CA 114 - Culinary Agriculture II

Credits: 3
LAB hours per week: 6
This course follows the “Field to Fork” concept, as students learn and apply processes that can be done during the Winter months, such as planning Spring work and preparing dishes with preserved ingredients. Students analyze and practice the five stages in this food system model (production, processing, waste management & distribution, retailing and consumption) to develop their understanding of how to implement these processes in a safe, sustainable manner.
Course Outcomes:

Relate the history of agriculture to society and the culinary arts as it applies in four-season climates.
Explain and assess the importance of garden/farm maintenance through infrastructure, equipment and cultivation processes over the Winter months.
Examine the raising, selection, and fabrication of culinary livestock.
Implement garden planning and management, including sustainable and innovative techniques.
Integrate preserved food items into culinary lab sessions and on-site food service.
Research the food supply chain to understand relationship between sustainability and global consumption.
Research and discuss small business opportunities in the agriculture industry and their relationship to the hospitality industry.
Identify inequities within the food system and their implications for health, society, and the environment.
Analyze current culinary trends identified through exploratory visits to various agricultural enterprises.

Course Topics:

Food system sustainability
Hands-on campus gardens/farm maintenance
Planting seeds and transplanting starts
Basic soil science
Composting
Procurement and preparation of ingredients for weekly lab sessions
Animal protein fabrication
Preservation techniques
Field trips to local farms, ranches, processing plants, agricultural businesses and restaurants