Training Agronomy Undergraduates for Mission-Based Service: Curriculum Design.

Undergraduate students enrolled in crop and soil science disciplines are increasingly seeking coursework and field experiences that provide them with information about crop and soil management for small-scale or marginal farming.  While this desire may be linked to an international mission-type career, it is not always so, as students now enter careers in areas such urban farming, or rural development in the States.  The objective of this project is to determine likely coursework for students who have an interest in this area, and to craft an academic Minor in this area.  Field experience is gained through a study-abroad partnership between Texas A&M University and Auburn University, with the field station located at Hacienda Santa Clara, Mexico.  An academic minor is typically 15 to 20 hours of additional coursework, and in this case the minor was crafted so that student in a range of majors could pursue the minor.  At Auburn courses included Introductory Soil Science, and Introductory Crop Science, along with menu-selected courses areas such as Vegetable Production or Fruit/Nut Production.  The study-abroad field experience at Hacienda Santa Clara is a required part of the minor, and through this students learn practical aspects of small-scale production, including use of hand tools, hand/small-scale processing of grains, and non-mechanized tillage techniques.   Benefits to the inclusion of a ‘Mission Minor’ within departments of Agronomy/Plant and Soil Sciences include:  1) university presence of trained and experienced scientists, many of whom have conducted in-country research, 2) completion of strong introductory soils and crops courses as a part of the minor, something that is often lacking in service that is 100% based on a religious mission, and, 3) in-country (or within the US) contacts and internship opportunities for students at research institutions that have a proven track record of strong science and student safety.