Program Details : University Catalogs : University of Minnesota

FDSY 1016W - Growing Food & Building Community: Urban Agriculture in the Twin Cities (WI)

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Fall

The capacity and support for urban agriculture is expanding globally. It is estimated that 25-30% of urban dwellers worldwide are involved in agriculture. In the future, we can expect that more of our food will be grown in urban centers. Urban farms and food businesses, food hubs, neighborhood community gardens, schoolyard and residential gardens are all part of the current urban food movement. As the first year colloquium for food systems majors, this course will integrate academic and orientation learning objectives and allow students to gain practice in systems thinking-- exhibited through in-class discussion and writing-- using urban agriculture as a framework. In this course, we will evaluate the direct and indirect benefits and challenges of urban agriculture by looking through environmental, political and social lenses. Class field trips and a service learning activity are used to demonstrate the various ways food is grown and how food may be used as a vehicle to achieve social goals. We will discuss a broad array of topics including horticultural production practices, soil health and environmental sustainability issues, social justice and food access, and public policy and regulations constraining urban farms, with an emphasis on the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Students in this course will deepen their understanding of the complexity of urban food systems, while also recognize social differences of race, ethnicity and class; improve intercultural competence skills as a foundation for positive cross-cultural relationships; and gain an awareness of how urban agriculture can be a force for change.

BBE 3201 - Sustainability of Food Systems: A Life Cycle Perspective (GP)

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Fall & Spring

Consequences of global food system. Diversity in food systems. Current topics in food sustainability.

FDSY 2101 - Plant Production Systems

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Prerequisites:	College level general biology course or Hort 1001 or #
Typically offered:	Every Spring

How food production systems fit within overall food system. Fundamentals of soils, plant nutrition, plant production metabolites as they affect food production systems. Decisions that differentiate among conventional sustainable/organic systems. prereq: College level general biology course or Hort 1001 or instr consent

FDSY 4101 - Holistic Approaches to Improving Food Systems Sustainability

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Spring

Students in this capstone course address food system sustainability challenges both in the classroom and via service-learning, where they spend 45 hours engaged with a food justice-based community organization. Requires off-campus work at the community partner site. Prerequisites: FDSY 1016W and APEC 3202; or instructor consent

HORT 1001 - Plant Propagation (BIOL)

Credits:	4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall & Spring

Principles and techniques of propagating plants by seeds, cuttings, grafts, buds, layers, and division. Lectures on principles; labs on practice of various propagating techniques.

HORT 1015 - Plant Families for Plant People

Credits:	4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis:	OPT No Aud
Typically offered:	Every Fall

The most recent surveys reveal there are 347,298 vascular plant species in the world! During this course, you will acquire the skills that will allow you to identify many plants you encounter day-to-day in Minnesota and around the world. By the end of the term, you will have been introduced to over 150 woody and herbaceous plants and learned the key distinguishing features for identifying some of the most important ones. You will be introduced to plant families that are important from a human perspective, where in the world they are most commonly found, some of the problems they can experience or create, and some of the ways they are used by humans.

HORT 3131 - Student Organic Farm Planning, Growing, and Marketing

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	HORT 3131 / HORT 5131
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Organic fruit and vegetable production has been one of the fastest growing segments of the US economy for almost two decades, stimulating an overwhelming number of biological and ecological innovations to produce food using organic approaches. This course aims to increase student's knowledge of ecological concepts as applied to managing organic systems, with an emphasis on soil nutrient cycles and plant-soil-microbe interactions that serve as the cornerstone of organic systems. Students in this course will learn tools needed to manage an organic diversified vegetable operation. The course consists of two components. The lecture session is designed to help students think about concepts and principles that are useful in planning and managing production strategies on organic farms. We spend a significant amount of our time reviewing soil nutrient cycling and its critical importance for organic farms, including how to effectively use soil and organic nutrient inputs such as cover crops, manure and fertilizers, to provide vegetable crops with the nutrients they need to grow. We also learn about successful marketing strategies for organic produce. Finally, near the end of the semester we will discuss pest management, including both weeds and disease/insect pests, and compare different tillage options available to organic producers. What we learn is then applied to planning next year's season of the UMN student organic farm. Throughout, we will use case studies, guest speakers, games, and active learning discussion approaches to move these classroom sessions "beyond the lecture" and allow students to engage with the material in a meaningful way. The lab is designed to allow a space to put into action some of the concepts students learn in lecture, including soil organic matter analysis, microgreen propagation, calculation of organic fertilizer rates, and operation of driven and walk-behind tractors.

HORT 4141W - Scheduling Crops for Protected Environments (WI)

Credits:	4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:	Hort 4141W/Hort 6141
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Spring

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the identification, scheduling, and cultural requirements of commercially produced vegetables, herbs, ornamental flowers, and foliage plants, gain experience in growing them, and conduct experiments to understand current problems. The course builds on knowledge obtained in Hort 1001 or Hort 1015, by adding in additional factors of plant growth coupled with scheduling and growing of crops which commercial growers would experience. The role of ornamental plants in the human environment will be discussed, with special emphasis on future issues. Writing is an integral component of this course; one major paper is revised and expanded multiple times plus other course writing fulfill the writing intensive requirement. Through the use of interactive learning, field trips, written assignments, and in-class discussions students learn crop requirements and the interactions between the marketing distribution system of breeders, producers, distributors, growers, retailers, and consumers. Prerequisites: HORT 1001/6011 Additional Preferred Courses: HORT 1015

APEC 3071 - Microeconomics of International Development

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Spring

Characteristics and performance of peasant agriculture; potential role of agriculture in economic development, and design of economic policies to achieve agricultural and economic development; role of women in agricultural development. prereq: 1101, 1102, Econ 1101, 1102, or instr consent

APEC 3202 - An Introduction to the Food System: Analysis, Management and Design

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Introduction to use of systems thinking for exploration of problems in contemporary food system from multidisciplinary perspective. System concepts. Historical evolution of food system. Analysis, management, design.

APEC 3411 - Commodity Marketing

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	ApEc 3411/ApEc 5411
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Economic concepts related to marketing agricultural commodities. Conditions of competitive markets, historical perspectives on market institutions/policy, structural characteristics of markets, policies/regulations affecting agricultural marketing of livestock, crop, and dairy products. prereq: 1101 or Econ 1101

APEC 3451 - Food and Agricultural Sales

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Spring

Professional selling of agricultural and food products. Students build/refine sales abilities, identify/qualify prospects, deliver sales presentations, close the sale. Principles of market research. prereq: 1101 or Econ 1101

APEC 3501 - Agribusiness Finance

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	ApEc 3501/Fina 3001/Fina 3001H
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Analysis of financing and investment strategies for agribusiness firms and their effects on liquidity, solvency, and profitability. Analysis of financial institutions, markets, and instruments. Management problems, issues facing financial intermediaries serving agriculture. prereq: [[1251 or Acct 2050], 60 cr] or instr consent

APEC 3551 - Concept Design and Value-Added Entrepreneurship in Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Explore the core skills required by entrepreneurs in opportunity identification and problem framing that lead to creating viable concepts that provide solutions to real consumer challenges. Students will tackle innovation challenges from an in-depth exploration of entrepreneurial and design thinking and learn how to incorporate these skills into their future professional work. Master techniques for exploring problems from a systems viewpoint through a series of hands-on projects from concept design to product mapping and consumer testing. Students get to select a project of their choosing directly from their major of study and will pitch their new product or service concept to an expert panel.

APEC 3811 - Principles of Farm Management

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Strategic and operations aspects of farm management; financial analysis, budgeting, strategic management; marketing plan and control; enterprise and whole farm planning and control; investment analysis, quality, risk, and personnel management. prereq: 1101 or Econ 1101

APEC 3841 - Agricultural and Consumer Cooperatives and Mutuals

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	ApEc 3841/ApEc 5841
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Introduction to the cooperative and mutual form of business. Each class begins with a speaker, usually a producer member or manager, from a cooperative or mutual including coffee, cocoa, farm supply, dairy, and other types of cooperatives. About 25% of the speakers are from global cooperatives. Students will choose a cooperative or mutual at the beginning of the semester and most homework assignments will be applied to your cooperative including a final digital media project. The course has one live lecture and one asynchronous lecture each week.

APEC 4451W - Food Marketing Economics (CIV, WI)

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	ApEc 4451W/ApEc 5451
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Economics of food marketing in the United States. Food consumption trends, consumer food behavior, marketing strategies, consumer survey methodology, food distribution/retailing system. Policy issues related to food marketing. Individual/group projects. prereq: [[1101 or Econ 1101], [1101H or Econ 1101H], SCO 2550 or STAT 3011 or equiv, 60 cr] or instr consent

FSCN 1011 - Science of Food and Cooking (PHYS)

Credits:	4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall & Spring

Souffles, custards, sauces, coffee brewing, candy making used to examine physics/chemistry of heat transfer, foams, gels, emulsions, extractions, crystallization.

FSCN 1102 - Food: Safety, Risks, and Technology (CIV)

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis:	OPT No Aud
Typically offered:	Every Fall & Spring

Introduction to inherent risks/safety of food supply. Use of public policy and food technology to reduce risks. Microbiological, chemical, and environmental hazards, government/industry controls.

FSCN 2001 - A Food Systems Approach to Cooking for Health and the Environment

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall

This is a fun, hands-on cooking class. It is also an Experiential Learning (EL) course which meets the EL requirement for all CFANS students. This lecture /lab format course will give students the confidence to cook healthful whole foods as they learn about the food system. Subject matter will be taught from an interdisciplinary perspective. Concepts covered include fundamental concepts of nutrition, food sources, food safety, the food system; skills/resources for food choices based on nutritional, environmental, local and global societal implications. We will examine the ethical and civic themes that guide food choices. We will discuss and write about how environmental, cultural, social, and health issues impact personal food choices. prereq: [soph, jr, sr] or instructor consent

FSCN 2021 - Introductory Microbiology

Credits:	4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites:	BIOL 1009, CHEM 1015
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Fall & Spring

How microbes impact our world in deadly/life-saving ways. Roles of bacteria, fungi, and viruses as agents of human diseases; in food spoilage/food borne diseases; and in food preservation/health promotion. Preventing plant diseases, food/drug production, cleaning up oil spills. Genetic engineering.

FSCN 3102 - Introduction to Food Science

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Introduction to chemical/physical properties of foods. Evaluating interaction/reaction of foods due to formulation, processing, preparation. prereq: CHEM 1022 or [CHEM 1062 and CHEM 1066]

FSCN 3612 - Life Cycle Nutrition

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall & Spring

FSCN 3612 focuses on nutritional requirements and common issues during different stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, childhood, adulthood, and aging. There are no required courses for this class; however, it is best to take a basic nutrition class beforehand, such as FSCN 1112 Principles of Nutrition or an equivalent.

FSCN 4131 - Food Quality

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall

This course is designed to give students an overview of the management systems, statistical procedures, and regulatory requirements involved with producing quality food and ingredients. The course material includes risk assessment and management, good manufacturing practices, hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP), statistical methods for process control, total quality management, and food and drug laws. The course is intended primarily for upper division undergraduates majoring in food science. prereq: jr

CFAN 2333 - Insects, Microbes, and Plants: Ecology of Pest Management (TS)

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Fall

This course uses fundamental concepts of ecology and evolution to illuminate and solve the challenges in managing insects and microbes in today?s global context of food and fiber production. Students will learn relevant aspects of insect and microbial biology to be able to situate concrete management problems in an appropriate ecological and evolutionary conceptual framework. Students will apply these concepts and discuss ecological and management controversies, such as what can we learn from natural areas to better manage food and fiber production systems. Case studies, readings, and discussion topics will emphasize factors influencing responsible management decisions.

GCC 3017 - World Food Problems: Agronomics, Economics and Hunger (GP)

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	Agro 4103/ApEc 4103/GCC 3017
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Periodic Fall

This course provides a multi-disciplinary look at problems (and some of the possible solutions) affecting food production, distribution, and requirements for the seven plus billion inhabitants of this planet. It is co-taught by a plant geneticist (Morrell) and an economist (Runge) who together have worked on international food production and policy issues for the past 40 years. Historical context, the present situation and future scenarios related to the human population and food production are examined. Presentations and discussions cover sometimes conflicting views from multiple perspectives on population growth, use of technology, as well as the ethical and cultural values of people in various parts of the world. The global challenge perspective is reflected in attention to issues of poverty, inequality, gender, the legacy of colonialism, and racial and ethnic prejudice. Emphasis is placed on the need for governments, international assistance agencies, international research and extension centers, as well as the private sector to assist in solving the complex problems associated with malnutrition, undernutrition, obesity, and sustainable food production. Through a better understanding of world food problems, this course enables students to reflect on the shared sense of responsibility by nations, the international community and ourselves to build and maintain a stronger sense of our roles as historical agents. Throughout the semester students are exposed to issues related to world food problems through the lenses of two instructors from different disciplinary backgrounds. The core issues of malnutrition and food production are approached simultaneously from a production perspective as well as an economic and policy perspective throughout the semester. This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course. GCC courses are open to all students and fulfill an honors experience for University Honors Program students.

ESPM 3108 - Ecology of Managed Systems (ENV)

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	ESPM 3108/ESPM 5108
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Ecology of ecosystems that are primarily composed of managed plant communities, such as managed forests, field-crop agroecosystems, rangelands and nature reserves, parks, and urban open-spaces. Concepts of ecology and ecosystem management. prereq: BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1009 or HORT 1001 or instr consent

AGRO 3305 - Agroecosystems of the world (GP)

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall

Explore four different areas of world (Minnesota, Morocco, Nepal, Costa Rica) by networking with locals on ground in each region through online interactions. Food, agriculture, environment. Biophysical/socio-cultural aspects of agroecosystems through unique multi-disciplinary lens.

HORT 4461 - Horticultural Marketing

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	ApEc 4461/Hort 4461
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Spring

Major areas in horticultural marketing. Difference between horticultural products and commercial commodities. Core marketing components that should be used by every small horticultural business. Approaches to consumer research.

APEC 4461 - Horticultural Marketing

Credits:	3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:	ApEc 4461/Hort 4461
Grading Basis:	A-F only
Typically offered:	Every Spring

Major areas in horticultural marketing. Difference between horticultural products and commercial commodities. Core marketing components that should be used by every small horticultural business. Approaches to consumer research.

FDSY 3093 - Directed Study

Credits:	1.0 -4.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall, Spring & Summer

A course in which a student designs and carries out a directed study on selected topics or problems under the direction of a faculty member; eg, literature review. Directed study courses may be taken for variable credit and special permission is needed for enrollment. Students enrolling in a directed study will be required to use the University-wide on-line directed study contract process in order to enroll. Prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 6 credits of directed study counts towards CFANS major requirements.

FDSY 3094 - Directed Research

Credits:	1.0 -4.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered:	Every Fall, Spring & Summer

An opportunity in which a student designs and carries out a directed research project under the direction of a faculty member. Directed research may be taken for variable credit and special permission is needed for enrollment.Students enrolling in a directed research will be required to use the University-wide on-line directed research contract process in order to enroll. Prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 6 credits of directed research counts towards CFANS major requirements.

University Catalogs

Food Systems Minor