PLSCI 1105

FWS: Eating is an Agricultural Act

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2020-2021.

We make decisions about what to eat every day. Farmer and writer Wendell Berry suggests that "eating is an agriculture act", yet few of us know what is involved in growing fruits and vegetables. Students will learn about plant breeding, what is involved in keeping plants healthy, the ways in which scientists must adjust to a rising population and a changing climate, and whether genetically modified plants are really dangerous. Through an examination of the writings of farmers, historians, scientists, and chefs, we will think critically about what goes into growing the fruits and vegetables we see neatly lining our grocery stores. Students will synthesize source materials, build arguments, and communicate scientific ideas to a variety of audiences.

When Offered Fall.

• Execute college writing strategies such as preparation of outlines, drafts, revisions, and participation in the peer-review process.
• Analyze a variety of information in the plant sciences ranging from scientific literature, reviews, popular science articles, and books.
• Summarize and analyze central topics in the plant sciences by contrasting texts on topics ranging from genetic modification of plants to sustainability to how agriculture will need to change in the future.
• Reference and cite scholarly sources appropriately.
• Cultivate more robust perspectives on agriculture and the plant sciences through careful consideration of the complexities associated with agriculture, food systems, and the unequal access to food and land in the United States.

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