Michael Van Ness (right), who will head the new Sustainable Agriculture Program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, and Doug Jones, Programs Coordinator for DSLCC Workforce Solutions and Community Education pose in front of the location for a proposed community garden on the DSLCC Clifton Forge campus. For more information about the new program, contact Lynn McAllister at (540) 863-2933 or lmcallister@dslcc.edu.

Van Ness Leads New Agriculture Program at DSLCC   Dabney S. Lancaster Community College has announced the selection of Michael G. Van Ness to lead the College’s new Sustainable Agriculture Career Studies Certificate Program. A native of Rockbridge County, Van Ness most recently served as a founder and Director of Lynchburg Grows, a renowned not-for-profit corporation formed to address critical community issues such as nutrition and food systems programming for children, vocational training for disabled and low-income individuals on how to safely grow produce, and providing workshops and site visits for those interested in learning about importance of sustainable, local agriculture and healthy living. He led the organization to introduce programs at seven community centers, five targeted elementary schools, six local gardening efforts, and a summer camp. “Mr. Van Ness will be a wonderful fit for this position with his background, experience and ability to form partnerships,” commented Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Lynn McAllister. “He is passionate about the importance of each of us knowing the source of our food for personal health and wellness reasons, but he also recognizes the tremendous economic potential that agriculture offers to current and future entrepreneurs in our region.” Fall courses at DSLCC include Introduction to Greenhouse Crop Production, an Introduction to Horticulture and training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) set by the United States Department of Agriculture, teaching students the methods used to guide a facility to obtain GAP certification. Dr. John Rainone, DSLCC President, points out that the program is well suited for the College and for the area. “The application of new technologies to grow hardier crops and healthier foods have made agriculture a fascinating field, especially for young growers,” he said. “The uses of GIS, targeted spectrum cameras and wireless sensors to monitor soil moisture and temperature are just a few ways in which technology is now being used to farm smarter.” Rainone pointed out that there are many topics in the new program which complement those in the DSLCC Forest Management Technology program and courses in solar and wind energy. Van Ness received the Virginia Watershed Award from Governor Jim Gilmore in 2002 and the 2001-2002 Outstanding Young Alumnus for Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources. He currently serves as Vice-Chairman for the Virginia Cooperative Extension Leadership Council and was a founding member of the Virginia Food System Council serving on its board of directors from 2009-2011. He has served on boards for Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources, the Virginia Conservation Network, and for the New River Highlands Resource Conservation and Development Council, as well as Director of Special Programs at the Valley Conservation Council of Staunton, and as Executive Director of the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council (RACC). In 1996, Van Ness received his Juris Doctor degree and a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. In 1995, he was a quarter-finalist and won third-best brief in the National Native American Law Student Moot Court Competition while working in volunteer legal capacities for both the Klamath and Umatilla Tribes in Oregon. Van Ness received a B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife Sciences with an option in environmental conservation from Virginia Tech and completed a third of the required courses for an M.B.A. degree before graduating in 1993. He was born and raised in Lexington. His email is mgvanness@gmail.com. For more information about the Sustainable Agriculture program, contact Lynn McAllister at (540) 863-2933 or email lmcallister@dslcc.edu.

* * * * *