CSUB offers first course at Edible Garden

Students get hands-on learning about small-scale agriculture production

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 4^th, 2025

Senior Yelitza Amador Orozco, a biology major, has been volunteering at California State University, Bakersfield’s Edible Garden ever since they first came to the university, as it provides a nice break from classes and offers hands-on experience.

“I really enjoy coming to the garden. It’s been so fun,” Orozco said. “I love getting my hands dirty. It’s a big stress-reliever for me. There’s something about being able to physically come out here and see the fruits of your labor prosper and grow and to be able to apply my knowledge from biology. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

When Orozco learned that the Edible Garden would be offering its first course this spring —Small-Scale Agricultural Production — they leapt at the chance to take their experience with the garden even further.

“This is a fantastic opportunity. I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen,” Orozco said. “I’ve picked up a lot of skills and knowledge here at the garden, but I wanted to see how successful I could be at managing my own small-scale production. I really wanted to put myself to work.”

The class includes about an hour of lecture time each week going over various topics related to the principles and practices of small-scale farming, but the bulk of the class goes toward hands-on time. The students are each assigned their own garden plot and are required to spend at least three hours a week working on it.

“There are a lot of different agricultural systems, but the majority of farmers are small-scale farmers,” said Edible Garden Coordinator Joel Kirksey, who teaches the course. “By providing them with this fundamental kind of agriculture that’s more about individual power versus larger industrial agriculture, it gives students another viewpoint of what it means to grow food and how to grow food. It’s really about giving students the opportunity to get hands-on experience with food production and to really make Cal State Bakersfield a place that is a resource for agricultural knowledge.”

Most of the 16 students taking the course are agricultural business majors who plan to enter the farming industry, Kirksey said.

“They are going to be the leaders in the agricultural industry. They are going to be the ones making the decisions,” he said. “They can apply these experiences to whatever it is they’re going to do in the future.”

Kirksey has been involved in discussions about an Edible Garden class ever since he was first hired by the university three years ago. Having received his master’s degree in crop and soil science from the University of Georgia, he was looking forward to sharing his knowledge with students.

“This class gives me an opportunity to go back to my crop science roots and talk about the fundamentals of agricultural production,” he said. “I enjoy being able to have those kinds of conversations with students.”

After a long process of development and approval, Kirksey was excited to finally be able to teach the class to students this year. The goal is to offer it every spring moving forward.

“I’m really enjoying it,” he said. “This is my first time teaching a class, so I’m progressing along with the students. We’re learning through this together. I appreciate the level of patience and understanding that the students have. They have been so warm, so receptive, so engaged that they’ve made it really easy for me.”

'I love being out here'

Kirksey said students in the class have a different experience than volunteers and student assistants not only because of the lecture component but also because it is based on individual work.

“The students each have their own garden plot, which the assistants don’t have. It’s a community garden where we all work together,” he said. “Here, the successes and failures of their garden plot is going to be based on their decisions.”

Students are given latitude to grow whatever they want in their plot, as long as it abides by CSUB policies and procedures. Kirksey said students won’t be penalized if their plot doesn’t result in a successful yield.

“We’re working with nature. There are a lot of unexpected issues that might arise,” he said. “They are being evaluated based on the time, effort and consideration they put in their plot. If a student comes up with a detailed plan and can explain their strategies and thought process, that’s full credit. It’s really about the knowledge that they take away and the effort that they put into their garden.”

Andrew Mosley grew up working on his family’s farm in Shafter, but gardening wasn’t something he had any prior experience with. He had never stepped foot in the Edible Garden prior to starting the class.

“I wanted to get in on growing small crops, learning the procedures of it, all the steps it takes to grow the food,” he said. “It’s a little different than farming, so it’ll be good to have both experiences.”

Mosley, who hopes to someday run the family farm, said he’s enjoyed his time in the class so far. He is working on planting onions, carrots, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes in his plot and plans to donate the produce to CSUB’s Food Pantry.

“The hands-on experience is really great. I much prefer to be out here working than sitting in a classroom. I learn a lot better that way,” he said. “I think all ag students should get involved with the garden. It’s going to give you great knowledge and experience that you can take with you.”

Orozco is grateful to CSUB for both the class and for the Edible Garden itself. They look forward to seeing how their plot develops over the course of the semester. Orozco plans to grow cucumbers, lettuce, green onion, spinach and garlic.

“I’m honored to be part of the first class to do this at CSUB. I take great pride in it,” Orozco said. “I’m so happy that a resource like this is on my college campus because I understand that not every college has a space like this. I love being out here.”