�� - Study USA

This domestic “Study-USA” trip will follow fertilizer as it travels through the supply chain, starting from the source, through points of value-added processing, and to local cooperative applicators. This will include seeing a local cooperative applicators, train loading facilities, production facilities and terminals where ships/vessels are loaded/unloaded for transportation to farms around the United States. The trip will follow from end use to supplier and manufacturing. We will visit production facilities and domestic transfer points in Iowa and then move down river along the Mississippi to shipping ports in St Louis, MO.

Participating students will meet four to six times before travel and earn 1 credit of Econ 4950 during the spring 2025 semester.

This program is being offered for the first time in spring 2025.

Important Note Regarding Missing Classes
Please note that participation on some travel courses require you to be away from campus for some school days. The College of Agriculture & Life Sciences tries to minimize the number of days missed for this purpose, but in some events, the inflexibility of the travel schedule prevents us from working completely within our breaks. Should you choose to enroll in a travel course that requires missing some class(es) on campus, you will need to contact your instructor directly to inquire whether or not arrangements can be made to make up this class work and/or exams. The CALS �� office can provide you with a letter explaining the dates of the trip. However, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor to determine the potential impact on your grade before signing up for a �� program. The instructor is responsible for determining the impact of any absence from class.

Thursday, April 24, 2025 to Sunday, April 27, 2025

Department:

Econ

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Friday, February 28, 2025

Semester:

Spring

Learn more

Year:

2025

Art in Bloom: Exploring the Philadelphia Flower Show

mmgrant — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:33:04 +0000

Currently Unavailable

United States

Program Director(s):

Dr. Kevin Duerfeldt

Dan Brabec

3 credits of Hort 4970X (Spring 2025)

Program dates and itinerary are subject to change.

In "Art in Bloom: Exploring the Philadelphia Flower Show," students will embark on a hands-on journey through the world of floral design as an expressive art form. This immersive course combines classroom learning with field trips to the renowned Philadelphia Flower Show and Longwood Gardens.

Students will explore the principles and techniques of floral design, examining how color, texture, and form contribute to artistic expression. Through interactive workshops and expert-led demonstrations, participants will gain practical skills while also engaging with the rich history and cultural significance of floral art.

At the Philadelphia Flower Show, students will witness innovative displays and gain insights from industry professionals, while Longwood Gardens will provide a stunning backdrop for understanding the integration of flora and landscape design. By the end of the course, students will develop a personal design portfolio, reflecting their unique artistic voice and understanding of floral aesthetics. Join us for a vibrant exploration of nature's beauty and the art of design!

Pre-departure orientation will meet weekly during the spring 2025 semester.

This course is being offered for the first time in spring 2025

Friday, February 28, 2025 to Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Department:

Horticulture

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Friday, November 1, 2024

Semester:

Spring

Apply Now!

Year:

2025

Comparing Food Systems - Iowa vs California - May 2025

nicolerh — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:42:29 +0000

Currently Unavailable

United States of America

Program Director(s):

Kate Gilbert

Program itinerary is tentative and subject to change.

This course will review food systems frameworks and considerations, focusing on food supply chains (production systems, distribution, processing, and retail/markets). Discussion topics will include influences such as natural resources (water), innovation and technology, demographics (labor), and economics (price of food).

The pre-departure course will include tours of Iowa food production to assist in comparing and contrasting regional food systems in Iowa and California.

While traveling in California, students will visit a variety of farms and food production. Tours include wineries in Napa and Paso Robles, almond orchards and processing, dairy farms and cheese production, fruit and vegetable production including a visit to Driscoll's, coffee production, and seafood fishing.

Students will also have the opportunity to visit Sequoia National Park, the Santa Barbara harbor, and to choose between visiting the Monterey Aquarium or going on a whale watching tour.

4 credits FSHN 4960B during spring semester

This program was last offered in spring 2023.

Sunday, May 18, 2025 to Saturday, May 31, 2025

Department:

Food Science and Human Nutrition

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Friday, November 1, 2024

Semester:

Spring

Learn more!

Year:

2025

Credits:

For the Love of Food and Puerto Rico - May 2025

mmgrant — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 20:09:07 +0000

Currently Unavailable

Puerto Rico

Program Director(s):

Erica Beirman

Karla Boetel

3 credits of FSHN 4960B (Spring 2025)

Program dates and itinerary are subject to change.

This immersive study trip to Puerto Rico is designed for students interested in learning about the island's culinary heritage, food systems, agricultural practices, and food processing industries. Students will explore the diverse and vibrant food culture of Puerto Rico by participating in tasting immersions tailored specifically to the local culinary traditions. The course includes visits to coffee and chocolate plantations, rum distilleries, farms, food processors, and local markets, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the island's food landscape.

Pre-departure orientation will meet during the second half of the spring semester, followed by travel in May 2025.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 to Thursday, May 29, 2025

Department:

Food Science Human Nutrition

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Semester:

Spring

Apply Now!

Year:

2025

Exploring the Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity of the US Virgin Islands - Winter Break

nicolerh — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 20:17:23 +0000

Coming Soon

U.S. Virgin Islands

Program Director(s):

Louis Hilgemann

Dr. Gunnar Kramer

2 credits of Globe 4960B (Spring 2025)

Located in the Caribbean Sea, St. John, an island in the US Virgin Islands, is rich in biodiversity, including several native and endemic plant and animal species. Characterized by a sub-tropical climate, St. John’s marine and seashore ecosystems boast beautiful coral reefs that are home to more than 40 species of coral; seagrass beds where 3 of the 7 species of sea turtles (green, hawksbill, leatherback) can be seen; and mangrove forests home to diverse assemblages of sponges, crabs, fish, and lobsters. The terrestrial ecosystems and their native and endemic species on St. John are just as impressive – on an island a little smaller than the city of Ames, there are over 400 species of trees. The majority of these unique marine and terrestrial ecosystems on St. John are protected by the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park, which occupies approximately 66% of the island.

On this 10-day travel course, students will participate in hands-on learning experiences (e.g., snorkeling, hiking, restoration projects) in the diverse ecosystems of the US Virgin Islands. Students will experience the incredible biodiversity of the US Virgin Islands, learn about major challenges to ecosystem and biodiversity conservation and management, and participate in efforts to address those challenges in the US Virgin Islands. While in St. John, students will meet and engage with local stakeholders, including the University of the Virgin Islands, National Park Service, environmental non-governmental organizations, and local community members.

Pre-departure orientation in the fall before travel, followed by a half-semester course during spring 2025 semester.

Upcoming Informational Session:

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - 4:00pm to 5:00pm

Location: 333 Science 2

Wednesday, January 7, 2026 to Saturday, January 17, 2026

Department:

Global Resource Systems

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Monday, September 15, 2025

Semester:

Spring

Learn More!

Year:

2025

Sociology 2340 Conservation Ethics & Values - August 2025

nicolerh — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 13:33:15 +0000

Currently Unavailable

United States of America

Program Director(s):

Shawn Dorius

Program dates are tentative and subject to change.

This course introduces you to the history, present, and future of conservation in the US, the leading thinkers and conservation movements they spurred, the seminal organizations and policies that touch on natural resource conservation, and, most importantly, some time exploring the mountains and communities of western Montana. Montana represents a really powerful contrast with Iowa. Dominated by industrial-scale agriculture, Iowa is among the most human-altered landscapes on the planet and also one of the only states without a federally designated wilderness area. Montana is home to two of the largest and earliest federal land conservation designations in the US park system. Montana is also home to the second largest undeveloped land in the lower 48 states. Both states have abundant natural resources and are home to resource-extractive industries and scattered rural towns.

We will mix daily readings in classical and contemporary writings about conservation with the exploration of the range of conservation designations in the mountain west, including hikes in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area (among the largest wilderness areas in the lower 48), the Great Burn Wilderness Study Area, Glacier National Park and the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness Area (the first tribal wilderness area in the US). We will visit several rural communities and meet with conservation organizations in the Bitterroot and Flathead river watersheds. Evening fireside discussions will give us a chance to reconcile what we read with what we see and hear in our field travels. The last six weeks of the course will be completed online, August 25 - September 28 back in Ames, during the first half of the fall semester.

Course Credits: Course: SOC 2340X (3 course credits)

This course was last offered in fall 2023 and 2024.

Saturday, August 9, 2025 to Friday, August 22, 2025

Department:

Sociology

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Semester:

Fall

Apply Now!

Year:

2025

ISU students get in-person look at in-flux soybean supply chains

mmgrant — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:57:48 +0000

An Iowa State University agricultural business class studying the supply chain for soybeans visiting the AGP soybean meal port facility in Grays Harbor, Washington. Photo courtesy of Bobby Martens.

AMES, Iowa – Many Iowa State University students studying agribusiness have seen a harvest hauled to market. Far fewer have witnessed what happens next.

“Even if you’re familiar with the business side of farming, it’s not apparent where crops go. You dump a load at the local co-op elevator, and it’s just gone. But it’s not just marketing. Grain physically needs to go somewhere,” said Bobby Martens, associate professor of economics and the Iowa Institute of Cooperatives Endowed Economics Professor.

A group of Iowa State students recently got a firsthand look at the path soybeans can take after they leave the elevator as part of an experiential course studying agricultural supply chains, a class centered in its inaugural year around a weeklong trip that stretched from processing and fuel plants in Iowa and Minnesota to ports in the Pacific Northwest.

It’s an interesting time to study soybean supply chains because they’re in flux, Martens said. Demand is rapidly ramping up for renewable diesel, a fuel that produces less carbon than traditional diesel while providing nearly identical performance. Soybean oil is needed for the expanding number of renewable diesel refineries, driving a subsequent boom in domestic processing. Increasing U.S.-based processing impacts livestock production, as crushing more soybeans here boosts the supply of soy meal used as animal feed.

“In the next few years, much more of our soybean harvest is going to be crushed here in the United States instead of being shipped overseas whole. They are building crush plants across the country. That will bring a whole gamut of supply chain changes,” Martens said. “There’s a transformation coming in the soybean sector, and everyone is getting set up for it now. These students will have such a leg up in understanding the changes.”

Cooperatives’ role

Member-owned cooperatives are playing a major role in reshaping the soybean market and were the focus of the trip, Martens said. That included stops at AGP’s soybean crush facility in Eagle Grove, biodiesel plant in Algona and export terminal in Grays Harbor, Washington. In Minnesota, the group visited a CHS processing plant in Mankato and its corporate headquarters in Inver Grove Heights before touring an export facility CHS jointly runs with Cargill in Kalama, Washington.

“Sometimes when people think of a co-op they think of a single elevator at the end of Main Street in a small town, but these are not elevators at the end of Main Street,” Martens said. “These are the organizations that have stepped up to take risks ahead of time because their business structure allowed them to position themselves to create opportunities. And the profits they make are going back to local farmers, ultimately.”

The cooperatives they visited gave students broad access to both their facilities and employees, with in-depth behind-the-scenes tours and briefings with executives and other leaders. Martens said he was blown away by how generous CHS CEO Jay Debertin was with his time, spending 90 minutes talking with the student group.

“These students did an amazing job representing Iowa State. I think everyone they interacted with came away impressed with the knowledge they had,” Martens said.

Up close, it clicks

The 11 students in the one-credit course, a mix of undergraduates studying agricultural business and graduate students in agricultural economics, attended several class sessions in the fall semester before the Dec. 13-19 trip. In the pre-departure classes, they heard from experts on soybean markets, exports, supply chains and cooperatives. Watching soybeans flow through the supply chain, however, had a bigger impact than learning about it in the classroom, said Nolan Mueller, a senior in agricultural business from Gilbert.

“It really clicks faster when you actually see it,” he said.

The on-the-ground perspective helped Katelyn Cook, a senior in agricultural business from Belle Plaine, truly grasp the scale of agricultural shipping lines.

“That was just kind of wild to me,” said Cook, who grew up on a small family farm near Belle Plaine. “Until you see it in person, the size of it is unbelievable.”

Before the trip, Mueller was most interested in seeing a crushing plant. But he ended up being fascinated by the export terminals.

“Hundreds of semis and trains are coming in and out every day,” he said. “There’s a lot going on in a really small space. It’s controlled chaos.”

Similar trips planned

Cook and Mueller plan to go on to graduate school after they earn their bachelor’s degrees this spring, and both are newly considering incorporating supply chains or soybeans into their future studies. Martens said that’s a big reason that cooperatives supported the study trip, including a donation from CoBank, a national cooperative bank.

“This is a good deal for the cooperatives because they want students to understand this is an evolving and interesting space with a lot of job opportunities,” he said.

Martens plans to offer a similar class next fall, focused on a different agricultural supply chain – tracing corn down Mississippi River barges or exploring fertilizer sourcing, for instance.

“We hope this is the first of many trips like this,” he said. “It’s such a valuable experience for students.”

Original story posted, https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2024/02/20/soybeantrip

Tags:

Soybean Supply Chain Trip

Author(s):

Dave Roepke

Into the woods: Ethics class immerses students in conservation

mmgrant — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:46:05 +0000

Students participating in the SOC 234: Conservation Ethics & Values Study USA trip have the opportunity to learn about conservation in an immersive atmosphere.

By Madelyn Ostendorf

When you think about taking an ethics class, how do you picture it? Are you in the middle of the woods, sitting around a campfire, discussing the writings of environmental authors like Wallace Stegner or Sigurd Olsen? In Shawn Dorius’ SOC 234: Conservation Ethics & Values class, that’s exactly what your classroom looks like.

During the two-week summer session, students get an up close and personal view of the history of conservation in America and contrast conservation in the Midwest and Mountain West. Using the Rod & Connie French Conservation Education Camp as a home base, students in this Study USA field course travel all over the state of Montana and the surrounding region.

Montana is a great place to consider the ethical dimensions of conservation, as students explore some of the largest undeveloped tracts of land in the state and two of the most popular parks in the national park system. In addition to daily readings and hikes, the course has several service-learning days where participants can actively contribute to conservation efforts in a national forest. Students also camp in Yellowstone National Park, backpack in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area, and explore the Great Burn Wilderness Study Area.

The course aims to take students to over 10 national and state forests, wilderness areas and parks as they road-trip to and from the French Conservation Camp, nestled deep in Lolo national forest.

“Signing up for the trip to Montana was pretty impulsive, but it was one of the best decisions I have made during college,” said Sydney Pottebaum, senior in environmental science. “People from different majors across the university signed up. The class size was small, just seven students, one teaching assistant and Dr. Dorius, allowing us to form good relationships and really get involved in all the activities.”

All students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences must take an ethics course, and Dorius, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice, saw an opportunity to offer students a somewhat different engagement with ethics.

“As I look across the list of college ethics courses, most are delivered on campus and in the conventional classroom setting, with great reading material and student discussion,” Dorius said. “What is underrepresented in our ethics offerings are experiential courses that move students into the contexts where ethic issues are most apparent and challenging. It’s one thing to read about water conservation in the Mountain West, and another entirely to see desert ecology and the vast network of reservoirs and canals developed and administered by the Bureau of Reclamation. Experiential learning is a wonderful way to enable students to engage in the ethical dimensions of conservation.”

Students choose a project topic that aligns with their major, career plans or their personal interests, and use the course readings and field experience to develop that project into something meaningful and impactful. To develop their project, students consult field notes that captured their thoughts, feelings, observations, interviews and experiences while on the trip. The course is flexible in its requirements, allowing students to highlight any topic of interest and to present their findings in a variety of formats.

“The conservation space is quite large,” Dorius said. “The students’ backgrounds are quite diverse. I had one physics student who was really interested in astronomy. He did an excellent policy brief on the night sky, the loss of access to light and the dark sky movement. He dove into the impacts of overexposure to light on wildlife and human health and produced a number of actionable recommendations to bend the curve toward protection of night sky.”

Another student created an engaging infographic about pikas, an endangered species which have lost more than a third of their natural North American habitat. Another project focused on Native Americans and their access to public lands. The goal of these projects is to help students create something meaningful they can take with them, beyond great memories and photographs.

“Many of the challenges we're trying to tackle in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences converge around the concepts of sustainability and conservation, extending to farming practices, wildlife management, land policy, and the human dimensions that weave through it all,” Dorius said. “Stepping outside of the classroom for just a few weeks and leaving behind the hum and hustle of modern urban life enables students to connect to the natural world and develop what Aldo Leopold referred to as an ecological conscience. That’s a magical part of the undergraduate experience at Iowa State.”

Students from any college or major are welcomed to enroll, and applications are due by April 14 for this year’s travel course.

Original story posted, https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/2024/woods-ethics-class-immerses-stude....

Tags:

Conservation Ethics & Values

Sociology 234 - Conservation Ethics & Values

Author(s):

Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states' food systems

nicolerh — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:02:36 +0000

How do food systems in Iowa and California compare to each other? A group of students explored the answer to that question earlier this summer during a Study USA trip to California.

Seven students participated in the inaugural “Comparing Food Systems - Iowa vs. California” course led by Kate Gilbert, associate teaching professor, and Erin Bergquist, clinical professor, in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. The Study USA program, offered through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, provides opportunities for students to learn about diverse cultures, food and agriculture systems, natural resources and life sciences within the United States.

One of the class goals was to expose students to foods difficult to see grown and processed in the Midwest. Another was to teach students about the complexity of the food systems so they can understand how decisions get made and change can occur.

Gilbert said California raises more than 400 types of foods, including a variety of produce, nuts, dairy and seafood, making it an ideal place to take students.

To prepare for the trip, students enrolled in a pre-departure course, which included tours of different Iowa food production facilities to compare to ones in California. Students also learned about the food systems’ frameworks and components, such as soil and water usage, production inputs, labor needs, regulations, distribution and markets, nutrition and food accessibility.

During their two-week experience in California, the group went on more than 30 tours and visits throughout the state. Stops included dairy farms and creameries, grape vineyards and wineries, olive and almond orchards, berry and produce farms, nut, fig and vegetable processing operations, and seafood fishing and farming. They also learned about California water rights and regulations during a tour of the Turlock Irrigation District.

“It was definitely a fast-paced and jam-packed two weeks, but we had the opportunity to see a plethora of different businesses, processing plants and farms, which broadened my experience and knowledge about the food industry and food system not only California but as a whole,” said Christabel Forney, senior in culinary food science.

Claudia Arriaga, an international graduate student in food science and human nutrition, signed up for the trip to learn more about U.S. food systems’ logistics, organization and structure. Like Forney, she appreciated the variety of food-producing systems they visited, especially the stop at the abalone (marine snails) farm.

“We got to see and hear from so many people taking different approaches to food production, and they all were very valuable in establishing a view of how food is produced in the U.S.,” Arriaga said. “It definitely sparked my interest in learning more about the science behind food production, the environmental impacts of food production, and the lives and well-being of the people producing the food we eat every day.”

Gilbert and Bergquist are pleased with this inaugural trip. They are grateful for all the guest lecturers and tour guides who gave their time to the students and for the financial assistance of the Richard and Nancy Degner Food Systems Domestic Travel Fund.

“It was a wonderful trip, where I learned as much as the students,” Gilbert said. “The students got to experience the passion and commitment of so many people growing and producing food. They also enjoyed getting to know each other better, spending time on the beach, and eating as much fresh fruit as possible.”

Five things learned on the trip

One out of every 4-5 pounds of common cheeses like cheddar, gouda and mozzarella sold in the United States comes from Hilmar Dairy in California.
Olive oils have complex flavor profiles you don’t realize until you take part in an olive oil tasting.
California produces 80% or more of the world’s almonds and exports 70% of the almonds grown in the state.
A good yield for spinach is 6,000 pounds per acre and for broccoli is 15,000 pounds per acre.
It takes 3-5 years for abalones to reach sufficient size to be sold.

^{Original story posted: Baxter, W. (2023, August 16). Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states’ Food Systems. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/2023/iowa-vs-california-students-explo...}

Tags:

Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states' food systems

Author(s):