Some photos from the Conference are presented below.  To see the abstracts and poster, see: 2017 Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference.

Continue reading 2017 Undergraduate Research Conference →

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Sustainable Food and Farming students study botany, soils, ecology, chemistry, math, public policy and agricultural education.  And so much more!

By Wayne Roberts

Earth Day has long been a day to celebrate joy in our relations with the earth, and renew commitments to do our personal best to respect the Earth’s needs and act on our ability to protect the planet.

In that vein, I want to introduce you to an article on researching food system agendas; it just came out in the April edition of a journal called Food Security. I think it’s game-changing for professional practitioners, citizen activists and young people looking for a career path in the food sector, as well as the target audience of academic researchers.

My comments below aren’t a substitute for reading the article, which is an easy read. I

Continue reading Teaching and Learning Food Systems →

Join UMass Sustainable Food and Farming for a FREE and public screening of the short documentary “Brooklyn Farmer” which tells the story of Brooklyn Grange, a group of urban farmers who endeavor to run a commercially viable farm in New York City.

The film will be followed by a panel discussion with Dana Lucas (Freight Farms Boston and UMass Hydroponics) & Frank Mangan (UMass Professor of Urban Farming).

The film will be held in

W.E.B. Du Bois Library,

Floor 19 – Room 1920

Film at 6:00pm

Panel at 7:00 pm

Synopsis of the Film:

“Brooklyn Farmer” explores the unique challenges facing Brooklyn Grange, a group of urban farmers who endeavor to run a commercially viable farm within the landscape of New York City. The film follows Head Farmer Ben Flanner, CEO Gwen Schantz, Communications Director Anastasia Plakias, Farm Manager Michael Meier, and Beekeeper Chase Emmons as their growing operation expands from Long Island City, Queens to a second roof in the Brooklyn Navy Yards. The team confronts the realities inherent in operating the world’s largest rooftop farm in one of the world’s biggest cities.

Panelists:

Frank Mangan
A focus of my program has been to evaluate production and marketing systems for vegetable and herb crops, with an emphasis on crops popular among immigrant communities. Since 2003, farmers in Massachusetts made more than five million dollars in retail sales of crops introduced from my program, crops that had not been grown in Massachusetts before. A majority of the research done by my program is at the UMass Research Farm in Deerfield MA. We also evaluate practical postharvest and pest management strategies for these new crops. Our program works closely with nutritionists at UMass to provide nutritionally balanced and culturally-appropriate recipes for these immigrant groups. This webpage provides information on the crops evaluated and introduced by my program: http://www.worldcrops.org/

Starting in 2011, we have begun to work with urban growers as part of an overall systems approach to provide fresh produce to urban populations. As part of this work we’re also evaluating the carbon footprint used to produce and transport fresh produce to urban settings. We have created a Facebook page to report on this work: https://www.facebook.com/umassurbanag

Dana Lucas
I am from a city and I cherish local food. I have found this appreciation for sustainable produce to be extremely helpful in my own personal development within controlled environmental agriculture.

I work for an urban farm that owns three Freight Farms. I have learned to successfully manage and market almost five acres of hydroponic produce. I also have recently created my own company for urban farm consulting. I design and build hydroponic systems for commercial and residential spaces around Boston, MA. I am most proud of recently receiving a grant to build and design a vertical farm on campus at UMass Amherst, which will provide hydroponic produce to dining halls on campus starting this winter.

I believe the further expansion of city farms will help to give urbanites the opportunity to experience food systems more accessible. Completing my education in agriculture is extremely exciting and important for my career and our world’s future sustainability. I believe that urban agriculture will have a great influence on social, economic, and resource consumption problems.

We know that many UMass students find themselves dissatisfied with their major in their first or second year of college.  If this is true for you…. it is not too late to change!

If you like:

• working outdoors
• working with people
• doing something real and of value

If you care about:

• good food
• the environment
• global hunger

Continue reading Is it time to change your major? →

UMass Sustainable Food and Farming (SFF) is hosting a three part PUBLIC and FREE film series to provide a community space where students can critically engage in issues surrounding the food system.  Each film is followed by a panel discussion featuring local individuals within the field.

On March 9th, 6-8pm in the W.E.B Dubois Library, Floor 19 Room 1920, SFF will be screening the documentary “Seeds of Time” followed by a panelist discussion at 7:30pm featuring professor of Economics, James Boyce, along with other individuals from the community.

Film Synopsis
A perfect storm is brewing as agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler races against time to protect the future of our food. Seed banks around the world are crumbling, crop failures are producing starvation and rioting, and the accelerating effects of climate change are affecting farmers globally. Communities of indigenous Peruvian farmers are already suffering those effects, as they try desperately to save over 1,500 varieties of native potato in their fields. But with little time to waste, both Fowler and the farmers embark on passionate and personal journeys that may save the one resource we cannot live without: our seeds.

10,000 years ago the biggest revolution in human history occurred: we became agrarians. We ceased hunting and gathering and began to farm, breeding and domesticating plants that have resulted in the crops we eat today. But the genetic diversity of these domesticated crops, which were developed over millennia, is vanishing today. And the consequences of this loss could be dire.

As the production of high yielding, uniform varieties has increased, diversity has declined. For example, in U.S. vegetable crops we now have less than seven percent of the diversity that existed just a century ago. We are confronted with the global pressures of feeding a growing population, in a time when staple crops face new threats from disease and changing climates.

Crop diversity pioneer Cary Fowler travels the world, educating the public about the dire consequences of our inaction. Along with his team at The Global Crop Diversity Trust in Rome, Cary struggles to re-invent a global food system so that it can, in his words: “last forever.” Cary aims to safeguard the last place that much of our diversity is left in tact: in the world’s vulnerable gene banks.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, a group of indigenous Peruvian farmers work to preserve over 1,500 native varieties of potato in their fields. Through the guidance of activist Alejandro Argumedo and the help of the International Potato Center gene bank in Lima, several communities join forces to create a new conservation grounds called “The Potato Park.”

But not all is well in this haven for diversity. The Andes Mountains, our planet’s most diverse region for potatoes, is already seeing the crippling effects of climate change. Potato production has risen more than 500 feet in altitude over the last 30 years, leaving varieties at lower elevations unable to produce. With erratic weather patterns already eroding biodiversity, what is to be done when these farmers can no longer continue moving “up”?

With a passion few possess, Cary set out to build the world’s first global seed vault – a seed collection on a scale larger than any other. The vault, located in Norway, is an unprecedented insurance policy for the crop diversity of the world. In an extraordinary gesture of support, the farmers of the Potato Park become the first indigenous community to send samples of their potato diversity to the vault for safekeeping.

But as the stakes of maintaining a secure global food system continue to rise, adaptation will become a requisite for our own survival. How can we best maintain the diversity that still exists for our food crops? How do we create new diversity to adapt our fields to a changing climate? The answers are as complex as the system they intend to fix. And it will require a combination of efforts: from scientists, plant breeders, researchers, farmers, politicians, and even gardeners.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS/REFLECTIONS IN THE COMMENTS BOX BELOW

STOCKSCH 197 W:  How to Recover a Truly Sustainable Food System:
A Look at Food Waste and Recovery

 Instructors:

• Mary Bell, B.S., Local Food Waste researcher, educator, advocate
• Angela Roell, M.Ed.

Class Meeting:  Tuesday 4:00-5:15 pm

Location:  Paige Lab Conference Room (202)

Office Hours:  By appointment

Contact Information:

• Angela Roell, angela.roell@gmail.com, 413.588.6977
• Mary Bell, mbell@cns.umass.edu, 413.475.0633

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to food waste, and the impact waste has on our food system.  We will introduces the current food recovery hierarchy, and examines how consumers, producers and distributors waste food.  We will explore the environmental and social impact of food waste in our food system, and introduce social and policy initiatives employed to recover food.  Students will read, reflect and discuss the actionable steps being taken to shift our local food system’s food waste into food recovery.

Prerequisites: Open to all UMass students interested in food recovery.

Required Course Materials:

A blank notebook should be brought to every class.  This notebook will be used for notes, reflections and homework assignments.  It is a vital part of your grade.  Laptops will be permitted as a note taking tool ONLY if students elect to create a digital journal.

There will be no formal text book for this course, readings will be distributed via .pdf

Grading:

Course Schedule:

Week 1, 1/24/17, Course Introduction

In Class:

Review Syllabus

Based on current knowledge and assumptions students will build EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy in small groups

Self-Assessment Survey & Learning Styles Quiz

• Students will complete initial self-assessment survey
• Students will complete a learning style quiz:

http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/

Homework:

Read:

• American Wasteland, by Jonathan Bloom: Chapter 4, A Culture of Waste:  Our Fall from Thrift and Our Imminent Return (pg 59-66)
• Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill, by Dana Gunders, Natural Resources Defense Council (pg 1-6)

Do:

• Use your phone’s camera to document your own food waste. In one week take one photograph per day the food that you throw out, discard, spoilage, compost, etc.  Share photos via UMass UDRIVE

Week 2, 1/31/17, How Does Food Waste Impact the Food System

In Class:

A definition and discussion of the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy

• EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy and Three Reasons for a Growing Interest in Food Loss, Economic Research Service, USDA

Review and discuss our class’s cumulative weekly food waste

Homework:

Read:

• American Wasteland, by Jonathan Bloom: Chapter 5, American Farms:  Growing Waste, Selling Perfection
• Causes of Food Loss and Waste at the Farm, Farm-to-Retail, Retail, and Consumer Levels, Economic Research Service, USDA

Do:

• Reflect on the Food Recovery Hierarchy, how is it different than you assumed? How is it similar?   

Week 3, 2/7/17, Why is there Food Waste?

In Class:

Discuss readings from American Wasteland and the Economic Research Service

Think/Pair/Share Activity

Homework:

Read/Do:

• Review the website: http://www.leanpath.com/
• Read one case study from the “case study” tab
  • How is Lean Path using technology to address food waste and recovery?
    • Record your thoughts in reflection journal

Week 4, 2/14/17, The Gap- Expiration Dates and Labeling

In Class:

Facilitated discussion with student questions

Experiential Activity

Case Study Overview and Distribution

Homework:

Review assigned Case Study, record brainstorm and any actionable steps in your journal

Week 5, 2/21, The Value of Food vs. The Cost of Waste

In Class:

Interview Questions Brainstorm

Discussion about Farm-Based Food Waste

Homework:

Read:

• Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty by Mark Winne: Chapter 7:  Growing Obese and Diabetic; Going Organic and Local

Do:

• Interview Questions Project published/shared to begin

Week 6, 2/28, Food Insecurity and Nutrition

In Class:

An introduction to food insecurity with facilitated discussion and student questions

Homework:

Read:

• How Food Made History by BW Higman: Chapter Seven: Cooking, Class, and Consumption

Do:

• Review Rachel’s Table website: http://rachelstablespringfield.org/
• Generate two questions you have about Rachel’s Table’s gleaning programs and their community impact

Week 7, 3/7, Gleaning as a Food Recovery Tool

In Class:

Facilitated discussion with student questions

In-Class reading: Farmers Help Fight Food Waste by Donating Wholesome Food

http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/04/03/farmers-help-fight-food-waste_by-donating-wholesome-food/

Homework:

Read:

• Review the Franklin County Community Development Center website:
  • http://www.fccdc.org/
• Watch their introduction video on YouTube:
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hI3Fq09fx4

Do:

• Meet with your Case Study team, record brainstorm and actionable steps in your reflection journal

Week 8, Spring Break

Week 9, 3/21, Redirecting Food Waste: Farm-Based Food Recovery

In Class:

Panel Discussion, guests TBD

Homework:

Read:

• Review the website: http://www.foodtodonate.com/

Do:

• How is Food Donation Connection using technology to address food waste? How could they do better?
  • Record your thoughts in reflection journal, 1-2 pages

Week 10, 3/28, Creative Community Initiatives Addressing Food Insecurity

In Class:

How is food insecurity being addressed in our community?

Facilitated discussion with student questions

Facilitated review of results found in Interview Questions Project

Homework:

Read:

• Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty by Mark Winne: Chapter 9:  Public Policy; Food for the People

Week 11, 4/4, Bill Emerson Food Donation Act

In Class:

Presentation by Mary Bell

Facilitated discussion with student questions

Homework:

Read:

• Mass Local Food Action Plan: Processing
• Mass Local Food Action Plan: Food Access, Security and Health
• http://mafoodsystem.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/MLFSPFull.pdf

Do:

• Write about two new things you learned from the Mass Local Food Action Plan
  • How are these ideas actionable in your local or regional food system?
  • Are any of these ideas being implemented in our local food shed?

Week 12, 4/11, Mass Local Food Action Plan

In Class:

Discuss Mass Local Food Action Plan

Think/Pair/Share Activity  

Homework:

Review:

• Legal Fact Sheet for Massachusetts Food Donation: Liability Protections, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, July 2015
• Federal enhanced – Tax Deduction for Food Donation – a legal guide, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, April 2016

Week 13, Patriots Day: Monday Schedule

 Week 14, 4/25, Self Assessment and Course Review

In Class:

Students will complete a final self assessment

Students will complete an exit survey  

Homework:

Meet with group to work on final presentations

Week 15 & 16, 5/2-5/9, Final Presentations

In Class:

Final Presentations of Case Studies

Attendance at all presentations is mandatory to receive a passing grade

Assignments

Course Policies

1. The success of this course depends on student participation. Everyone is expected to arrive on time, ready to comment, answer questions, and actively contribute.  Cell phones, iPads, etc should be turned off during class unless you have requested accommodations from the instructor prior to class. Please bring all reading materials to class.  Laptops will be permitted as a note taking tool ONLY if students elect to create a digital journal.
2. Written work is to be handed in on time. Late work will not be accepted.  We will make exceptions to this rule only in the case of serious emergency, and only if contacted via phone or email within 24 hours of missing the scheduled deadline.
3. Students are responsible for course information sent to their UMass email accounts. We will respond to your email within 24 hours, please plan accordingly.
4. Office hours will be by appointment, if a question or concerns arises
5. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Use care in written work to avoid the appearance of cheating/plagiarism.  Please discuss questions with us if you have a concern.
6. If you are in need of learning accommodations, please come speak with one of us at the beginning of the semester so we can guarantee your needs are fully met throughout the course.   

While it is true that the Stockbridge School of Agriculture has been offering courses in food production and marketing since the beginning, our students today are engaged in many learning activities that include farming but also focus on necessary changes to the larger food system.

Here are a few of the things Stockbridge and other UMass students have been up to in October….

• UMass Permaculture gleaned 900 lbs. of butternut squash from Plainville Farm in Hadley.  Thanks to Stockbridge Alum Xochi Salazar and her team for providing food to a  local shelter, the Student Farmer’s Market, and “Pledge” a program supporting sustainability, the use of “ugly” vegetables, and less food waste!

• Our Stockbridge Community Food Systems and our Food Justice and Policy classes collaborated with Nuestras Raices to provide high school students with the tools to conduct a school food survey at Paulo Freire Social Justice High School, as well as a community visioning session about a new community garden;  and designed production tracking systems with urban farmers.  Here are a few of the high school students during a visioning session.  Thanks so much to Stockbridge instructor Catherine Sands for connecting our UMass students to students in Holyoke!

• The SERSI student RSO is interested in helping with the Food Recovery Network and will focus future efforts in this direction.  Here are some of the SERSI members from last year. We look forward to see what 2016-17 will bring!

• UMass Sustainability is sponsoring a viewing of Just Eat It on October 24 at 5:00pm in the Berkshire DC.  See: https://www.facebook.com/events/1590541291250244/

• The UMass School of Public Policy and the Amherst Survival Centter is sponsoring an event with Congressman McGovern on  Oct. 26 Food Insecurity Event.    Stockbridge students plan to attend. 

• The UMass Real Food Challenge will hold their first meeting on October 27.  See: https://www.facebook.com/events/1412991848729412/

• The Food for All Garden at the Agricultural Learning Center is having a FALL HARVEST CELEBRATION preceded by GARLIC PLANTING on Friday, October 28th @ 4:30pm (garlic plant) and 5:30 is our Community Potluck.  Bring a food or non-alcoholic drink to share or just come hungry.  Hope you can join us!

AND… ANNOUNCING:

• Stockbridge will offer a one credit seminar in the spring titled How to Recover a Truly Sustainable Food System – A Look at Food Waste and Recovery, on Tuesday afternoons at 4:00-5:15pm.  Thanks to Mary Bell and Angela Roell who will be the instructors!