** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN DEVELOPING AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE THAT IS PREPARED TO ADDRESS THE MULTI-FACETED COMPONENTS OF ORGANIC PRODUCTION. STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING CURRENT STUDENTS AND ORGANIC FARMERS, VALUE MULTIDISCIPLINARY INSTRUCTION AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PUT SKILLS TO PRACTICE. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, WE HAVE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED RESEARCH AND TEACHING PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON PLANT AND ANIMAL SCIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS SPECIFICALLY WITHIN ORGANIC PRODUCTION FRAMEWORKS, HOWEVER THERE ARE NO CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES CONNECTING THESE TWO ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. LIKE MANY STUDENT FARM PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OUR CURRENT CURRICULUM IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IS PLANT PRODUCTION-ORIENTED AND LACKS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASPECTS OF THESE SYSTEMS. WE WILL ADDRESS THIS BY WORKING ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO UPDATE AND EXPAND OUR CURRENT DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC CURRICULUM INTO A MORE HOLISTIC FRAMEWORK SUPPORTING DIVERSIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. WE WILL INTEGRATE ORGANIC PLANT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS WHILE PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH VALUABLE SKILLS IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING. THIS APPROACH BETTER REFLECTS THE REALITIES OF SMALL-SCALE, ORGANIC FARMS IN THE UPPER MIDWEST AND WILL BETTER EQUIP OUR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO SUPPORT AND LAUNCH NEW ORGANIC FARMS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROPOSAL ARE TO 1) EXPAND ORGANIC AGRICULTURE CURRICULUM FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA; 2) DISSEMINATE NEW RESOURCES AND KNOWLEDGE BEYOND MINNESOTA TO STUDENTS AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND TO THE BROADER ORGANIC EDUCATOR COMMUNITY; AND 3) REINFORCE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE STUDENT ORGANIC FARM AND OUTREACH AND EXTENSION PROGRAMS IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE.