Bard College
ER-12: Sustainability Immersive Experience

The New Orleans Initiative offers a unique and highly-selective 8-week program in New Orleans. The program's 20 students will investigate notions of urbanism, ecology, and social policy, both in seminar style-classes and in demanding internships. Students will be expected to take two courses and intern up to 40 hours per week.

Farm Internship:
4 Credit Independent Study Internship
on Gansvoort Farm in the Village of Clermont
Fall 2010, Monday and Thursday 9-11:30

Gansvoort Farm raises 100% grassfed heritage-breed Registered Devon beef cows and sheep for meat and fiber using intensive rotational grazing

We will read and discuss scientific literature on:

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from livestock systems, Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in pastures, Management-Intensive Grazing (MIG), Control of internal parasites, Conservation of heritage livestock genetics, Reducing energy consumption in agriculture by employing Ecosystem Services, and more!

Students learn from hands-on experience with:

Estimating pasture biomass, Setting up portable electric livestock fences, Assessing grass and legume quality and diversity, Low-stress animal handling methods, Working with a trained stock dog, Taking soil and foliage samples, “Frost” and “Hoof” pasture seeding methods, and more!

**Limited to 4 Bard undergraduates each semester. Must interview with Professor Phillips, Farm owner and Professor of Environmental Science in the Bard Center for Environmental Policy. Must be willing to work hard, and think deeply about food producing systems!