with an idea of where their food comes from, then AITC has accomplished at least part of what it set out to do,” Erin explained. “Vermont’s unique focus has been to develop relationships between farmers and teachers, moving learning out of the classroom and into the community.” Erin added that AITC offers plenty of classroom-based learning as well.

Erin got involved in the organization because of her own interest in small-scale diversified organic agriculture. She has worked on organic farms and completed an Agro-ecology program at the school she attended in Arizona. Agro-ecology, she explained, first looks at how the natural system works, and then at how agriculture impacts (and fits into) the regional natural system. Erin is also interested in self-sufficiency and sustainability, merging old technologies with new to make a better whole. “Isolated communities depended on themselves. With communities involved, you can do so much more,” said Erin. Vermont AITC Partners tries to incorporate the traditional Vermont approach of diversity in agriculture that adapts to the seasons.

Vermont Agriculture in the Classroom Partners will begin training educators in a nationally developed curriculum called Food, Land and People at the end of April. The trained educators will, in turn, lead workshops around the state for teachers interested in using the curriculum in their classrooms. The training will also include a component that is especially adapted to Vermont and its diverse communities. Vermont AITC works with several of its partners to incorporate issues that local local teachers and farmers want to address. For more information, contact Kristen Thurber, Coordinator, Vermont Agriculture in the Classroom Partners at (802) 828-2099.

AITC’s Mission and Goals
Mission:
The mission of the Vermont Agriculture in the Classroom Partners is to help teachers and students develop a better understanding and appreciation for agriculture and to build networks among students, teachers and farmers. By communicating and working together, we can educate our communities about the unique heritage of our state, discover how agriculture connects to science and all other disciplines, emphasize the economic dependence of Vermont on the agricultural industries, and encourage consumers to value the food we eat every day.
Goals:
• To use agriculture education as a meaningful vehicle to reconnect students with their agricultural heritage while learning basic skills and meeting national and Vermont education standards.
• To highlight the many innovative entrepreneurial career opportunities in all areas of the agriculture and forestry industries.
• To build appreciation of the historical, cultural, economic, environmental, and scientific importance of agriculture to the quality of life in Vermont and our society.
• To increase awareness and understanding of our regional food system, including food production, consumption, distribution, natural resource use and waste management.

For a free copy of the “Cultivate the Seeds of Knowledge” newsletter, contact Erin Brannen at VT Agriculture in the Classroom Partners. For more information about AITC, contact Kristen Thurber (AITC Coordinator) or Erin Brannen (AITC intern) at:

Agriculture in the Classroom Partners
116 State Street, Drawer 20
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 828-2099
www.state.vt.us/agri/AITC/index.htm