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SURRY COUNTY, NC — Surrey Community College is working on changing landscapes inside the classroom by teaching more about agriculture.
James Quick is in his fourth year teaching. He’s the lead agriculture science instructor at Surry Community College.
Quick has always wanted to work with animals and bring some type of change and progression into the field of agriculture.
“Because as I’ve matriculated through undergrad and grad school, I realized I was oftentimes the only African American in the room. And so, if I can inspire the next generation to know that anybody can do this, then I can feel successful,” said Quick.
In the upcoming semester, he’s teaching two new sustainable agriculture classes. Quick says to think of sustainable agriculture as recycling.
“So, we are always taking nutrients from the soil. Our animals are producing greenhouse emissions and so as we practice sustainable agriculture — which would be returning some of that stuff back into the earth instead of just taking it,” said Quick.
He says there’s been a declining interest in agriculture and farming animals over the years. To add these classes back, he says is important because we need to produce so much more in the coming years.
“Should be a higher priority to the world, to the U.S., to everybody, because we have these more people in our population, we don’t have any more land to farm, so we have to figure out ways to become more efficient at creating more with the same amount that we already have,” said Quick.
In Surry and Yadkin counties, agriculture is the No. 1 industry, so these classes are a way to teach the next generation. Quick says as we want to produce more, we need to do it correctly so that we don’t ruin the environment.
“We don’t want to ruin the Earth more than we already have, so like the class intro to basic sustainable agriculture that teaching the best practices to still farm and produce your animals or crops, but it’s teaching you the best way to respect the Earth as you’re doing it,” said Quick.
He wants his students to know they can do anything because agriculture is a versatile industry that expands past farming.
These courses will satisfy 11 of the 14 required credits to earn the Sustainable Agriculture certificate.
The certificate program focuses on agricultural principles and practices that, over the long term, enhance environmental quality, make efficient use of nonrenewable resources, integrate natural biological cycles and controls, and are economically viable and socially responsible.
These classes at Surry Community College will begin on Jan. 9.
Changing Landscape: Sustainable agriculture – Spectrum News
