(no subject)
Why agricultural literacy might be important in the liberal arts:
Food is essential to the human condition.
Fiber and construction materials are important to humans.
Agriculture has had both positive and negative effects on human societies and ecosystems.
Agriculture has a long history.
Agriculture has a prehistory.
Agriculture may be a science.
Agriculture often is included in ethnoscience.
Indigenous and traditional agricultural systems exist. They are vitally important to human survival.
Agriculture is bound to economics.
Agriculture is bound to politics.
People need to be informed to formulate agricultural policy - we can all see where the alternative has gotten us.
Demographic transitions from rural to urban societies need to be understood.
Rural life and issues are a part of the liberal arts. No?
Transitions from rural life to industrial development (in agriculture as well as other ways) needs to be understood.
Ecological impact of different sorts of agricultural endeavors needs to be understood.
Local plant and animal indigenous taxonomies are particularly important in light of culture and language extinction proceeding at an unfathomable rate.
The rapid enclosure of the cultural commons in our own regions and around the world needs to be understood and addressed.
Community structure and subsistence requirements are deeply related. Both are related to how we acquire our food.
Horticulture and small-scale household gardening increase food security and food justice. So are seeds and seed-saving
How is agriculture connected to community? Any community?
What is a landscape?
Why does it matter?
Is it natural? Is it cultural? Who cares?
How do people connect to their varied landscapes? Why does it matter?
The following appear often in liberal arts curricula:
Are these connected with…agriculture?
Let’s not forget that aesthetics of agriculture is a reality.
And…
Biotechnologies are a huge part of our current agricultural systems. Does anyone care? Beyond those who are making craploads of money from these?
Should the liberal arts encompass land use, water use, soil condition, food systems, food justice? Sustainable agriculture? Agroecosystems, including conservation practices in agriculture?
Attitudes, opinions, and perceptions of agriculture in much of academia are discouraging.
Food is essential to the human condition.
Fiber and construction materials are important to humans.
Agriculture has had both positive and negative effects on human societies and ecosystems.
Agriculture has a long history.
Agriculture has a prehistory.
Agriculture may be a science.
Agriculture often is included in ethnoscience.
Indigenous and traditional agricultural systems exist. They are vitally important to human survival.
Agriculture is bound to economics.
Agriculture is bound to politics.
People need to be informed to formulate agricultural policy - we can all see where the alternative has gotten us.
Demographic transitions from rural to urban societies need to be understood.
Rural life and issues are a part of the liberal arts. No?
Transitions from rural life to industrial development (in agriculture as well as other ways) needs to be understood.
Ecological impact of different sorts of agricultural endeavors needs to be understood.
Local plant and animal indigenous taxonomies are particularly important in light of culture and language extinction proceeding at an unfathomable rate.
The rapid enclosure of the cultural commons in our own regions and around the world needs to be understood and addressed.
Community structure and subsistence requirements are deeply related. Both are related to how we acquire our food.
Horticulture and small-scale household gardening increase food security and food justice. So are seeds and seed-saving
How is agriculture connected to community? Any community?
What is a landscape?
Why does it matter?
Is it natural? Is it cultural? Who cares?
How do people connect to their varied landscapes? Why does it matter?
The following appear often in liberal arts curricula:
- Personal identity
- Community identity
- Sense of place
- Intergenerational knowledge
- Ecological knowledge, western, indigenous, and traditional
Are these connected with…agriculture?
Let’s not forget that aesthetics of agriculture is a reality.
And…
Biotechnologies are a huge part of our current agricultural systems. Does anyone care? Beyond those who are making craploads of money from these?
Should the liberal arts encompass land use, water use, soil condition, food systems, food justice? Sustainable agriculture? Agroecosystems, including conservation practices in agriculture?
Attitudes, opinions, and perceptions of agriculture in much of academia are discouraging.