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Food Production for Urban Landscapes (HORT90038)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Burnley)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
In this subject you will learn about the history of urban agriculture in countries around the world and explore the various roles of urban agriculture in modern-day cities. Given the nature of the subject, a wide diversity of topics will be covered including but not limited to: plant growth requirements, agricultural inputs (such as water and nutrients), soil contamination, pests and diseases, urban-specific production methods, design and management of community gardens and edible landscapes, mainstream and alternative crops (fruit and vegetables), agro-ecology principles and practices ; and the economic value of residential food gardens. You will be required to implement and maintain an allocated crop plot in the Burnley Field Station throughout semester. Field visits will also form part of this subject.
Intended learning outcomes
On the completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Ability to identify a range of different urban agriculture production methods and their various risks and benefits in particular settings, drawing on examples from Australia and overseas.
- You should also be able to discuss the social, economic and environmental role of urban agriculture and its potential contribution to sustainable cities of the future.
- Understand how to grow common and alternative food crops in an open field allotment setting, including experience in working from a plan, plant nutrition, drip irrigation for food crops etc.
- A broad understanding of the historical drivers of urban agriculture and the current trends in countries around the world.
- A broad understanding of the role of extension and facilitation principles and practices in communicating and promoting technical and social aspects of urban agriculture in a variety of settings eg. Schools, community gardens etc.
Generic skills
- Sourcing, interpreting and applying information from written and electronic sources to individual tasks;
- Use scientific and technical literature to answer specific questions;
- Time management and the meeting of deadlines;
- Report on an issue using rigorous and objective analysis;
- Retrieval, from a range of paper-based and electronic sources, of information required to develop understanding of a topic, and the use of this information, with appropriate recognition, in report writing.
Last updated: 11 October 2023
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
This course requires all students to actively and safely participate in field excursions and laboratory activities. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their participation are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Student Equity and Disability Support.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 11 October 2023
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Technical report due end of week 7
| Week 7 | 30% |
Oral test
| Week 11 | 10% |
Report/essay due end of week 12
| Week 12 | 60% |
Last updated: 11 October 2023
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Chris Williams Mode of delivery On Campus (Burnley) Contact hours 4 hours of weekly classes = 48 hours total Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020
Time commitment details
170 hours. This subject runs in Semester One at the Burnley Campus in Richmond. It comprises lectures, a practical crop plot program in the Burnley Field Station (including several propagation sessions in the nursery) and field visits.
Last updated: 11 October 2023
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There is no prescribed text for this subject
Recommended texts and other resources
There is no single text for this subject, although it is highly recommended that students familiarise themselves with the topics to be covered. The following text provides a useful introduction and is available in its entirety free on-line (http://www.ruaf.org/node/961): René van Veenhuizen (2006). Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities. Published by RUAF Foundation, IDRC and IIRR. A reading list will also be provided on LMS.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Graduate Diploma in Urban Horticulture Course Master of Urban Horticulture Major Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions Informal specialisation Landscape Management Major Tailored Specialisation Major Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions Major Tailored Specialisation Major Tailored Specialisation - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 11 October 2023