The Center for Agroecology

The Center for Agroecology is a research, education, and public service program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, dedicated to increasing ecological sustainability and social justice in the food and agriculture system. On the UCSC campus, the Center operates the 2-acre Alan Chadwick Garden and the 25-acre Farm. Both sites are managed using organic production methods and serve as research, teaching, and training facilities for students, staff, and faculty.

Multiple research projects are conducted on the farm, including studies on plant physiology, pest and disease control, intercrop nitrogen fixing, and conventional to organic transition. Two USDA funded projects include evaluating and promoting the sustainability of organic farming processes in the central California coast and developing biological alternatives to methyl bromide fumigation in strawberry production. The projects are hosted by the center and the Environmental Studies Department.