COAR Transitions is a research, education, and policy initiative across five UC campuses & UC ANR with the goal of contributing to the creation of more resilient food systems and food sovereignty in California. This work is done through expanding and aligning knowledge and networks that support transitions toward these types of systems. We understand COAR transitions as constituting, but not limited to, a suite of principles, practices, and processes (e.g., crop and landscape diversification, cover cropping, crop-livestock integration, decentralized regional composting, beneficial uses of fire, salmon revitalization, and circular economies) that land stewards, farmers, farmerworkers, Tribes, community organizations, and others enact within a particular landscape context.
While efforts to research and implement these transitions are ongoing within the state, these efforts need to be expanded and integrated to meet the needs of all Californians, including historically dispossessed and underserved communities as well as state-level goals for systemic agricultural transitions, including increasing the amount of cropland in organic production.
Through community-engaged, policy-relevant research and action-oriented educational programming, we use agroecology as a transdisciplinary framework to build on ongoing transition efforts, including organic and regenerative agriculture, and to synthesize and extend transition opportunities in collaboration with local, regional, and statewide partners.
Importance of MRPI grants
Key Objectives:
- Regional Agroecological Transition Research + Tool Development:
- Increased knowledge of agroecological transitions in multiple regions through qualitative and quantitative mapping and on-the-ground outcome-focused assessment
- e.g. analysis of spatial, temporal, and biophysical trends in production, crop diversification, and regional composting.
- Developing assessment tools to track outcomes of agroecological transitions, and potential transition pathways
- Increased knowledge of agroecological transitions in multiple regions through qualitative and quantitative mapping and on-the-ground outcome-focused assessment
- Community Engagement + Policy Analysis:
- Collaborative development of community-shaped descriptions of the contextual factors governing how and why agroecological changes happen (i.e. regionally-specific theories of change)
- Guidance for policy-makers on actionable steps to support agroecological transitions
- Collaborative asset mapping that evaluates how transitions do/do not serve those who are "historically underserved and dispossessed"
- Institutional Change:
- Facilitating coordinated institutional changes through enhanced UC undergraduate and graduate and extension education
- Creation of a short course on agroecology for cooperative extension and technical assistance providers; proposals for changes to UC and state policy
- Establishment of a UC-wide Agroecology Consortium.
Partners
Team members
| Name | Bio | |
|---|---|---|
| Joji Muramoto | joji@ucsc.edu | As the first CE Specialist fully dedicated to organic agriculture in California, I conduct research and extension for organic communities across the state to make California organic agriculture and food systems more sustainable: ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially just. Organic agricultural practices are grassroots farming methods developed by organic farmers, primarily based on their location-specific experiential knowledge. Respecting and learning from organic farmers is the foundation of my research and extension activities. This relates to agroecology's transdisciplinary, participatory approaches, and I will attempt to incorporate this approach into the education program of the COAR project. |
| Kase Wheatley | kwwheatley@ucdavis.edu | Kase did an MS in agroecology at UW-Madison, his thesis was focused on the politics of agricultural research, specifically understanding perspectives of agroecology-oriented practitioners (21 interviews) on their roles and responsibilities of doing agroecology in the context of a land grant/grab university. He is continuing this work in his PhD studies and his work with COAR through participation in the evaluation team and working to ever situate our collaborative effort in the broader socio-political context. One of his guiding questions in his work in grad school and the university world of agroecology has been "what does it mean to do sustainable agriculture on stolen land?" Kase is inspired by so many international movements for agroecology that deeply interweave this work with the political vision of food sovereignty and wants the COAR project to work towards this goal. |
| Katelyn Mann | ksmann@ucdavis.edu | I am a PhD student in Horticulture and Agronomy at UC Davis, working in the Gaudin Lab. I hold a BA in Sustainable Community Development and Agroecology from Green Mountain College, and am near completion of my MSc in International Agricultural Development from UC Davis. For my masters, I work in the Crump Agricultural Equity Lab on a project supporting evaluation capacity of the agricultural extension team at UC Davis Chile. Prior to coming to UCD, I supported agricultural development projects with the Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development in Calca, Peru and managed urban farms with the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation in San Francisco. My research focuses on extension and education systems that support agroecology. Within COAR, I coordinate the Plant, Environmental and Agroecology Sciences (PEAS) undergraduate fellowship at UC Davis and will support adapting the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) for application in California farming systems. I am from San Francisco, but I grew up moving across the country every two years and have lived in 9 states. Outside of academia, I spend a lot of time playing ultimate frisbee. |
| Madeleine Fairbairn | mfairbai@ucsc.edu | |
| Crystele Leauthaud | cleautha@ucsc.edu | |
| Tim Bowles | timothy.bowles@berkeley.edu | I'm an Assistant Professor at UC Santa Cruz in the Environmental Studies Department. I examine how soil health practices influence underlying biogeochemical processes to promote multifunctionality in agroecosystems. I'm working with Prof. Timothy Bowles at UC Berkeley on creating a cover cropping community of practice here on the Central Coast with farmers from Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. |
| Hector Calderon | helcalde@ucsc.edu | Hi my name is Hektor Calderon-Victoria I'm the Regional Food Systems Specialist for UCSC: Center for Agroecology that is a key partner of the USDA's: SW Regional Food Business Center (SWRFBC). I work providing technical assistance across 4 subregion to advance small producer and enterprises inroads through supply chain sourcing and direct market opportunities. |
| Vivian Wauters | vwauters@ucanr.edu | Vivian conducts applied research on aspects of how we can foster agroecological transitions and transformations, and how the collaboration of multiple forms of knowledge and expertise can build capacity for stewarding multifunctional agricultural systems. Current work centers on soil health assessments and building cross-sector knowledge networks to support use of and co-learning about conservation practice among farmers and other land stewards. |
| Michael Rodriguez | mrodriguez388@ucmerced.edu | My name is Michael Rodriguez and I'm a postdoc at UC Merced working with Dr. Ryals. My work intersects soils/agronomy, organic waste management, and climate mitigation strategies. I am interested in combining technical field/lab measurement with community led monitoring approaches. I am currently studying the potential, implementation, and impacts of community composting initiatives in the San Joaquin Valley. I work in partnership with community-based organizations to establish on-site composting as an equitable climate solution, measure climate change mitigation impacts, and help communities monitor their own composting processes. |
| Hannah Waterhouse | hawaterh@ucsc.edu | I'm an Assistant Professor at UC Santa Cruz in the Environmental Studies Department. I examine how soil health practices influence underlying biogeochemical processes to promote multifunctionality in agroecosystems. I'm working with Prof Timothy Bowles at UC Berkeley on creating a cover cropping community of practice here on the Central Coast with farmers from Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. |
| Houston Wilson | houston.wilson@ucr.edu | |
| Amelie Gaudin | agaudin@ucdavis.edu | I am Professor and Endowed Chair of Agroecology at UC Davis, in the Department of Plant Sciences. Our research explores how diversification and healthy soil ecosystems can help agriculture meet its sustainability and resilience goals. We integrate concepts and methodologies from various disciplines to measure outcomes of agroecological management and linkages between diversification, soil health and resilience. I engage regularly with growers, farm advisors, extension specialists and industry stakeholder to collect data, share results but also identify opportunities and relevant areas of research in agroecology. Through this project, we hope to strengthen networks of UC collaborators and commercial farms to better connect research to contexts and create new opportunities for knowledge co-creation. I am also faculty director of the PEAS fellowship program which supports undergraduate summer research in Agroecology and Sustainable agriculture. This fellowship builds capacity to create more inclusive pathways for undergraduates from different backgrounds to engage in Agroecology. |
| Sonja Brodt | sbbrodt@ucanr.edu | As Academic Coordinator, Sonja oversees work in the Agriculture and Environment theme in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP), one of the ANR statewide programs. Current research and education initiatives focus on increasing adoption of renewable farming practices that regenerate the soil, conserve natural resources, harness biodiversity for better agricultural and environmental outcomes, and help producers mitigate and adapt to climate change. Sonja aims to integrate social science and agroecological perspectives into her work and has also taken a leading role in spearheading professional development programs geared toward increasing the capacity of extension professionals to engage with diverse and traditionally under-served clientele. |
| Andrea Thompson | aehthompson@ucdavis.edu | I'm Andrea Thompson, Associate Program Director of the Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) at UC Davis. I work closely with Ryan Galt on ASI's projects as the sole administrative staff. My background is not in agriculture, rather in culinary arts. After obtaining a liberal arts degree and working in action sports marketing for several years, I attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York. I've been at UCD since 2010, and previously worked at the CIA Greystone, for Williams-Sonoma's corporate headquarters, and as a writer and editor of food publications, including three years as the editor of edibleSacramento magazine which allowed me to tell the interesting stories of the Sacramento area's food, beverage and farming activities. My involvement in COAR is primarily facilitation. |
| Jezra Thompson | jezrathompson@berkeley.edu | Jezra Thompson is a California native with over seventeen years of experience developing sustainable programs that strengthen healthy schools, government agencies, and communities. Currently serving as Education Programs Director at the Berkeley Food Institute, Jezra champions workforce development and academic programs that extend educational opportunities both on and off campus. Her COAR role is focused on the Education Team's efforts to establish an equitable agroecological education and workforce development, creating pathways for students and professionals to drive sustainable agricultural transformation across diverse communities and ecosystems. |
| Jaylee Tuil | jltuil@ucdavis.edu | |
| Krista Marshall | knmarshall@ucdavis.edu | |
| Cristina Murillo-Barrick | cmurillo@ucanr.edu | Cristina Murillo Barrick (she/ella) ¡Hablo Español! UCCE Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Community Development Advisor. Primary Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo (Bay Area). Cristina’s career has centered on partnering with research institutions and higher education entities to promote climate change adaptation and food system sustainability; within her work, she aims to address racial and social injustices by using research to inform effective policy. |
| Jeanne Merrill | jeannemerrill@berkeley.edu | Jeanne Merrill is the Executive Director of the Berkeley Food Institute. She has more than 25 years of experience in food systems advocacy, policy analysis and development, and nonprofit leadership. She is a co-founder and former Policy Director with the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN). Her greatest passion lies in empowering people with the tools needed to affect democratic change and work together to achieve resilient and equitable food and farm systems. |
| Stacy Philpott | sphilpot@ucsc.edu | Stacy Philpott is a Professor of Environmental Studies, Faculty Director of the Center for Agroecology, and Dean of the UCSC Agricultural Experiment Station. Stacy is an agroecologist interested in community ecology, ecosystem services, urban agriculture, and interactions between agriculture, conservation, and farmer well-being. Her research examines how farm management, landscape change, and social context influence diversity of plants and insects, ecological interactions, and ecosystem services. She has served as the Project Director for several USDA workforce development grants developing experiential learning activities for students interested in agroecology and food systems. |
| Damian Parr | dmparr@ucsc.edu | Daman Parr (he/him/his), here. I'm the Education Programs Manager for the Center for Agroecology at UC Santa Cruz. I've been farming in various capacities for 36 years and chose formal adult agriculture education as a vocation as it allows me to stay in agriculture, contribute to systemic societal healing, and make a living that can support a family. My graduate work and career has focused on better understanding and improving student farms at R1/Land Grant University campuses, and curricula and degree program development in the UC, nationally and internationally. I focus on contributing to underrepresented students success by facilitating critical theory-informed pedagogy; experiential, trans-disciplinary and systems-based action-learning. Current projects include supporting the UCSC Agroecology major and the Center's field-based experiential learning programming, including designing and establishing a multi-campus and ANR partnered Agroecology Field Quarter. |
| Jan Perez | jperez@ucsc.edu | Jan Perez is a Food Systems Research & Education Specialist at the University of California-Santa Cruz, Center for Agroecology (CfA). The majority of her work focuses on program evaluation, as well as applied and academic research, to support education programs aiming to create sustainable food systems. She has conducted program evaluation for 22 years and developed local, regional and national evaluation efforts focusing on undergraduate agricultural education, beginning farmer education, farmer extension, farm-to-school, farm-to-college, and mental health treatment environments. |
| Kangogo Sogomo | kangogosogomo@gmail.com | Kangogo is a first-year PhD student at UC Berkeley specializing in agroecology and the quantification of ecosystem dynamics. With a master's degree in Development Engineering from UC Berkeley, she brings over four years of experience in geospatial data science for agriculture from her time at Land Core and Regrow. Her research focuses on using earth observation to model and monitor agroecosystems, aiming to validate and promote the benefits of soil health at scale in creating a more harmonious relationship between agricultural production and the natural environment. |
| Rachel Noone | renoone@ucdavis.edu | |
| Srabani Das | sradas@ucanr.edu | |
| Beth Rose Middleton | brmiddleton@ucdavis.edu | Beth Rose Middleton is a Professor of Native American Studies at UC Davis and the author of Trust in the Land: New Directions in Tribal Conservation (2011) and Upstream: Trust Lands and Power on the Feather River (2018). A collaborative social scientist, Beth Rose strives to develop and sustain partnerships with Tribes and Native/Indigenous non-profit organizations on environmental health, sustainable rural economic development, the historical and political context of river restoration, the reintroduction of low-intensity fire for land/water/community health, and Indigenous-led stewardship and climate adaptation. |
| Katie Butterfield | klcbutterfield@ucdavis.edu | Katie Butterfield is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at UC Davis. She also holds a PhD in sociology from UC Merced and has served as the lead Research Data Analyst for CalFresh. Her research addresses social inequalities throughout our food system by asking how and under what conditions sustainable food programs can improve food access and limit exploitation among disadvantaged populations. |
| Becca Ryals | rryals@ucmerced.edu | Becca Ryals is the PI of the Agroecology lab, the Presidential Chair in Climate Change, and one of the first cohort of AES faculty at UC Merced. Her research program aims to advance our understanding of soil health, nature-based climate solutions, composting and compost use, and circular bioeconomies. She is excited to contribute to COAR and to collaborate with the team, particularly in the Characterizing Agroecological Transitions group. |
| Ryan Galt | regalt@ucdavis.edu | I'm Ryan Galt, the PI of the COAR Transitions project. I'm a geographer by training and am excited to meet for this project in person. |
| Sara Rosenberg | srosenberg@ucdavis.edu | |
| Nick Robinson | nirobinson@ucdavis.edu | At UC Davis, Nick is a PhD candidate in Geography specializing in agriculture and food systems and he is a M.S. candidate in International Agricultural Development specializing in crop science/systems. He works for the Agricultural Sustainability Institute and in the Galt lab. His work in California focuses on agroecological transition in organic and conventional cropping systems. He also runs an organically certified, diversified vegetable farm in Iceland. |
| Antonio Roman-Alcalá | antidogmatist@gmail.com | Antonio Roman-Alcalá is an educator, researcher, writer, and organizer based in Berkeley, California who has worked on issues of sustainable food systems for nearly 20 years. Antonio is currently an Assistant Professor at CSUEB teaching Geography and Environmental Studies. Previously, he co-founded San Francisco’s Alemany Farm, the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance, and the California Food Policy Council. He conducts education, research, and consulting with the Urban Permaculture Institute, is on the board of directors of the Ecological Farming Association of California, and co-facilitates the scholar collaborative Agroecology Research-Action Collective (ARC). |
| McKalee Steen | mckalee_steen@berkeley.edu | McKalee Steen is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and is a PhD Candidate at UC Berkeley in the Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Department. She is passionate about studying Indigenous land stewardship practices, providing resources for Indigenous youth, and the power of storytelling. Her current research interests include exploring the social and ecological impacts of Indigenous land management in cases where Tribes have been able to reacquire land within their traditional territories. |
| Tracey Celio | tbcelio@ucanr.edu | Program Manager, Southwest Regional Food Business Center. |
| Amanda Rose | azrose@ucdavis.edu | Amanda Rose is a PhD student in the UC Davis Geography Graduate Group, with a designated emphasis in Native American Studies. Her research is broadly socionatural, and more specifically on the daily lives and livelihoods of individuals and communities, how they relate to their environment, how those relationships have changed over time, and the drivers of those changes. Most recently, her scholarship has focused on sustainable food systems and collaborative relationships between Tribes and their non-Tribal partners. |
| Neha Sanghera | nehasanghera@berkeley.edu | Neha Sanghera is the Policy Director at Berkeley Food Institute. In this role, she helps connect food systems research at the UC with timely policy conversations happening throughout CA and beyond. Her professional background spans water resources, local government, and food systems. Neha holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University and a B.S. in Hydrology from UC Santa Barbara. |
| Emily Schlickman | eschlickman@ucdavis.edu | Emily Schlickman is an associate professor of landscape architecture and environmental design at UC Davis, where she studies wildfire adaptation with a focus on care and decolonization. Her research and creative work sit at the intersection of climate adaptation and emerging design tools, exploring how landscape stewardship and land use planning can reshape human–fire relationships. |
| Madison Spinelli | madison_spinelli@berkeley.edu | Madison is a Master’s in Climate Solutions student at UC Berkeley and policy assistant at Berkeley Food Institute. After studying at Princeton, she worked in Kenya with organizations like One Acre Fund and the International Livestock Research Institute, where she focused on translating scientific research into actionable insights, managing grants, and building coalitions across stakeholders in agriculture and climate policy. At Berkeley, she is focusing her studies on strategies for strengthening resilience to climate change through innovative policy and finance solutions. |
| Kangogo Sogomo | victoria_sogomo@berkeley.edu | (Duplicate entry — alternative email provided.) Kangogo is a first-year PhD student at UC Berkeley specializing in agroecology and the quantification of ecosystem dynamics. With a master's degree in Development Engineering from UC Berkeley, she brings over four years of experience in geospatial data science for agriculture from her time at Land Core and Regrow. |
| Greta Wong | grawong@ucsc.edu | Greta is an Environmental Studies PhD student at UC Santa Cruz researching the roles of no-till, composting, and soil health layering practices on creating more resilient agricultural soil systems. She aims to conduct collaborative research to help develop implementable agroecological practices for a diverse range of growers, with the goal of working toward a food system that supports human and non-human life. |
| Tim Galarneau | tgalarne@ucsc.edu | Tim Galarneau (he/they) serves as the Food Systems Program Manager with the UCSC Center for Agroecology. At the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology he oversees a team of staff and students working from the field to the plate in re-envisioning access to delicious and nourishing food for all. Tim's work engages with students, producers, chefs, policy makers, and supply chains across California and beyond to advance regional, seasonal, and small to mid scale under invested producer and enterprise relationships across the food system. |