Course in FARM & RANCH
Deep Springs College
Key Information
Campus location
Big Pine, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
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Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
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Application deadline
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Earliest start date
Sep 2024
Scholarships
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Introduction
Deep Springs operates a USDA Certified Organic cattle ranch and 150-acre hay farm. The college sells both hay and beef cattle for a modest income, but the ranch and farm are maintained primarily for educational purposes.
The ranch keeps about 200 head of beef cattle grazing throughout the valley and in the White Mountains. With supervision from the ranch manager, students perform much of the necessary ranch work, from herding cattle to shoeing horses to delivering calves. More than a dozen horses are kept for ranch work and recreation. Students receive training in basic horsemanship, and many take advantage of the opportunity to go on frequent horseback rides.
The hay farm is a large part of the student labour program, owing to work required to irrigate, harvest, and periodically replant the fields. The farm manager trains students to operate and repair irrigation equipment and drive the tractors and harvesting machinery. The college has a fleet of trucks, tractors, and farm implements maintained on-site by staff and students.
In addition to the hay and cattle operations, pigs, broiler chickens, and laying hens are raised for college consumption. A dairy barn with several cows provides the community with milk. Produce is grown in our one-acre vegetable garden and orchard, and greenhouses extend the growing season into the winter. Students often have the opportunity to tackle special short-term agricultural projects based on their own interests.