This course will introduce students to leadership skills and theories through an outdoor expedition into Maine’s scenic100 Mile Wilderness. Topics will include, leadership theory, expedition behavior, expedition planning and logistics, minimum impact camping techniques, map and compass navigation, public land (wilderness) access issues, group living and decision-making processes, equipment management and use, group dynamics, and interpersonal communication. Students will, at times, take responsibility for curriculum and decision making, with the instructional staff maintaining close supervision. Topics will be taught through group discussions, field exercises, student presentations, and debriefing activities. Students will keep a detailed portfolio of and will be assessed on the planning process, subsequent execution of the trip, reading responses, detailed trip log and journal, and final reflection paper.

This course allows advanced students in draft horse management to participate fully in the power management of the College’s bioextensive gardens, woodlot, and pastures. Further, students will work closely with the farm, garden and forest managers to plot the power needs of the existing gardens and woodlot and develop a power plan for next year’s rotation requirements. Other responsibilities include the upkeep of the College’s horse drawn equipment, research on emerging technology for horse powered farming and logging and actively engage in the horse powered farming community by developing a solid network of contacts and connections.

This course introduces students to the draft horse as a viable source of power for today’s agricultural practices. Course topics include draft horse care and control, horse-powered economics, facilities and pasture management, feed and nutrition requirements and on-farm risk management. In small laboratory groups, students will learn the foundation skills associated with the driving horse including harnessing procedures, ground driving, line management, hitching to a variety of implements and vehicles and safe operating procedures in a variety of driving scenarios. Daily horse chores are required which include rotational grazing, fencing, pasture maintenance, horse care, hoof management, and harness repair.

This course introduces students to the many uses of tractor power on the farm. Students will become familiar with and spend time practicing safe operating procedures on a variety of tractors ranging from small farm tractors to a larger bucket loader. The lecture component will focus on maintenance for many common systems associated with gas and diesel powered machinery as well as the daily upkeep of power take-off equipment. Students will participate in real-time work such as manure spreading, mowing and tedding hay, round baling, bush-hogging forestry applications, and tillage procedures.

This course is taught as an introduction to feed and forage production and use. The production of grasses, legumes and alternative forages will be introduced as well as the production of silage. Quality and testing of the crop will be discussed and the selection of forage and feed production will be put into a larger perspective while considering the economics and environmental issues involved in production of the individual crops.

This course is intended to give students practical experience in monitoring and management of livestock pasture systems. Students will become familiar with the application of grazing systems that build and maintain soil fertility and pasture diversity. Understanding of these systems will be found through monitoring pasture species utilization, growth rate of forage species, soil fertility, dry matter production per acre, and parasite load. The practical aspects of animal handling and training livestock to rotation will also be an integral part of this course.

Farm Workshop offers students practical education in small farm maintenance and development. The course focuses on the renovation of the Sterling College farm electric fencing and water systems. Students will develop skills in tool applications, mechanical diagnostics, framing and joinery, and design and implementation. Classes will feature work site instruction as well as guest lecturers and weekend workshops, which deliver a deeper understanding of technical skills and whole design thinking. Projects include fence building, equipment maintenance, road rehabilitation, infrastructure renovation, and new building construction.

In this course students will engage in propagation, management, and harvesting of a large variety or vegetables and crops using organic methods. This course will focus on crop families and the needs of these families to achieve successful yields. Students will cover basic principles of organic soil fertility management and health through cover cropping, compost production, and crop rotation. The course will combine lecture, reading, discussion, and practical work in the college gardens. Students will learn about planning, planting, harvesting, post-harvest handling and marketing crops.

This interdisciplinary experience consists of three main components, including a language-intensive at the University Centre of the Westfjords in Ísafjörður; home-stays with families in the Westfjords, a remote region with small villages that continue to be integrated with fishing and farming; and, finally, the opportunity to travel through some of the more remote areas of Iceland – including the central highlands around Skaftafell National Park and the East Fjords near Egilsstadir – all the while developing our skills with language, culture, and natural history to supplement our understanding of the singular nature and culture of Iceland. Students will spend three weeks in the field and a week at either end on campus.

This field course builds on foundational outdoor skills and trains students in all aspects of trip design and implementation in a remote mountain environment. We begin with logistics, including route selection and itinerary development, food planning, equipment selection and preparation, and establishment of group culture. As we move to the field, we learn, practice and hone skills such as minimum impact camping techniques, map reading and navigation, backcountry medicine, establishing field camps, equipment maintenance and repair, group communication and organization, and expeditionary leadership and travel skills. Co-requisite: NS341 and NS326

This is a practical skills course investigating various types of farm-scale production of edible value-added products. This course will blend readings and discussion on food science, technical skills, cultural knowledge and economic information with hands-on opportunities to learn and practice production skills of various value-added products. Session I will focus on animal products: dealing with whole animals; sausage production; meat curing, dairy practices: yogurt, kefir and cheese production. Session II will focus on fruit and vegetable products, including preservation: lactofermentation, pickling, sugar-preserving; vinegar production; fruit, vegetable and herb drying; herb products; soy products: tempeh, soymilk, tofu, among other topics.

This experience will immerse students in the daily realities of managing a small dairy herd on a traditional Vermont hill farm representing 100 years of unbroken dairying. A fourth generation native of the farm and his wife will give instruction in the art of milking and there will be ample opportunity for hands-on practice in dairy cow husbandry, calf care, feeding, cleaning, and seasonal activities.

Log Building Techniques gives students hands-on experience building several small log structures. Students will learn hewing and various notching methods with both axe and chainsaw and explore log-cabin and post-and-beam construction techniques. Weekly class sessions will include time for demonstration and practice of skills and safety procedures. Homework assignments include reading, drawing diagrams, tool sharpening, and continuing work construction projects.The class will work closely with farm and woodlot faculty to provide useful structures and utilize local forest products. Projects include benches, puncheon bridges, log cribbing, animal run-in sheds and storage shelters.

This class explores environmental and cultural issues on a global level. Our goal is to better understand the relationship between the natural and cultural history of a region and its current land use policies and patterns. Various regions will set the stage for discussions of timely issues such as food production and politics, the exchange of commodities on a global level, natural resource conservation and utilization, the cultural and environmental impacts of ecotourism, and environmental justice. Prerequisite: Senior Status

In this course participants will be introduced to working with cattle through experience, lecture, reading, and discussion. An emphasis will be placed on the process one would use to train a team of bull calves for common farm and woods work. This training process will be used as a vehicle to explore different topics related to working cattle, such as: practical driving skills, selecting calves, feeding, housing, foot care, bovine health, risk management, yoke mechanics, training principles, bovine psychology, bovine physiology, a comparison with equines, trouble-shooting a team, a historical perspective of working cattle, and working cattle in international forestry and agriculture. All of the above will be covered at an introductory level, and individual topics may be covered in greater depth according to student interest.

This field course build on foundational outdoor skills and is designed to train students in all aspects of trip design and implementation through immersion on an extended expedition in a remote northern and/or mountain environment.  We begin with logistics, including route selection and itinerary development, food planning, equipment selection and preparation, and establishment of group culture.  As we move to the field, we learn, practice and hone skills such as map reading and navigation, establishing and maintaining high functioning field camps, equipment maintenance and repair, group communication and organization, and travel skills specific to the environment(s) we are traveling in (ie. paddling, lining and portaging, cross country backpacking, snow and glacier travel, etc.). We will also overview public land management agencies and their relevant policies, as well as the history of parks and wilderness areas in the region in which we are traveling. Co-requisite: NS375

Students interested in using horse power on the farm or in the forest will be faced with a myriad of challenges. To keep draft horses operating at peak efficiency, they must have sound hooves. Typically, a horse owner relies upon the work of a farrier to maintain hoof health and integrity. With an in-depth study of hoof anatomy and physiology, the impact of nutrition on hoof wall growth and a survey of the biomechanical analysis of gait coupled with proper tool selection and use and actual practice on live hooves, students will become independent of outside specialists in terms of hoof care. Students will learn to recognize quality hoof care and discern the difference between speculation and sound farrier theory, use the Natural Balance Hoof Analysis and Balance Template to develop a trimming plan for each horse with which they work, select, maintain, and use the appropriate tools for hoof care, and, by the end of the course, be prepared to pass the apprentice-level written examination from the American Farriers Associaton.

Entails serving as a teaching assistant in a course previously completed with a satisfactory grade. Introduces strategies for the planning, preparation, presentation, and evaluation required for teaching at the college level. Students work with the faculty member teaching the class to develop a detailed plan for participation in the teaching of the class prior to the beginning of the semester in which the course is offered. This course may be repeated once if serving as a teaching assistant in a different course. Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing, prior completion of the course with a grade of B or higher, and permission of instructor.

Individual project under the supervision of a faculty member. A proposal must be developed in consultation with a faculty advisor and submitted to the Dean of Academics for approval. The project must incorporate both practical and academic aspects. Prerequisites: AS110 or AS111, NS245 and permission of instructor.

Individual project relating to the Sterling College curriculum in a general way under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. Students must submit an initial proposal to a faculty sponsor two weeks prior to the end of the semester preceding the semester for which the study is proposed. Proposals should include a justification for the number of credits earned. For independent study, extensive planning and monitoring with a faculty advisor is essential. An administrative fee is charged to cover college costs of overseeing off-campus self-designed studies. (Juniors and Seniors only)

Individual project relating to the Sterling College curriculum in a general way under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. Students must submit an initial proposal to a faculty sponsor two weeks prior to the end of the semester preceding the semester for which the study is proposed. Proposals should include a justification for the number of credits earned. For independent study, extensive planning and monitoring with a faculty advisor is essential. An administrative fee is charged to cover college costs of overseeing off-campus self-designed studies. (Juniors and Seniors only)

Individual project relating to the Sterling College curriculum in a general way under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. Students must submit an initial proposal to a faculty sponsor two weeks prior to the end of the semester preceding the semester for which the study is proposed. Proposals should include a justification for the number of credits earned. For independent study, extensive planning and monitoring with a faculty advisor is essential. An administrative fee is charged to cover college costs of overseeing off-campus self-designed studies. (Juniors and Seniors only)

This course is used to explore topics of special interest to faculty and students in a particular year. A group wishing to initiate a course will draw up a detailed syllabus and submit it to the Dean of Academics for approval. Courses involving activities with some risk may be referred to the Risk Management Committee for review.

This course is used to explore topics of special interest to faculty and students in a particular year. A group wishing to initiate a course will draw up a detailed syllabus and submit it to the Dean of Academics for approval. Courses involving activities with some risk may be referred to the Risk Management Committee for review.

This course is used to explore topics of special interest to faculty and students in a particular year. A group wishing to initiate a course will draw up a detailed syllabus and submit it to the Dean of Academics for approval. Courses involving activities with some risk may be referred to the Risk Management Committee for review.

In this course, Patient Assessment System is the foundation from which we learn the skills to manage injuries and illness. Classroom sessions include lecture, discussion, and practicing basic skills and more advanced skills, such as traction splinting, blood pressure, long-term care, and spinal cord considerations. Outdoor sessions include scenarios and a mock night rescue. Leadership skills, rescue skills, and writing accurate field reports are included. Successful completion results in Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification. A Laboratory Fee of $100 covers the cost of the textbook, first aid materials, and the registration fee with S.O.L.O.

Individual project relating to the Sterling College curriculum in a general way under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. First-year students are eligible to do an independent study in their second semester. To do a spring independent study, a first-year student must submit an initial proposal to a faculty sponsor two weeks prior to the end of the fall semester. For all students, final proposals must be approved by the faculty sponsor and the Dean of Academics before the end of the first week of classes in the semester for which the study is proposed. Independent Study in applied topics must be documented in written form.

This course will be a hands-on farm management course. Students will be exposed to all seasonal farm skills and be trained to execute the work. Additionally, this course will push students to “think like a farmer” by taking on management responsibilities. Students will do weekly farm walks (vegetable production and pastures) which will guide them in generating a weekly priority list. Additionally, students will engage in “rotations” or areas of the farm that require management and decision making. The rotations include: Propagation, Dining Hall Contract, Pasture Management, Ag Power Management, and Bread Baking for the community. Students will experience the seasonal rhythm of the farm building confidence in overall farm management. Finally, students will create a Personal Learning Plan that will be used to guide their learning for the summer. Weekly check ins with the instructor will provide accountability and assessment.

Individual project relating to the Sterling College curriculum in a general way under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. First-year students are eligible to do an independent study in their second semester. To do a spring independent study, a first-year student must submit an initial proposal to a faculty sponsor two weeks prior to the end of the fall semester. For all students, final proposals must be approved by the faculty sponsor and the Dean of Academics before the end of the first week of classes in the semester for which the study is proposed. Independent Study in applied topics must be documented in written form.

Individual project relating to the Sterling College curriculum in a general way under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. First-year students are eligible to do an independent study in their second semester. To do a spring independent study, a first-year student must submit an initial proposal to a faculty sponsor two weeks prior to the end of the fall semester. For all students, final proposals must be approved by the faculty sponsor and the Dean of Academics before the end of the first week of classes in the semester for which the study is proposed. Independent Study in applied topics must be documented in written form.

An introduction to ice climbing that familiarizes students with modern ice climbing equipment, builds an understanding of safe top-roped ice climbing (including basic knots, communication, belaying, and general site safety), develops the skills of movement on steep ice, and helps foster cooperation and support in a group activity. Indoor introductory session and two full days in the field at nearby climbing areas.

Prepares students to be able to lead groups in top-rope or belayed ropes course instructional (or recreational) settings. Specifically, by the end of the course, students will be asked to demonstrate their ability to perform or explain the following as needed for top-rope instruction: general knowledge of equipment; awareness of the physics of stresses in climbing situations; knots for anchors, tie-ins, rappelling, and rescue; belaying and rope handling; scene safety management; site impact. Students will practice skills on constructed facilities and natural crags. Prerequisite: SS205 or permission of the instructor.

Students learn skills necessary for leading an extended trip on the waterways of the Northern Forest. Students are involved in trip planning, food packing, and equipment choice. During the first trip, students refine their paddling, portaging, navigation and leadership skills. Written reports before, during, and after the trip place the student in the role of a commercial canoeing outfitter with emphasis on detailed planning, risk management, and setting appropriate expectations for clients. On the second trip students become the primary leaders for Craftsbury area children ages 10-15. Appropriate waivers and menu plans will be produced and presented to the children’s parents before the trip commences. Prerequisites: SS105, and SS240 or SS241, or permission of the instructor.

Covers a traditional Canadian style of canoeing in both tandem and solo positions. Students will learn, review, and teach each other canoe and paddle nomenclature

Students improve technical paddling skills, safety judgment, and teaching techniques by challenging the turbulent Spring run-off of local rivers. Teamwork is emphasized for tandem boat control and hazard avoidance. Some solo canoeing and rescue training are also involved. The course meets American Canoe Association standards for moving water and whitewater training. Fundamental skills such as understanding water dynamics, boat lean, powerful body mechanics, and efficient strokes lead to precise maneuvers including ferries, eddy turns, and peel-outs. Students must supply clothing and equipment for cold-water conditions. Some weekend classes will be required. Prerequisite: SS105: Sense of Place

Focus is particular to the management and sustainability of many species of livestock. The course concentrates chiefly on the Sterling College farm, but will also integrate other local systems. Study will blend pasture management and renovation, forage identification, pasture fencing and water systems, and livestock health, nutrition, and housing needs.

Crag, cliff, and beyond dealing with challenging situations, trusting in others and ourselves, moving through fear and doubt to attain goals. Outdoor sessions begin with an introduction to the history of rock climbing and then proceed to ground school training in knots, rope-handling, and belaying. Next balance, movement, and technique are practiced on the climbing wall. In addition students are introduced to rappelling. We then climb at more extensive sites, while practicing all the basic skills and working as a group to ensure each member feels both supported and challenged. Final activities include simulated mountain rescue scenarios to provide a group challenge and teamwork practice.

In this course, students use horsepower to actively manage the College’s farm and forest. Typical work applications include equipment maintenance, logging, sugaring, soil fertility management, tillage, planting and cultivation. Economic consideration of using horses on the farm will be considered as we compare and contrast Amish and English farm systems. Prerequisite: AS174 Draft Horse I

Provides first-hand experience with livestock management. Students purchase, manage, and market their own animals. Plant-based farm projects are also a possibility. A satisfactory proposal for a project must be completed and approved in the previous semester. Permission of the instructor required to take more than two semesters.

Provides first-hand experience with livestock management. Students purchase, manage, and market their own animals. Plant-based farm projects are also a possibility. A satisfactory proposal for a project must be completed and approved in the previous semester. Permission of the instructor required to take more than two semesters.

This course introduces students to the systems required to safely manage and work a team of draft horses. Topics include the natural history of Equus caballes, functional anatomy, physiology, and draft horse care methods including both conventional and alternative medical approaches. Following extensive practice with ground driving maneuvers, horses will be hitched to a variety of carts and implements to learn safe hitching and operational procedurals to do farm and forest work. This course is a prerequisite for Draft Horse II: Work Applications.

See Agricultural Techniques I for general description. The spring semester course includes livestock housing, lambing, shearing, sugaring, pruning apple trees, starting chicks, starting vegetable and flower transplants, and garden planning.

Introduces specific skills encountered in forestry related work: tree measurements, log and lumber measurements, forest sampling, and mapping.

Provides first-hand experience with livestock management. Students purchase, manage, and market their own animals. Plant-based farm projects are also a possibility. A satisfactory proposal for a project must be completed and approved in the previous semester. Permission of the instructor required to take more than two semesters.

Explores specific topics in animal and crop husbandry. Selected skills will be taught along with the theoretical background needed to apply those skills appropriately. Each semester focuses on those skills most appropriate to that time of year. Fall semester may include cider pressing, handling livestock and understanding animal behavior, poultry, garden season extension, composting, winter vegetable storage, and food preservation.

Teaches safe, efficient use and maintenance of tools important to outdoor natural resource work, primarily: axe, crosscut saw, and chainsaw. Weekly applications cover skills needed for timber harvesting, firewood processing, trail construction and maintenance, and outdoor building projects and form the foundation for skills developed further in other classes. Woodlot and trail-work skills are applied to the management of Sterling's land, and the management goals are discussed. Teamwork, personal responsibility, and personal confidence building are also goals of the class. Students are required to provide their own axe and personal protective gear.

Prerequisite for woodlot work crew. Practical work experience in a variety of woodlots. Students develop safe and efficient techniques for carrying out silvicultural prescriptions, including thinning and harvesting of forest products using hand tools and chain saws. This class is treated as an employment situation with emphasis on good work habits and productivity. Prerequisite: AS100, or permission of the instructor.

Permaculture is the study and practice of the way human beings- as individuals and societies- can participate in the creation of ethical and ecological support systems. We present a whole systems design approach that integrates plants, animals, buildings, people, communities, and the landscapes that surround us. The course is designed to introduce students to the principles and practice of permaculture design through collaboration on real-world projects with an eye towards repairing, restoring and regenerating human ecosystems.

Students explore ancient and modern traditions of manufacturing raw materials into value-added products. Techniques covered will vary with student interest. At the start of class, students will select from a list of options, including but not limited to soapmaking, braid or knotwork, dairy processing, herbal extracts, pickles/preserves, and so on.

Farm and forest workers must employ a power system of some type to work the land. The scale ranges from hand labor with simple tools to large-scale mechanical devices such as tractors and tree harvesters. This course will introduce students to the power component of working farms. As such, we will blend hands-on learning with observation and theory as we explore power systems available to farmers and woods-workers. On the Sterling College farm, we will participate in direct instruction of draft horse operations from the beginning principles of ground driving to using the horses in actual work environments. At Four Winds Farm, tractors will be used to teach safe operation procedures, development and implementation of a maintenance system, installation and use of three-point hitch tools, safe usage of power-take-off equipment and, if appropriate, actual use of tractors to do work on the farm such as plowing, seeding, and hay collection.