Center News
CASFS welcomes back UCSC students for in-person programming
September 17, 2021
After a year and a half without interns, volunteers, and apprentices onsite, the UCSC Farm and Chadwick Garden are open and ready to host UC Santa Cruz students for in-person educational programming.
Cowell Coffee Shop Re-Opens September 27
September 16, 2021
The Cowell Coffee Shop: For the Peoples, a non-transactional cafe and student community hub and gathering space at UC Santa Cruz, will reopen on September 27.
CASFS is hiring an Apprenticeship and Short Course coordinator
September 7, 2021
The UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) is hiring for an Apprenticeship and Short Course coordinator position to direct and coordinate CASFS practical education programs that provide training in the foundations of organic gardening and farming with an agroecological lens.
The legacy is in the soil
August 18, 2021
Acclaimed chef/farmer and CASFS apprenticeship graduate Matthew Raiford will share his heritage-based approach to food and farming during an August 25 event on campus.
Study suggests combination of organic management techniques can minimize soilborne disease in strawberries
June 18, 2021
To identify the most effective methods to maintain strawberry yields and manage soilborne diseases using organic, economically viable techniques, UC Santa Cruz researchers studied the effects of crop rotation combined with biological alternatives to soil fumigants in strawberry fields at the UCSC Farm.
UC Global Food Initiative fellowship opportunities available for students
June 14, 2021
UC Santa Cruz invites applications for a student fellowship opportunity with the University of California Global Food Initiative (UC GFI).
CASFS Farmstand opens June 15
June 1, 2021
The CASFS Farmstand will offer fresh, organically grown produce from the UCSC Farm & Garden for sale Tuesdays and Fridays until November 2021.
Growing heritage and healing through traditional Asian vegetables
May 25, 2021
Faculty, staff, and alumni are drawing upon and strengthening their cultural heritage and connection to Asian foodways to cultivate traditional vegetables.
CASFS is hiring a basic needs coordinator
May 10, 2021
The Basic Needs Coordinator works under general supervision of the Food Systems Education & Research Program Specialist and the Field Manager, coordinating CASFS site production for the Basic Needs campus outlets, assists in campus-level Basic Needs services coordination, and advises Food Systems Working Group (FSWG) student staff and program activities.
Spring Plant Sale takes place May 1 and 2
April 15, 2021
The UCSC Farm & Garden Spring Plant Sale will feature a variety of organic annual vegetables, herbs, and flowers. This year's sale will take place at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn.
2021 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares available
April 12, 2021
Receive a weekly share of farm-fresh organic produce by becoming a UCSC Farm & Garden CSA member.
UCSC climate change conference focuses on food security issues
April 08, 2021
‘Confronting Climate Change: Food Security in a Changing World’ will be held virtually April 28-29, featuring a panel of experts and a series of short films.
Produce Pop-Up opens for spring quarter 2021
March 30, 2021
Produce Pop-Up, a weekly organic produce distribution service for UC Santa Cruz students, will take place every Friday from April 2 through June 4.
UC Santa Cruz faculty recognized for excellence in ecology
March 25, 2021
The Ecological Society of America announced its 2021 Fellow and Early Career Fellow awards, and UC Santa Cruz’s faculty were the most decorated of any university on this year’s list.
CASFS offers online instruction during pandemic and beyond
March 16, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic caused CASFS to begin offering online instruction in the forms of an internship, public workshops, and how-to videos. As UC Santa Cruz begins planning for some in-person instruction to resume, the Center will continue to create and utilize video and online instruction to make educational materials more accessible to a wider audience.
Cowell Ranch Hay Barn: From vaccinations to celebrations
March 12, 2021
The Cowell Ranch Hay Barn, CASFS headquarters and community event space, is serving as a COVID-19 vaccine center for UC Santa Cruz staff.
Disrupting harmful food systems to prevent future pandemics
March 11, 2021
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Maywa Montenegro de Wit is exploring how lessons from the abolition movement could help agroecology combat the agro-industrial complex to prevent future pandemics.
Study suggests garden management methods may impact insect diversity
March 8, 2021
CASFS Director Stacy Philpott and a team of researchers are studying the effects of "tidy" versus "messy" gardens on insect diversity.
Jones Valley Teaching Farm Changes Lives With Food
February 24, 2021
CASFS alumna Katie Davis is now the director of teaching at Jones Valley Teaching Farm in Birmingham, AL. The community program is opening a $7.5 million Center for Food Education that will be a hub for people and organizations interested in food as a pathway to good health and true wealth.
UCSC Researchers Win Grant to Develop More Sustainable Aquaculture
February 16, 2021
Anne Kapuscinski, Pallab Sarker, and their research team will take their sustainable aquaculture plans a step further by circulating water through the fish tanks several times before the runoff goes to grow organic vegetables at the UCSC Farm.
Stacy Philpott named Sustainability Champion of the Month
February 10, 2021
The UCSC Sustainability Office named CASFS Director Stacy Philpott the February 2021 Sustainability Champion of the Month.
Grant funding will advance aquaculture research in UCSC’s new state-of-the-art facility
January 19, 2021
Researchers won a USDA grant in support of their efforts to develop ocean-friendly feed formulas for farm-raised rainbow trout. This work will take place in the team's new aquaculture facility at the UCSC Farm.
Video Project to Bring CASFS Farm & Garden Teaching Online
December 23, 2020
In 2021 CASFS has a unique opportunity to greatly increase the reach and impact of our educational programming by expanding remote and online instruction through video production.
National Academies report on sustainability education features UC Santa Cruz expertise
December 04, 2020
UC Santa Cruz professor Anne Kapuscinski chaired the committee that developed the report, and campus initiatives were highlighted within as examples of innovative sustainability education.
Serve your community at your Thanksgiving table
November 20, 2020
Cowell Coffee Shop Food Supervisor Brooks Schmitt and Apprenticeship alumna Vera L. Chang share ways to support communities this Thanksgiving.
Research breakthrough achieves fish-free aquaculture feed that raises key standards
November 12, 2020
A new aquaculture feed formula eliminates conventional fish meal and fish oil ingredients by combining ingredients derived from two species of marine microalgae.
Measure 43 grants available to UC Santa Cruz undergraduates—Deadline extended
November 12, 2020
UCSC undergraduates are encouraged to apply for Measure 43 grants to support sustainable food, health, and wellness projects.
CASFS staff and leadership share updates after year of strategic planning
November 10, 2020
After a year spent on program review and strategic planning, the UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) staff presented an overview of its plans for the upcoming year and beyond.
Organic agriculture tops $3 billion in California farm gate sales
October 20, 2020
Organic farming continues to expand in California and now includes more than 360 commodities, according to a new University of California report co-authored by Organic Production Specialist Joji Muramoto.
The 2020-2021 Campus Food & Garden Guide is now available
October 8, 2020
The 15th edition of the Campus Food & Garden Guide is a virtual, interactive guide to the campus food system, with opportunities on how students can get involved and information on food access resources on campus and beyond.
UC explores alternatives to fumigants for strawberries
September 25, 2020
For a biological alternative to manage soilborne diseases in strawberries, Joji Muramoto, UC Cooperative Extension organic production specialist based at CASFS, has received a $411,395 grant from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study the ability of other crops to suppress strawberry pathogens in the soil.
2020 Fall Harvest Festival features weeklong series of online events for all ages
September 23, 2020
The 2020 Harvest Festival will be a weeklong series of free, interactive online events for all ages.
Integrated Soilborne Disease Management in Organic Strawberries
August 31, 2020
Organic Production Specialist Joji Muramoto gives an overview of soil borne disease management techniques for organic strawberries in an article for Organic Farmer.
Ahora disponible: Guía del agricultor sobre la producción orgánica y sostenible de plántulas
July 30, 2020
Se trata de una nueva guía técnica, pero accesible, describe cómo cultivar, de manera efectiva y eficiente, plántulas de hortalizas y flor de corte para granjas orgánicas, utilizando prácticas ambientales responsables.
New CASFS Grower Guide on organic seedling production available in English and Spanish
July 30, 2020
The new technical but approachable guide describes how to effectively and efficiently grow vegetable and flower seedlings for organic operations using environmentally responsible practices.
UC Global Food Initiative fellowship opportunities available for students
June 18, 2020
UC Santa Cruz invites applications for a student fellowship opportunity with the University of California Global Food Initiative (UC GFI).
Mobile Food Hub Student Design Contest
June 8, 2020
Current UC Santa Cruz students who will be enrolled through the 2020 fall quarter are invited to submit designs for the CASFS Mobile Food Hub Student Design Contest.
These 18 Organizations Are Building a Stronger Food System Through Agroecology
June 5, 2020
CASFS is among those featured in FoodTank's list of 18 world organizations working to advance agroecology.
