I am currently working on a research project with Dr. Claudia Ford on an agroecology program on 598 acres on 3 sites in the NY Hudson Valley. The agroecology program looks at ecological and biological features of this farmland as well as the social ecology of the agricultural projects. The study we begin with is called Social ecology and social stewardship within sustainable agriculture: An environmental justice meta study of agroecology research. The purpose of this study is to explain the existing and proposed status of social ecology, social stewardship, and environmental justice issues within agroecology research. A special focus of the research is the status of farmworkers and farmworker justice initiatives on organic farms. The organizations that oversees the agroecology program works in all of the Northeast, and the program will likely be expanded to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine within the next two years. We will build upon this first study by working with farmers throughout the network to further understand what supports and constraints exist for them, and how the network can most effectively leverage its resources to better support justice.

See more about the Northeast Farm Access Agroecology Program here.