The Eastern United States Collaborative Program for Research and Education in Sustainable Agriculture (EARTHWORKS)

Program in Development.

Similar to the Sustainable Agriculture program at Cal Poly on the west coast, EARTHWORKS is designed to promote university-level research and education opportunities in sustainable agriculture. Like the Cal Poly program, EARTHWORKS addresses the sustainability problems of soil fertility and farmer income.

In contrast to the more centralized Cal Poly program, EARTHWORKS will create a collaborative network among several key groups recognized for their contributions to environmental sustainability.

Through this program:

• Interest in sustainable agriculture will increase among faculty and students across the east coast, with  implications for far-reaching global impacts through international student exchange programs.

• The number of expert researchers in applied sustainable agriculture will increase, new sustainability curricula will be created, collaboration across disciplines and organizations will be   encouraged, and research and development opportunities will lead to new sustainable methods and technologies.

During the two year developmental period, the (tentative) anticipated results for this program are:

• Recruit and hire staff

• Develop functional EARTHWORKS network among a group of east coast universities, colleges and organizations known for their expertise in sustainable farming.

• Initiate fellowships, internships, and summer research internship programs at all the institutions

• Develop curricula for transdisciplinary sustainable agriculture programs

• Initiate transdisciplinary sustainable agriculture programs in second year

• Prepare to host East Coast Multi-Day Sustainability Conference in 2012

• Initiate and develop a relationship with Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo Sustainable Agriculture Program

•Detailed proposal in development, in process of being updated for 2020.

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