FEP STAFF

In early April, researchers involved in the Applied Farmscape Ecology Research Collaborative (AFERC) at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub presented at the Northeast Natural History Conference in Springfield, MA. The title of this session was “The Habitat Ecology of a Farm: Learning from a Multiorganismal View of the Ecology of a Single Hudson Valley Farm.”

Recordings of presentations from Conrad, Claudia, Kyle, and Kenny are now available below.

Wildflower Meadows: Eight Years of Vegetation Monitoring by Claudia

Agroecological Services and Insect Conservation: Eight years of Observations from Native Meadow Trials at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, Hurley, NY by Conrad

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Remarkable Wasp Fauna of a Hudson Valley Farm and Q&A Here by Kenny

Ants at a Hudson Valley Farm: Rare Species and a Snapshot of the Community in Native Meadow Trial Plots by Kyle

Learning from a Multiorganismal View of the Ecology of a Single Hudson Valley Farm by Conrad

On March 13th, Kyle, Laura, and Josie presented the preliminary results from the 2024 pilot study in person and on Zoom and gave a first look at the in-progress “Map of Potential Ancient Forests of Columbia County.” Below is a link to the recording of the talk and a PDF of the presentation slides. Take a look for background on what ancient forests are, what the Ancient Forest Project entails, and our plans for continuing this work into the future!

Recording of presentation. 

PDF of slides. 

Our yearly report is ready! Please enjoy this illustrated and detailed narrative of the work we have accomplished this year. Year-in-Review 2024

We are excited to share a new article by Conrad Vispo published in “From the Ground Up,” an online publication of conversations about conservation, climate, and communities in New England. The article begins:

“Lest the title immediately put you off, let me explain that it is not meant to be demeaning of either agroecology or religion. Rather, my point is that, as with our lives, making sense of something as complex as an agrarian landscape that works ecologically and also socioeconomically requires not just observation but also faith. It is a path as much as a fixed outcome. Science is one guide along that path, but so too is collaboration and a vision of how the world works that must extend beyond peer-reviewed scientific articles, that must be both more parochial and more global in worldview.” READ MORE

Our book From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to the Habitats of Columbia County, New York is now available in local book stores, at the Hawthorne Valley Farm Store, at our events, and online from Black Dome Press. More than 100 guests joined us for the book launch celebration on May 5th and The Columbia Paper published a nice article about the event. This book project was a true community effort and we thank everybody who has contributed to it over the years. We hope you are pleased with the result! Read more about the book and the upcoming book talks and habitat exploration walks.

We are excited to introduce you to a new webpage dedicated to our upcoming book From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to the Habitats of Columbia County, New York (to be released on May 5th, 2024). Here, you can get a preview of the Field Guide, find details about the book launch celebration, and a list of book talks and habitat exploration walks scheduled throughout the summer.