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All of this is creating a resurgence of interest among young people and career changers <br /> in farming and food related fields. They understand the economics of growing and <br /> perhaps packaging and marketing, high-profit specialty and even artisanal items like <br /> Bok Choy, Russian red kale, Osaka purple mustard, soy milk, and hon-tsai-tai or raising <br /> llamas rather than producing acres of soybeans and selling to commodity markets. And <br /> they want the skills to make a living doing it. <br /> The number of community colleges with degree programs among the nation's 1,100 <br /> plus colleges is still short, however, and most are linked to agribusiness programs that <br /> can demonstrate career paths and employment demand. The official classification of <br /> instructional programs lists dozens of <br /> courses that cover all aspects of <br /> conventional agricultural operations but <br /> R ' has not yet caught up with the demand <br /> within agriculture of niche markets for <br /> organic products, herbs and herbicides, <br /> nutraceuticals, and biofuels. <br /> �i This symposium hosted by Central <br /> Carolina Community College in Pittsboro, <br /> North Carolina on September 29, 2011 and <br /> supported by grants from the Ford <br /> Foundation, Farm Foundation, Farm Credit <br /> ` Council, and Appalachian Regional <br /> - Commission, brought together some of the <br /> national leaders that are developing <br /> programs and services for this emerging and often clustered field of economic activity <br /> called "sustainable food systems." <br /> The Symposium <br /> RTS Principal and Founder Dr. Stuart Rosenfeld opened the conference highlighting <br /> the series of events that led from RTS work with alliances of community colleges to the <br /> formation of Alliance for Sustainability to its emerging and growing interest in programs <br /> that support and further the growth of sustainable food systems. He thanked the <br /> sponsoring organizations for their support: the Ford Foundation, Farm Foundation, <br /> Farm Credit Council, and Appalachian Regional Commission. <br /> Campus Provost Dr. Karen Allen officially welcomed participants to Pittsboro and the <br /> campus on behalf of the host Central Carolina Community College and briefly explained <br /> how and why the college became interested in sustainable food systems very early and <br /> became a national leader. <br /> She then introduced Dr. Nancy Creamer who provided an overview of sustainable food <br /> systems in North Carolina. Dr. Creamer directs the Center for Environmental Farming <br /> 2 <br />