"Farms" is one of those relatively rare terms that connotes both a way of life for humans (farmers) and a way of nature (farmland). Working in a county with a long agricultural history and continued farming activity, our work touches upon both aspects. We explore how and why farmers interact with the land, and what that interaction means for nature in our landscape. Our work happens at various scales, from attempts at a county-scale overview to ecological descriptions of particular farms. We hope that our work is helpful for those farmers seeking to both support and benefit from nature, and for those members of the general public who are open to a more integrated view of their semi-agricultural landscape. Below are some links to the farm-specific work that we have done, though all of our work has been deeply informed by the County's agricultural landscape.
Food and Farming: This page is an introduction to the cultural dimensions of food and farm interactions. Below are resources that particularly explore the situation of new farmers in the area:
- New Farmer Narrative Project: This describes Anna’s work with new farmers around the County. Why are they farming? What are their rewards and challenges? The project also features a Map of New Farms in Columbia County, depicting the location of the 50 new farms mapped in 2012
Farm and Nature Interactions: This page is an introduction to our work at the intersection of farms and nature, and includes links to more detailed explorations of on-farm biodiversity and agroecological services provided by farms. It also includes descriptions of habitats at two local farms, linked below. You can also see our detailed descriptions of a variety of on-farm habitats and their management considerations.
- Description of habitats at Roxbury Farm: This map and narrative outlines the habitats and management interactions on this Kinderhook farm.
- Description of habitats at Hawthorne Valley Farm: This document describes habitats and management for our home farm here at Hawthorne Valley.