SOU Ashland Vitality Plan addresses long-term sustainability

SOU finalizes Vitality Plan for institutional transformation

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has released the final version of its Vitality Plan, a strategic outline that addresses financial challenges and prepares the university for long-term sustainability and student opportunities.

The final version includes a variety of modifications based on suggestions from faculty, staff and students that were submitted after a provisional version of the Vitality Plan was announced June 15.

The new version holds firm to the university’s objective of at least $20 million in overall budget savings – through combined SOU Resiliency and SOU Vitality Plan efforts – in the fiscal year that ends next June 30, but does so while maintaining all but one of its current academic offerings. The plan calls for a sunset of the Music Industry and Production degree but will maintain the overall Music program, which is possible by committing the institution to a revolutionary change in course delivery and design.

“The Vitality Plan was constructed in such a way as to keep as many pathways as possible open to students,” SOU President Rick Bailey said in a message to campus Tuesday night. “We’ve done just that. But we still need a robust student body to thrive, and we’ll need all of us working together to keep students on the path toward the graduation stage and the fulfillment of their educational goals.”

The final version of the plan was released at the conclusion of a deliberation period that was required by the university’s contract with its faculty union, the Associated Professors of Southern Oregon University, and consultation with the Service Employees International Union. It is a revision of the initial plan that was drafted following months of analysis, discussion and engagement with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community stakeholders. Those interactions led to important improvements that will serve the institution and the community during the implementation process and beyond.

The plan prioritizes reducing impacts on students wherever possible, preserving pathways to degree completion and strengthening SOU’s long-term financial and operational foundation.

“Our new proposed mission centers on educating students for resilient, meaningful lives by making the Rogue Valley our classroom, mentorship our method and practical, experiential work our curriculum,” an introduction to the plan says. “Moving away from the outdated model of a generic regional institution, the Vitality Plan adopts a ‘Living Laboratory’ operating system that unifies the university’s academic offerings and prioritizes the cultivation of essential human capacities that no machine can replicate.”

The Vitality Plan is intended to connect SOU to the communities it serves through a bioregional approach; provide streamlined pathways to degree completion in every academic discipline; offer flexible options for students through innovative, interdisciplinary academic design models; and incorporate a human-connected approach to education that is cognizant of the rapid pace of emerging technologies.

The final version of the Vitality Plan will result in the elimination of a total of 60.6 faculty and staff positions over the coming year. That is about five fewer than those identified in the provisional version of the plan, but the overall expected savings for the year of $20,028,030 remains above the $20 million threshold set by the university’s Board of Trustees.

President Bailey acknowledged in Tuesday night’s campus message that all reductions in the plan will be difficult and come at a human price.

“Our goal during this process is to respect the dignity of all our employees and their contributions to our students and our university,” he said.

You can review the full Vitality Plan, revisions and more here.

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Economic impact of SOU Ashland

Economic impact report sees SOU as key resource

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(Ashland, Ore.) — A new economic impact study that measures the financial reach of Oregon’s three regional public universities shows that Southern Oregon University has a prominent and growing influence on the prosperity of Jackson County and the Rogue Valley.

SOU’s total annual economic impact is $730 million statewide, $532.5 million in southern Oregon and $440.1 million in Jackson County alone, according to the study. The most recent previous economic study of SOU, in 2019, found a total impact of $282.5 million in Jackson County but did not measure regional or statewide impact.

The new study shows that the state of Oregon receives a 24X return on its investment in SOU – the university’s economic impact of $730 million is more than 24 times the $30.4 million that is appropriated to SOU for operational expenses by the Oregon Legislature.

“It’s no surprise to us that SOU is a critically important economic prosperity engine for southern Oregon,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “This study backs up what we already knew and provides a lot of important detail about the scope of that influence and why it is essential that we protect the university’s ability to stimulate economic growth on the local, regional and statewide levels.”

The study, “The Economic Impact of the Regional Public Universities of Oregon,” was conducted this spring by Econsult Solutions, Inc. – a Philadelphia consultancy that specializes in economic, planning and public policy research. It measures and quantifies the economic impacts of SOU, Eastern Oregon University and Western Oregon University – which jointly commissioned the study and together have a total statewide impact of $1.9 billion.

The regional universities support about 10,900 jobs in Oregon, have a combined 78,038 alumni living and working in the state and produce much of the workforce for the largely rural areas they serve – from teachers and healthcare professionals to business leaders, law enforcement officers, counselors, tourism employees and creative industries workers.

“Oregon’s regional public universities drive the economies of our communities, and much more,” SOU’s President Bailey said. “We are sources of knowledge, launching points for innovation, and centers for cultural exploration and expression. We provide leadership and creativity, enabling our regions to be productive and competitive in a quickly evolving and highly dynamic environment.”

SOU by itself supports a total of 4,060 direct, indirect and induced jobs statewide, for a total of $202.4 million in annual earnings. Direct jobs are those of the university’s employees and vendors, while indirect jobs are those related to subsequent business-to-business transactions. Induced jobs are those supported by the ripple effect of spending by direct and indirect employees.

The economic impact study found that SOU:

  • Serves a total of 7,212 students annually, including full-time, part-time, dual-credit and lifelong learners;
  • Has a total of more than 675 employees, including student workers;
  • Has 26,165 alumni living in Oregon, including 18,473 in the workforce who earn an aggregate annual wage premium of $362.6 million – the amount in additional wages they earn due to their university degrees;
  • Has an average of 24,042 campus visitors each year, with student and visitor spending accounting for $108.5 million in annual spending in Jackson County and $157.9 million in southern Oregon;
  • Produces capital construction projects that account for about $17.1 million per year in total economic impact and support about 80 full-time jobs;
  • Supports local, regional and statewide employers with bachelor’s degree earners, about 68% of whom remain to work in Oregon for at least a year after graduation.

Overall, the study found that 74% of freshman students at the three regional public universities come from within Oregon and that 65% of graduates are still working in Oregon a decade after graduation.

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SOU Ashland offers respite from wildfire smoke

SOU offers respite from wildfire smoke

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Southern Oregon University Student Recreation Center continues to be a resource for both SOU employees and community members seeking a refuge from wildfire smoke and unhealthy outdoor air quality. The SRC offers free admission to its elevated, indoor walking and running track – a popular, smoke-free haven – from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, whenever Ashland’s air quality is at unhealthy levels (101+AQI).

Photo ID and a signed waiver will be required at check-in.

The SRC features high-efficiency air filtration and air conditioning systems, and is a good option for walking, jogging or visiting with others after work.

SOU has made its Student Recreation Center available as a community resource during local wildfire smoke events over the past seven years. Community members who want full access to the SRC during regular operating hours can purchase day passes onsite. More information on SRC passes and memberships at recreation.sou.edu/memberships.

The SRC will be closed for annual maintenance from Saturday, Sept. 5 until the start of the fall term.

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SOU Ashland wildlife photo

Funding for I-5 wildlife crossing gets green light

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Good news arrived recently for Southern Oregon University researchers and others who have done preliminary work in the development of a wildlife crossing over Interstate 5 south of Ashland, when the Federal Highway Administration released key funding for the overpass.

Oregon was awarded a federal Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program (WCPP) grant of $33.2 million for the project in December 2024, but ODOT’s use of the  funding was only recently finalized after many months of negotiation. Oregon senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden pressed to fulfill the grant, which will be matched with $3.8 million from the Oregon Department of Transportation for a total project cost of $37 million.

SOU Ashland wildlife photo“This is a win not only for wildlife and driver safety, but also for the educational opportunities it will provide to Southern Oregon University students,” said Karen Mager, an associate professor in SOU’s Environmental Science and Policy program.

“SOU has been studying wildlife along I-5 for four years now to assist in planning this overpass,” Mager said. “We thank Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden for their work to secure this funding. We at SOU look forward to continuing our research to document the animals that use this wildlife overpass and share that information with the public.”

The Mariposa Wildlife Crossing – the first wildlife overpass anywhere on I-5, from Mexico to Canada – will span the freeway’s northbound and southbound lanes 1.7 miles north of the Oregon-California state line. Planning and construction of the overpass, directional fencing to funnel wildlife to the overpass and associated habitat improvements are expected to be completed no later than spring of 2029.

“This project will be instrumental in safeguarding all the special species that call the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument home and protecting drivers from dangerous wildlife collisions,” said Senator Merkley, a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where the budget request was recent reviewed.

“I’ll continue to champion smart federal investments that protect families, our natural treasures and the diverse wildlife that call them home,” Merkley said.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has been collaborating on the project with the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition. A vision for the wildlife crossing grew out of a February 2021 meeting of representatives from 17 organizations and agencies, including SOU, that are part of the coalition.

Mager and students in her SOU classes and paid research internships have used camera traps to study wildlife use of I-5, to better understand regional needs for wildlife crossings. Those camera traps have taken more than a million photos and videos – most triggered by wind – and SOU Computer Science and Environmental Science and Policy students have used AI to sift through the data, identifying and capturing more than 20,000 unique animal images.

The SOU-generated data was a key component in the feasibility study that identified the priority site for an overpass. The university’s monitoring efforts – and opportunities for research funding – are expected to continue for at least the next six to seven years, Mager said.

About 6,000 vehicle-wildlife collisions are reported each year throughout Oregon, according to state agencies. Data from six wildlife underpasses in Oregon – five under Highway 97 and one under Highway 20 – show that their construction led to an 86% decrease in wildlife-vehicle collisions in the areas near those underpasses.

The site of the I-5 overpass is considered to be the highest-priority location along I-5, due to its biodiversity and sensitive wildlife populations. The region is home to rare mammals such as the Pacific fisher, along with deer, bear, elk, cougars and other large-bodied animals – all of which have been observed at the site of the future overpass. Many rare and unique butterflies and other species are also found in the area.

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Student Film Festival at SOU Ashland

SOU’s 21st annual Student Film Festival

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The SOU Digital Cinema program will stage its 21st annual Student Film Festival, screening 14 films by student filmmakers at 6:30 p.m. on June 1 at the Varsity Theater (66 E Main St, Ashland, OR 97520) in downtown Ashland, with a reprise screening at 7 p.m. on June 11. General admission tickets are $5 (free to SOU students).

The festival is produced by the Digital Cinema program’s course “Film Distribution and Festival Promotion.”

Student Film Festival at SOU AshlandThis year’s festival class accepted films written and directed by students from any major who are currently enrolled at SOU, and alumni who graduated in spring 2025 or later. Films could be any genre, but must be 15 minutes or shorter. A total of 28 films were submitted this year.

The Festival awards prizes in 12 categories, judged by a jury of more than 20 local filmmakers and media professionals. Local business Coming Attractions Theatres, owner of The Varsity, donates the use of one of its theaters for the festival.

The festival is also presenting a short screenplay contest, with a live reading of the top three scripts at SOU’s Meese Auditorium on at 5 p.m. on May 29. Fourteen scripts were submitted this year, representing a wide range of genres.

The SOU Student Film Festival allows SOU students to share their work and make professional connections beyond their college careers.

“We have a strong lineup that features an array of student films across lower- and upper-classmen,” said student festival director Sophia Guerrero, a Digital Cinema senior. “There’s a pretty even spread across different genres and I think the audience will be impressed with the level at which students are creating.”

Christopher Lucas (lucasr@sou.edu), professor of Digital Cinema at SOU, is the faculty supervisor for the festival and instructor of the course.

Tickets will be sold at SOU’s Digital Media Center. Information about ticketing prices and film festival updates can be found on the film festival’s Instagram (@soustudentff).

A cybersecurity camp for teens will be held at SOU Ashland

SOU hosts cybersecurity camp for high school students

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Oregon teens who are interested in technology have a first-time opportunity this summer to explore cybersecurity careers at a free weeklong camp hosted at Southern Oregon University. The camp is taught by David Pouliot, an associate professor in the SOU Computer Science program, with current Computer Science students at SOU serving as assistants and mentors.

The NW Cyber Camp will take place Monday through Friday, August 10-14, on SOU’s campus in Ashland. The camp is open to students currently in grades eight through 11. It’s designed to give participants a hands-on experience with cybersecurity tools and explore potential career paths.

Students in the course will take on the roles of cybersecurity professionals working at a fictional software company. They will be acting as interns investigating an anomaly in network logs, learning new technical skills and following clues to solve a cyber crime.

No prior experience in cybersecurity is required. The camp is designed for students who enjoy technology, problem solving and learning how to “defend the network” in a collaborative environment.

The no-cost program includes hands-on learning with professional cybersecurity tools and guest speakers from the industry. Students will participate in team-based activities connected to cybersecurity concepts and learn about career paths in one of Oregon’s fastest growing, high-wage fields. Lunch will be provided each day.

NW Cyber Camp is a program of the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (OCCoE) – an entity created by the 2023 Legislature with Portland State University, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon designated as founding members. The center is authorized to assist the state’s chief information security officer and “provide ​awareness, education, services and training about cybersecurity and cybersecurity-related issues for public, private and non-profit sectors in Oregon.”

The NW Cyber Camp program – which began in 2016 to introduce cybersecurity skills and careers to high school students in Portland – was made a part of the OCCoE following the 2023 legislation. Day camps are now available through the founding member institutions, along with Clackamas Community College, the Sylvania Campus of Portland Community College and Oregon Institute of Technology. The Cyber Camp is being offered at SOU this year for the first time.

A total of 25 spaces are available for campers at the SOU location. Students can learn more and apply at nwcybercamp.org.

Story by Felicity Johnson
SOU Computer Science major

Author Rick Atkinson to join conversation with SOU Ashland's Cherstin Lyon

SOU’s Cherstin Lyon joins conversation with Pulitzer winner Rick Atkinson

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SOU History professor Cherstin M. Lyon, Ph.D., will join Oregon Historical Society executive director Kerry Tymchuk this week for an onstage conversation with Rick Atkinson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning and No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and historian.

The Southern Oregon Historical Society is hosting Atkinson in partnership with the Oregon Historical Society’s Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series and Oregon’s official commemoration of America 250, marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The conversation with Atkinson – from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Rogue Valley Country Club, 2660 Hillcrest Road in Medford – will be about his latest work, “Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777–1780.”

Author Rick Atkinson to join conversation with SOU Ashland's Cherstin Lyon“Fate of the Day” is the second volume of the author’s acclaimed Revolution Trilogy, offering a narrative account of the American Revolution’s most precarious years.

He has written nine books on military history, including his Liberation Trilogy about World War II. The first volume in that series – “An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943” – won Atkinson the Pulitzer Prize for History.

It was his third Pulitzer – he also won the individual prize for national reporting while with the Kansas City Times for his series on the West Point class of 1966, which suffered the highest casualties in Vietnam of any military class; and he headed a seven-person team at the Washington Post that won a Pulitzer for public service reporting for its series about police shootings in Washington, D.C.

Sponsors of this week’s conversation with Atkinson are offering discounted tickets for students and educators, in an effort to make the event accessible to the academic community. Tickets for students or teachers will be $15; tickets for members of the Oregon Historical Society or Southern Oregon Historical Society will be $30; and tickets for the general public will be $35.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the door, subject to availability. Seating is limited, and advance purchase is highly recommended.

The special Medford engagement is made possible through support from the Keller Foundation, the America 250 Oregon sponsor of the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series.

Energy resilience at SOU Ashland

SOU OK’d to use federal money advancing energy resilience

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has been given a green light to use a $2 million allocation, approved by Congress in December 2022, to promote and advance renewable energy, energy resilience and related programs and partnerships on campus and throughout the region. The work will help to transform the SOU campus into a living laboratory and launch a talent pipeline for southern Oregon.

The congressional allocation was originally intended to be used in the construction of solar arrays on SOU’s parking lots and rooftops, but those purposes were modified to meet the requirements of  the federal Department of Energy. The university received notification from the DOE on Friday that it can “proceed with all activities under these (revised) documents.”

“We have developed a strong, impactful program of work and it is exciting to get the go-ahead,” said Becs Walker, SOU’s director of sustainability. “The focus is positioning SOU as an energy resilience leader in the region and developing experiential learning in the space of community resilience and leadership.”

The amended plan lays out three pathways for using the federal money in ways consistent with the original proposal’s intent: to advance renewable energy generation and energy resilience leadership; establish SOU’s Community Resilience and Leadership program; and expand educational and workforce partnerships in the southern Oregon community.

Energy generation and resilience
SOU will leverage the federal allocation to enhance its capacity and leadership in renewable energy generation and community energy resilience – directly supporting its strategic institutional goal of achieving 100% daytime electricity generation through onsite solar arrays paired with robust energy storage and resilience capacity. The funding will support a comprehensive analysis of existing capacity and forecast future energy demand, and an evaluation of the most effective technology solutions  including solar installations, battery storage and management of energy demand.

The university will develop an energy resilience plan to position the university as a regional center for energy innovation and economic development. The study will explore the integration of battery storage,  bi-directional charging infrastructure and the potential deployment of community-facing microgrids – power grids that use local energy resources and operate independently from the main electrical grid. The plan will assess how those technologies can support emergency preparedness and long-term energy security for SOU’s campus and the surrounding region.

SOU will also use a portion of the federal allocation to appoint a two-year postdoctoral scholar to focus on the future of microgrid systems and energy resilience at the university.

Community Resilience and Leadership program
Another part of the $2 million federal appropriation is already at work, funding a new Community Resilience and Leadership (CRL) Student Fellows Program – the flagship curricular initiative of SOU’s Institute for Applied Sustainability (IAS). The 12-month student fellowship is being developed in partnership with academic programs and departments across campus to link the university’s solar infrastructure with its academic offerings around sustainability. It prepares emerging leaders from all majors to take on the challenges of energy, environmental and community resilience through hands-on learning and real-world projects.

The fellowships – available to 15 students per year –combine coursework, field experience and career pathways, and offer mentorship, professional skill development, experience working on regional challenges and stipends to support students’ participation. The federal funding will allow the program to run for three years, providing a runway for sustained support through private giving in the future.

“By giving our students the tools and the space to create local solutions to local needs, we are preparing them to lead in a rapidly changing world that demands grit, a profound commitment to making a difference and comprehensive systems thinking,” said Walker, the SOU sustainability director.

Student fellows begin in the winter and spring terms of their junior year, serving apprenticeships for the Local Innovation Lab, which started as a response to local problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the September 2020 Almeda Fire. A six-week “summer intensive” experience is next, featuring field-based modules and direct engagement in projects such as energy infrastructure, navigating extreme smoke and heat events and community resilience. The fellows then start their senior year by mentoring peers, doing internships with partners or developing capstone projects that make them workforce-ready.

Community educational and workforce partnerships
The federal funding will also support a more robust and accessible experiential learning ecosystem at SOU. A core group of employer partners will offer recurring internships, expanding students’ professional networks and increasing the likelihood that graduates will remain in southern Oregon. In parallel, partnerships with workforce boards and regional funders will play an essential role in sustaining the program over time.

SOU has been awarded a total of $5.8 million in state and federal funding in recent years to support energy generation and energy resilience on campus – three $1 million grants from the state’s Community Renewable Energy Program, $800,000 through an allocation from the Oregon Legislature for Sustainability Funding at Oregon’s Technical and Regional Universities and the $2 million congressional appropriation from 2022.

The university now has 10 solar arrays on its campus, totaling 804.21 kW of capacity, in addition to one array on the Higher Education Center in Medford and six pole-mounted STrackers located on land leased to a nonprofit. Three of the on-campus arrays support net-zero buildings, underscoring SOU’s commitment to deep decarbonization and long-term energy savings.

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New trustees appointed to SOU Ashland board

Six trustees appointed and confirmed to SOU Board

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(Ashland, Ore.) – Two new and four continuing members have been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed today by the Oregon Senate to serve on the Board of Trustees of Southern Oregon University.

The new trustees are former Oregon State Rep. Peter Buckley and Christopher Geryak, an SOU junior and former student body vice president.

“The Board of Trustees is excited to welcome these dedicated individuals to SOU,” said Sheila Clough, the board’s chair. “Peter’s extensive legislative and community leadership, both locally and in the state, paired with Christopher’s proven commitment to students and leadership at SOU, will provide valuable insight as we navigate the future of higher education in our region.

“We appreciate Gov. Kotek’s appointment and the legislature’s confirmation of these leaders,” Clough said. “Their service ensures that SOU remains deeply connected to the needs of our students and the southern Oregon community.”

Returning to serve their second four-year terms as trustees are Debra F.J. Lee, Christina (Medina) Kruger and Elizabeth (Liz) Shelby. Their renewed terms will begin July 1 and run through June 30, 2030. Hala Schepmann, a professor of Chemistry, has been reappointed and confirmed to a two-year term as a faculty trustee, ending June 30, 2028. Trustees are limited to serving two consecutive full terms.

“SOU is vital to the success of our region,” said new trustee Peter Buckley. “I look forward to helping in any way I can to support our students, staff, faculty and fellow board members as we work for a brighter future.”

Student trustee Christopher Geryak echoed the sentiment of service. “I am pleased to join SOU’s Board of Trustees and provide my insight and knowledge to help SOU thrive and succeed,” Geryak said.

The new trustees’ terms will begin February 20. Buckley was appointed to a partial term and then a full term that will end June 30, 2030, and Geryak’s term runs through June 30, 2027.

Trustees are gubernatorial appointees, subject to confirmation by the Oregon Senate. The board consists of as many as 11 at-large trustees serving four-year terms, with additional positions reserved for up to three SOU students – two undergraduates (one voting, one non-voting), a faculty member and a non-faculty staff member, each serving two-year terms. The university president serves in a non-voting, ex officio capacity on the board, bringing total membership to 17.

New trustees

Peter Buckley
Buckley served for 12 years in the Oregon House of Representatives (2005-17), representing south Jackson County. During his tenure, he served for eight years as House Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means, the legislature’s budget-writing committee. After leaving the legislature, Peter was hired to lead Southern Oregon Success, a collaboration of all levels of education, health care, human services, public safety and workforce development in Jackson and Josephine counties, dedicated to working across all sectors to help children, families and communities thrive. Prior to his legislative service, Peter worked for 22 years as a director, actor, writer, producer, administrator and teacher for west coast regional theatres, including six years as the director of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre.

Christopher Geryak
Geryak is a junior at Southern Oregon University, majoring in business administration with a concentration in management and a minor in education. Following his service as SOU’s student body vice president, Christopher expanded his academic focus to include education, reinforcing his commitment to student advocacy and the importance of higher education across Oregon. During his time at SOU, he has held seven volunteer and employment positions and has been actively involved in numerous student organizations. His experiences in student government, student life and campus services have provided him with a well-rounded understanding of the university and its impact on students.

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The Farm at SOU Ashland

Winter workshops: student-led learning at The Farm

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While crops rest in winter, student farmers at The Farm at SOU are tackling personal research projects that build research and leadership skills. Each student collaborates with farm leadership to develop assessments, manuals and guides on topics ranging from agricultural techniques to harvest protocols to pest management.

Why dedicate an entire term to these projects? What makes them so valuable for student development? Even when winter slows outdoor operations, continual professional development is an important aspect of the undergraduate experience. As a student-led farm, it’s important to research agricultural best practices, synthesize information and share knowledge with one another before planting season begins.

Regularly evaluating and improving organizational processes is a part of every successful organization, especially for building a culture of continuous learning and adaptability in southern Oregon’s changing agricultural landscape. Shifting climate patterns and evolving market demands require farms like SOU’s to stay flexible and innovative in operations. Students take ownership of operations, addressing genuine needs and exploring their career interests.

By spring, students will have tangible portfolios showing what they’ve accomplished: field guides they designed, training videos they produced and schedules they created. More important, they’re gaining transferable skills in research, teaching and problem-solving. Their personal research projects represent professional development through real responsibility. Students leave with more than agricultural knowledge, by gaining confidence in their ability to lead, create and solve complex problems in any field they choose.

Curious about how you can support southern Oregon’ s agricultural legacy through hands-on learning? Consider buying local from the Summer CSA program at The Farm, at SOU. To learn more about the CSA, check out the farm’s website at farm.sou.edu.

Story by Sundar Archana, graduate assistant and education coordinator at The Farm at SOU