LSC Living Lab

Lake Superior College Living Lab

Lake Superior College is launching a new Associate of Science Degree in Eco-Entrepreneurship to begin Fall of 2019. Students will initially be able to major in Regenerative Agriculture and Local Food Systems, with tracks being added in Renewable Energy and Value-Added Processing as capacity is built.

The new Eco-Entrepreneurship degree program (https://degrees.lsc.edu/eco-entrepreneurship/) will integrate environmental sustainability (science), hands-on field learning (applied science), entrepreneurship (business) and social analysis focused on creating sustainable and equitable community development. As an Associate of Science degree that completes the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, students will gain knowledge and skills that they may apply directly to farm, business and institutional sustainable development, management, and operation or use in transferring to a Baccalaureate degree.

As part of the new Eco-Entrepreneurship Program, Lake Superior College is simultaneously launching a new ‘Living Laboratory’ field site on campus to demonstrate diverse regenerative agriculture and sustainable development activities. The Living Lab will feature a two-acre farm site that hosts two high tunnels utilized for hydroponic and soil-based production methods, as well open field areas for biointensive, permaculture, and organic agriculture practices. This new operation will centrally integrate students in associated processing, marketing and distribution practices.

The Program will also draw upon urban and rural community experts and practitioners, whose successful farms, businesses and institutions that demonstrate sustainability-oriented values and practices can serve as models for students in launching their own sustainability careers. To better integrate this community practice we are creating of a hybrid teaching platform that enables the experiential skills and knowledge of people in our community to share their work, host related community training programs, and support our community and region in transitioning to more sustainable, just and regenerative practices. Ultimately, we seek to collaborate in leveraging this institutional infrastructure to help coordinate activities within our regional food system and foster more local food production and consumption and allied transitions.

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