Can we really produce food in a way that is good for the environment? Carleton biology professor Dan Hernández studies regenerative agriculture and its goal of restoring soil quality through management practices based on ecological principles. He will discuss his new USDA-funded Climate Smart Commodities research collaboration with local farmers, which aims to understand how regenerative poultry-centered agroforestry affects soil health and carbon sequestration.
This event took place on January 13, 2025.
About the Speaker
Professor of Biology Dan Hernández has taught at Carleton since 2009. He teaches courses in ecosystem ecology and global change biology as well as interdisciplinary team-taught classes on art and ecology in tallgrass prairie and an OCS program on the socioecological life of corn in Oaxaca, Mexico. His research explores the ecological consequences of grassland management and restoration practices, mostly in the prairies of Carleton’s Cowling Arboretum, and the impacts of regenerative agricultural practices on soil health and carbon sequestration. Dan is also a faculty member on the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz and serves on the board of Sharing Our Roots, a Northfield-based nonprofit that aims to heal our lands, nourish our communities, and prepare aspiring farmers.