Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment Builds on UMass Extension’s Legacy
In partnership with: Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
In operation since 2001, the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE) roots itself in more than a century of agricultural research and education. The commonwealth’s Extension service was formally established in 1909. Today, CAFE serves as a hub for UMass Extension, the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, UMass Cranberry Station, Clean Energy Extension and Water Resources Research Center, facilitating research and educational outreach to support evolving ag needs.
See more: Massachusetts Ag Education Cultivates the Next Generation of Agriculturalists
Extension Evolves
“Traditionally, the image of farming involves a rural landscape and a multigenerational family business, but increasingly, farming is happening in and near our cities,” says Lynne McLandsborough, CAFE interim director.
Urban farming looks much different from its rural counterpart. For example, urban farmers face unique and often greater challenges when it comes to soil contamination and zoning restrictions.
“Urban agriculturists don’t have as much of a blueprint, and they often have different goals and challenges from their rural peers,” McLandsborough says.
The Urban Agriculture program in development within UMass Extension is helping create a better blueprint by combining expertise in crop production and agroecology with an understanding of community development and food systems.
However, even traditional farmers in Massachusetts often operate smaller farms with specialty crops and employ high-value business strategies.
For example, cranberries are both a historic specialty crop and the state’s biggest wholesale and processing crop, says Clem Clay, UMASS Extension Agriculture Program director. CAFE is serving valued cranberry growers by developing targeted solutions for the crop at the UMass Cranberry Station.
Integrated pest management (IPM) is also a statewide priority to sustainably improve production.
“IPM provides vital tools that empower all farmers to make informed decisions to enhance crop yields while minimizing health and environmental impacts,” Clay says.
UMass Extension also helps farmers to optimize soil health, adopt climate-friendly practices and adapt to climate change.
CAFE helps bridge the gap between scientific innovation and practical application, leveraging new technology and knowledge to create more sustainable systems.
“The center is the contemporary standard-bearer of the university’s land-grant origins, but CAFE’s strength lies in its integrated approach,” McLandsborough says.
Based in the College of Natural Sciences, CAFE partners with multiple other disciplines, funding research to provide a solid scientific foundation to augment Extension’s legacy of enhancing local ag in both rural and urban areas.
To learn more about CAFE, visit ag.umass.edu/about.