Episode 29: Northeast SARE Teresa Leslie PhD - How Can We Increase Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education?

Teresa Leslie, PhD, Director of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.   Teresa holds a doctorate in medical anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a master's degree in medical anthropology from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Howard University. She has experience cultivating relationships with diverse stakeholder groups to create innovative, evidenced-based policy and practice solutions.   Founded in 1988, USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a farmer-driven research and knowledge-sharing program that encourages farmers, ranchers, educators and researchers who are passionate about innovating to experiment and make growing food more rewarding for themselves, the environment and their communities. The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program offers grants and education to farmers, educators, service providers, researchers and others to address key issues affecting the sustainability of agriculture throughout the Northeast. The program serves Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The program is administered by Northeast SARE's host institution, the University of Vermont.   TOPICS EXPLORED 0:00 – 1:11 – Introduction 1:11 – 4:14 – What is the Northeast SARE Program and what type of work does it do? 4:14 – 5:45 – How did you become interested in sustainable food and agriculture? 5:45 – 8:49 – What are some of the key topics Northeast SARE is focused on? 8:49 – 10:36 – What are some examples of impactful research that has been funded by Northeast SARE and what have some of the key findings been? 10:36 – 13:19 – What are some ways you think agriculture can support communities? 13:19 – 17:08 – Why is it important to build local and regional food systems and how can Northeast SARE support that work? 17:08 – 19:36 – One challenge farmers face is climate change. What can be done to help farmers with this? 19:36 – 22:08 – Is there anything else you would like to share about Northeast SARE's grants, training opportunities, and resources? 22:08 – 25:01 – What are some of the greatest challenges and benefits related to achieving sustainable food and agriculture systems? 25:01 – 27:16 – What do you think is the future of sustainable agriculture? 27:16 – 28:15 – Things to share and wrap up   NORTHEAST SARE INFORMATION https://northeast.sare.org/   RESOURCES SARE: https://www.sare.org/ 30 Years of SARE: Our Farms, Our Future: https://www.sare.org/resources/30-years-of-sare/ SARE Funded Projects: https://projects.sare.org/search-projects/ SARE Resources and Learning: https://northeast.sare.org/resources/ Northeast SARE Grants: https://northeast.sare.org/grants/   FOOD FOR YOU AND THE PLANET PODCAST INFORMATION Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/food-for-you-and-the-planet/id1739416396 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pkAIuXxl9dzD48b7qMOL1 RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/506343/rss Podcast Instagram: @foodforyouandtheplanet   TAGS Food Environment Health Podcast Sustainability Agriculture USDA SARE Northeast SARE