Students enrolled in “Greenhouse Crop Production II” (HRT 122), one of the courses in the new Sustainable Agriculture program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, recently learned in one of their labs how to use organic plant-derived ingredients to create value-added products. “We've been studying the beneficial and medicinal properties of commonly grown and native plants,” explains instructor Chezley Pillow. “We've learned to extract the desired properties from particular plants through infusion, decoction, tinctures and other methods.” In the photo, the students are making infused essential oils and using them to make beneficial lip balms and medicinal salves. From left: Tiffany Walton, Pillow, Jason Reynolds and Amy Jones, all of Covington, and Michael Deavers of Lexington. For more information about Sustainable Agriculture, contact Program Head Michael Van Ness at (540) 863-2907 or email mvanness@dslcc.edu

DSLCC Sustainable Agriculture Program Popular   Ronnie Brackenridge (left) and Zack Greenwood, both of Clifton Forge, and both enrolled in the new Sustainable Agriculture program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, tend to the baby chicks and ducks being raised by the students in “Soils” (HRT 205). In addition to learning how to raise fowl, students are also learning about soil deficiency recognition and the chemical, physical and biological properties of soils, according to instructor Chezley Pillow. "Soil is not dirt,” explains Pillow. “Soil is the base and requirement of all living things. This includes our baby fowl. Directly and indirectly, the soil feeds us all. Understanding the requirements of healthy soil is essential in identifying its demands and maintaining an effective and harmonious relationship. All of our courses complement each other with information that is necessary or helpful in understanding agriculture as a sustainably whole system.” For more information about Sustainable Agriculture, contact Program Head Michael Van Ness at (540) 863-2907 or email mvanness@dslcc.edu

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