As mentioned on the Course Content Introduction page, "Assigned readings," "assigned video lectures" and "assigned web resources" are the key content for this course and information within these assignments will be used in the development of assessment tools - i.e., quizzes, exams, etc.
Also note that the first link under each "Assigned Video Lectures" heading is to the original Prezi content. If you'd like to learn more about how I've created the video lectures you'll be watching (hopefully) throughout the semester, I've actually recorded a video about the process I use for recording videos the you can watch by clicking here!
"Supplemental" readings, web resources, and video content can be helpful in providing additional context to the assigned materials. It's likely that over the course of the semester additional supplemental resources will be added to this page, so plan to check back frequently.
And, if you come across a resource you believe would be a helpful addition to this content page, please do share it with me.
Assigned Readings:
"Vegetable Production and Practices"
Chapter 2 - Tillage and Cropping Systems
Chapter 4 - Fertilization and Mineral Nutrition Requirements for Growing Vegetables
Chapter 6 - Mulches
Chapter 8 - Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production (pages 111-117)
While focused on cover cropping in organic vegetable production systems, the content in these resources is just as applicable to non-organic food production.
"Cover Crop Guide for New York Growers"
This is an excellent reference site if you're considering the use of cover crops to improve your soil. (link)
"What is Organic No-till, and Is It Practical?"(link)
Since the advent of no-till in conventional row crop production, soil conservation and improvement aspects of no-tillage systems have attracted the interest of some organic farmers. The big question, of course, is how to do it without synthetic herbicides.
Supplemental Video Content:
"The Science of Soil Health"
This thirty-four video series (most are less than five minutes long) is produced by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and can be found on YouTube by clicking here.
"Web Soil Survey"
The United States Department of Agriculture has conducted county by county soil surveys continously for more than seventy years. Until the advent of the World Wide Web, these surveys were published in book form and for many years Moon Library maintained a collection of all the New York State Soil Surveys. Now this valuable resource is completely online and can provide detailed soil information down to a specific street address. You can learn more about the native soil type around your home by clicking here.
"Cast in Clay - Using Clay Animations to Illustrate Soil Biology"
Lest we get too serious, check out these clay animation videos of three soil biological topics. In a word - brilliant!