Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Harvest and Post-Harvest
Apples, pears, and orchard crops are on at Cloud Mountain, weekly vegetable harvest at Small Acres. An interactive & likely tasty time for students to see the diversity of crops grown in Whatcom County.
Shadow the farm crews to learn first hand about harvest, post-harvest cleaning and processing, waste management and compost building.
Agriculture Mechanics students have lots to engage in across sprayer calibration and operation, electric motor repair and troubleshooting, and maintenance of fall ground prep implements
Farm Tours & Whole Farm Overviews
It’s a great season to visit Alluvial Farms and Steensma Creamery; Veterinary Science and Animal Biology students can compare pasture management considerations between swine and dairy cattle, and learn about herd health considerations.
Plant Biology students can compare end of season soil and crop management between annual and perennial crops at Small Acres and Cloud Mountain Farm Center.
Farm Marketing at All Scales
Learn about product development and marketing from the Small Acres to Steensma scale: Food Science students will love learning about how local farms create value-added products from ferments to yogurt.
Students competing or interested in Agriculture Communications can learn about bringing local products to market, and the needs of regional farm businesses.
Meet the Cloud Mountain team and learn about wholesale and restaurant sales, as well as direct farmers market expertise from all of our partner farms.
Winter
Natural Resource Management
Natural Resources students can visit all farms to explore nutrient cycling, soil testing, and soil/water management practices best for the Puget Sound basin. Learn about closed-loop waste on farms from Small Acres and Alluvial.
Livestock at Alluvial Farms and Steensma are indoors; a good time for Animal Science students to evaluate breeding, farrowing, calving, and more.
Winter Production & Planning
Robotics students can engage with the automated milking system at Steensma Creamery, and Mechanics and Fabrication and Advanced Metals students can compare their in-class learning with the seasonal repair and planning needs of farms.
This is the planning season: Integrated Ag Science and Agribusiness students have plenty of opportunities for applied knowledge—crop planning and budgeting, financial projections, and more.
Winter Horticulture
Greenhouse Management students can learn about controlled environment conditions for winter plant propagation, and apply Plant Biology coursework to understanding how grafting and hardwood propagation works.
Spring
Spring Growth
Greenhouse Management, Plant Biology, and Landscape Design students have a great long spring to connect with the busy retail season in the Cloud Mountain Nursery, and with the propagation greenhouses of Small Acres.
It’s ground prep season across all farms with managed pasture, new plantings, and row crops—Agriculture Mechanics students would be the top hiring candidates for farms busy with equipment maintenance and operation.
Herd Health & Land Management
Animal Biology and new Ag Science students don’t want to miss pasture release in April at Steensma! Across livestock farms, animals move from heavy use barn space out on to pasture.
Nutrient management is the top of farmers’ minds as compost, fresh manure, and amendments hit the soil with spring rain; a great chance for Natural Resource students to apply research projects and classroom learning to real farms with working riparian areas and buffers.
Marketing, Sales, and Certification
All farms are planning marketing strategies for the year—working with buyers from the direct to consumer to wholesale/retail customer.
Organic certification and inspection is front of mind for certified farms, and navigating food safety and production regulations for the year.
Summer
Job Shadows
Summer is a great time for students to shadow farmers; harvest is on for grapes at Alluvial, pears and other tree fruit at Small Acres and Cloud Mountain Farm Center, and milking as always at Steensma.
Students interested in Agronomy can work with Cloud Mountain field staff to take sap analysis samples and interpret them for summer foliar crop management; Ag Mechanic students will find value in sprayer calibration and summer irrigation troubleshooting.
Summer Employment
In the future, ACE Whatcom will be pursuing formal, coordinated avenues to support farmers hosting summer interns and new employees, building valuable social connections and career experience through working with farmer-mentors.
During the school year, CTE directors and staff are encouraged to reach out to core farmer-mentors to inquire about farm workshops and paid internships for summer.
NW Washington Fair
Good luck students, and see you at the Fair!
Cloud Mountain Farm Center recently launched Agricultural Career Exploration (ACE) - Whatcom, a program that engages students in exploring a wide range of potential career opportunities and building career skills in agriculture. Cloud Mountain Farm Center is the largest program of Sustainable Connections, a Whatcom County based nonprofit that develops environmental, economic, and educational solutions to drive meaningful, long-term change.
Agricultural Career Exploration (ACE) - Whatcom receives support and funding from a US Department of Labor Career Connect Washington grant. Read more about USDOL grant funding at esd.wa.gov/usdol.
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