Sustainable Gardening Library Welcomes UCSC Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

Touring UCSC CASFS farm with Trish Hildinger

The Sustainable Gardening Library’s newest collaborator is the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) at the University of California, Santa Cruz. More than 1,500 students have completed CASFS’s internationally-renowned immersion apprenticeship program, living and working on the Center’s 30 acre farm, attending 300 hours of classroom instruction, and putting in 700 hours of hands-on training in the greenhouses, gardens, orchards, and fields.

 In addition to the organically-certified farm, CASFS oversees the work of an on-campus CSA garden, and supports research, education, and community outreach. Their agroecosystem approach, based on ecological principles, is an ongoing quest to develop agricultural practices that can be maintained into the future without damaging surrounding natural landscapes.

Why We're Adding CASFS to The Sustainable Gardening Library
Over the years since its founding in 1971, the farm has influenced UCSC’s student food culture to the point that food harvested there is fully-integrated into the campus dining halls. It is believed to be the oldest organic farm on any University campus in the United States. “It’s really great work,” says noted NY Times food columnist Mark Bittman in this video of his visit to CASFS.

Look for the Sustainable Gardening Library’s CASFS content in the coming months.


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