Rural Heritage's video: The Berry Center - Sustainable Agriculture Education Program

Joe visits The Berry Center in New Castle, Kentucky to learn about their farming program and collaboration with Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Joe interviews Mary Berry as she describes the work of her father Wendell, grandfather John Berry Sr and Uncle John Berry Jr and how their work informs the mission of the Berry Center. She explains their goal to teach farming as well as a liberal arts part of the curriculum to connect the students to past thinkers and connect them to the history of farming sustainably. She also explains the use of Henry County's land an people as a classroom. Joe then interviews Leah Bayens, Farming Program Dean. Leah the curriculum and it's goal to immerse students in the live of the community, local farms and us them as their classroom. The program is a working one where students work on local farms as well as learn from the farmers about their businesses and histories. Joe goes into the field to interview Rick Thomas, sustainable agriculture instructor, about the school philosophy and the draft animal power classes he teaches. Upon completing his courses on Driving, Working Farming with draft animals as well as restorative forestry and farrier science, students earn a minor in Draft Animal Power Systems. Classes in livestock systems, pasture management, soil science, small farm business, agroforestry are also part of the program. They utilize some of the Sterling College faculty for classes. lastly we meet a couple current students who explain their backgrounds and how they came to the program and their goals as farmers. The Berry Center website: Article in Rural Heritage about The Berry Center: https://berrycenter.org/projects/farming-program/ http://www.mischka.com/shop/product.php?productid=17527