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† † The 91²Ö¿â department of Agriculture recently announced that it will offer two sustainable agriculture courses during the fall 2012 semester. Courses begin on August 27 and there is still time to enroll.

† † Small Farm Business Planning will meet from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday nights. The three-hour course walks students through the process of developing a farm business plan. Students will have the opportunity to use the NTCC farm as a model and design it from the ground up. The top three will be presented to the NTCC administration to be considered for implementation.

† † "A lot of people around here own small acreage farms, but really don't know how to get the most out of their land. This class will help teach you how to design a plan that is not only functional, but also profitable," Rene McCracken, Director of Agriculture, said.

† † The second class offered this fall is Organic Gardening and Food Production. The course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-4:50 p.m. In addition to learning about garden design and plant selection, students will also get hands-on experience as they begin construction on a planned 12-acre college farm garden.

† † "This is a great opportunity for students to really get a chance to help build something. It adds so much to the learning experience when you are actually able to practice what you are being taught," McCracken said.

† † These courses will be taught at the new Elizabeth Hoggatt Whatley Agriculture Complex, located on the college farm across FM 1735 from the main NTCC campus. While both courses are offered for college credit, students wishing to enroll for personal enrichment purposes may do so through the continuing education department.

† † NTCC will also offer several traditional agriculture classes in the fall. For more information about agriculture at NTCC, please contact McCracken at 903-434-8267 or visit ntcc.edu.