University of California, Santa Cruz

The mission of the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS or the Center) is to research, develop, and advance sustainable food and agricultural systems that are environmentally sound, economically viable, socially responsible, nonexploitative, and that serve as a foundation for future generations. Our certified-organic 33-acre farm and 3-acre garden are used for undergraduate education, training in organic farming and gardening, and research on organic production methods. Our strategic planning process, still underway during the COVID-19 campus closure, is creating a roadmap for even more impactful work in our programmatic areas of research, education, extension, and public service. Agroecological research and organic farming trials are being planned for our 33-acre farm site along with organic crop production for food insecure students and community member served through our CSA and farm stand outlets. The new undergraduate major in Agroecology will be launched this fall and a new Apprenticeship course is being planned for 2021 along with short courses in organic farming and gardening topics. New initiatives will also expand our extension, education, and information online and at our sites through a new free lecture series, seasonal tours, organic gardening workshops, and free online publications and instructional videos.