CSS 424 is a project-based, experiential learning course. We foster student-partner projects that serve a variety of purposes; all projects aim to have a "real-world" end product that serves the community partner or broader sustainable agriculture mo...

1.The goal of the project was to introduce 7th through 12th grade students to biological STEM careers in food, energy, and the environment (FEE). Individuals from our STEM-FEE leadership team met once a month for three months via Google Classroom wi...

To help better understand the opportunities and barriers to soil and water conservation in the Western Lake Erie Basin Worked with the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) and the county Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Lena...

Class Social Movements and Collective Identities (Soc 481) All students volunteered with a social movement organization in the greater Lansing area or virtually. These included: Metro Lansing Poor People's Campaign Meta Peace Team Planned Parenthood ...

With my coordination the MSU CANR WorldTAP team organized this training virtually with 41 international participants on attendance. This six-day long (Nov 9-14, 2020) training covered various aspects of food safety including food safety policies, the...

Co-Coordinated the annual three-day educational sessions for greenhouse growers in Michigan and beyond

Applied research into solving production, post harvest, and value added processing challenges and needs for producers and cooperatives and users.

The Michigan Good Food Fund is a $30 million loan fund to support entrepreneurs, particularly women and BIPOC owners, grow their healthy food businesses. Serving low income communities in Michigan is a priority. MSU CRFS provides technical assistance...

This is a HHS, office of minority health, funded project to determine whether claiming (receipt) of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) results in decreased risk and increase protective factors for adverse childhood experiences. A secondary aim is to det...

To develop a cooperative distributor local agriculture, food, and related products in collaboration with Allen Neighborhood Center (ANC) and East Lansing Food Coop, inc.

The goal of the US Dry Bean Council innovation working group is to increase consumption and usage of dry beans beyond their uses as cooked/ canned whole seeds. Virtual meetings were conducted with other researchers, chefs and manufacturers/processors...

Conducted effective outreach and engagement strategies in light of COVID-19 by working in conjunction with partnering agencies. Distribution of Flint Registry handouts and materials by partnering and collaborating with community partners as they se...

The overall goal is to accelerate the adoption of a sustainable food safety culture in commodity-based low-moisture food systems (via an integrated, transdisciplinary, systems-based approach, with interconnected and parallel research, extension, and ...

My position is as an academic specialist for outreach, and I am the Program Coordinator for Michigan State University’s Enviroweather, which is a network of over 100 research-grade, automated weather stations that collect data which are transmitted t...

Conducted evaluation of 10 Cents a Meal to understand the impact of the program on school children's consumption of Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables and legumes as well as the impact on Michigan's economy and farm/food businesses. Evaluation results...

With a team of 7 NGOs serving beginning farmers, 6 extension educators and 5 members from Center for Regional Food Systems and myself we are developing curriculum that engages beginning farmer by providing technical information on production and mark...

On 14 Michigan organic farms tested with the farmers 4 cover crops, two single species and 2 mixtures ( one combo was selected by each farmer for the farm). Looked at these for production and nutrients contribution to the soil and next years plants.

Beginning Latino farmers are changing the face of specialty fruit production in the Midwest by replacing an older generation of Caucasian farmers. However, transitioning from employment in industrial and farm laborer settings to farm owners is challe...

Latino beginning farmers (los granjeros) in the Great Lakes are establishing in the small fruit industry and are just entering vegetable production. La Cosecha (the Harvest) program is recognized as a successful program for Latino farmers of all ages...

Collect and disseminate the work of Quilting around the world.

I organized a series of meetings for a potential beef cooperative formation including four meetings across the state, including the Michigan Cattlemen’s annual meeting.

Why: The Michigan Good Food Charter is an action and advocacy framework that promotes collaboration to advance a “good food system” in Michigan, that is a thriving food economy distinguished by equity, health, and sustainability. The Charter was in...

I share my research on sustainable farming with agricultural specialists and managers. I translate my research into webinars, blogs, and extension articles. I also share these materials with the public via social media

The MI GAAMPS for the Care of Farm Animals includes all species of farmed animal including, game birds, deer, South American camelids, fox and mink, fish and bees. I chaired the committee since 2007 through December 2021. Each year a committee of sci...

As the PI for this grant funded program, I partnered with the MSU Office of Sustainability, the Greater Lansing Food Bank Garden Project, and the Refugee Development Center to plan a series of virtual events exploring the intersections between climat...