Food and Agriculture

We all eat food. But how is it raised, grown, or foraged, by whom, and at what cost? How do we create a food system that works for all? 

In programs on the Food and Agriculture Path, you’ll study food and agriculture science and policy, social justice, and cultural, literary, and media perspectives. You’ll experience unique and powerful ways of learning that will help you create deep connections with your studies as you link theory with practice. 

The Pacific Northwest is one of the best and most vibrant places to study food and agriculture. Pairing this with hands-on sustainable food production and community-based projects will give you a well-rounded agriculture and food studies experience and prepare you for a future in the field. 

Highlights of this Path

Flexible, comprehensive food studies

Programs on this Path cover ground in the areas of agriculture, food justice, food systems, and food studies. Whether you want to get hands-on with organic farming techniques and agriculture sciences, learn how our food systems work on a macro level, dig into the cultural importance of different cuisines, or anything else related to these topics, this Path is for you.

Community engagement, internships, and volunteering

You’ll engage with food justice and policy in the classroom and beyond with community partners in the non-profit industry as well as worker-owned cooperatives and small farms. Evergreen’s Center for Community-Based Learning and Action (CCBLA) works closely with students on this Path to give you opportunities for internships, volunteering, and making connections in the field.

Learn more about CCBLA.

The Organic Farm

Evergreen’s Organic Farm is a five-acre living laboratory that has helped launch countless student careers. The farm hosts the Practice of Organic Farming program from spring through fall each year to align with the growing season. Skills you’ll gain on the farm include:

• Organic growing methods
• Crop botany
• Planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops
• Animal husbandry (chickens and bees)
• Permaculture design process for food, water, and energy systems
• Sales, marketing, and business
• Creating value-added products
• Integrated pest management
• Teamwork, leadership, and communication skills

The Changemaker Lab

The Changemaker Lab is a powerful learning community based on teamwork, leadership, community empowerment, and making our world a better place. Collaborate on social entrepreneurship projects with team entrepreneurs from all over the world. Decide how you want to learn in a democratic, interdisciplinary environment.

Learn more about the Changemaker Lab.

The Flaming Eggplant Café

For over ten years, the Flaming Eggplant was a student-run collective café that served non-corporate, ethically-sourced, and socially just food. It has also served as an incubator for cooperative development in our region. 

You'll have the opportunity to contribute to the future visions of the Flaming Eggplant through student-run cooperative projects at the café, oral histories with former collective members, and re-creating a welcoming café space that brings the campus community together.

Study abroad

The study abroad options on this Path are world-class learning opportunities. Travel with a tight-knit community or through an Individual Learning Contract to explore the cultures and history of people around the world. 

Programs on this Path have traveled to:

• Basque Country, Spain    
• China 
• Costa Rica
• Nicaragua
• Peru

Sustainable Agriculture Lab

The Sustainable Agriculture Lab is where you can get hands-on with food science and much more at Evergreen. Tasting and working with food is a crucial part of some programs on this Path. This food-grade space will be your laboratory to discover food on a new level.

Located on the Organic Farm, the lab is used for many things like processing the farm’s harvest, botany and entomology studies, food workshops, and more.

Learn more about the Sustainable Agriculture Lab.

Capstone projects

Students on this Path have incredible flexibility and support to pursue their interests. You can work closely with faculty to complete capstone projects that add depth to your studies while you get practical experience in the field you want to work in after college.

Check out some of this Path’s capstone projects.

Campus gardens

Students on this Path are passionate about working in the earth. You’ll find lots of opportunities to work with fellow students, staff, and faculty while learning about the many types of gardens on campus.

• Evergreen community gardens near campus housing
• Demeter’s garden
• Ethnobotanical garden at the Indigenous arts campus   
• Shellfish garden
• Medicinal herb garden