Sustainability and Food Justice Education in the Midst of Climate Change
Climate change has erratically impacted farms and agriculture within the Hudson Valley, and the Poughkeepsie Farm Project (PFP) has witnessed the consequences firsthand. Located at the Vassar Ecological Preserve, their organization grants access to the Poughkeepsie community to learn and provide nutritious and fulfilling food, while learning about environmental sustainability and food justice.
“Last year was the driest year we had ever seen. I’ve noticed the rain has been the greatest challenge, either too much or too little,” said Sonya Joy Key, Education Director of PFP. “This has a huge impact on our production of produce. Over the past year, we definitely saw a decrease in how much we grew”
Too little production can lead to obvious issues such as little plant growth and slow production within the farm. However, too much rain can also create produce due to eroding soil, depleting nutrients within the soil, and increasing agriculture runoff into rivers and streams leading to pollutants within the water.
“We also found in the past year we have had less access to water, which has created problems for our plants growing indoors and our community members. Our entire farm is to teach the community that farming and gardening can be accomplished by anyone, but not efficient water access can make educating the community on sustainable practices much more difficult,” said Key.
Key also commented on the difficulties of managing the farm and educating the community about sustainability while living in an urban city. “It is a challenge to manage a farm in such an urban environment, we aren’t able to grow just anywhere,” said Key. “Soil is also a big challenge, we are very particular about the soil we use because it has to have enough nutrients.”
As climate change continues to worsen, farms and community gardens are forced to plan for the future. Adjusting practices to ensure the most environmentally friendly practices while producing efficient crops and food is an increasing concern within agriculture.
“This is why our soil is so important, our plants and produce depend on it. Which is why it’s become increasingly important for us to have sufficient amounts of it. However, it’s becoming harder to access,” said Key
Fresh produce and education on sustainable practices are increasingly important in urban cities. Communities in lower-income areas have been shown to be disproportionately affected by climate change and warming. It can threaten labor earnings, access to clean water, and limited food access.
“Our educational programs teach the community the importance of where our food comes from and know the ethical stands of sustainable food. We want to teach individuals to know their farmers and different types of farms, and that food is not always created equal,” said Key.
Although climate change and extreme weather have created obstacles for the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, they continue to preserve in order to provide opportunities for leadership in sustainable farming, food access, and education within the community. They have harvested 183,366 pounds of produce and donated 34,555 pounds within the community.
“The ability to create an experience for BIPOC within the community is one of the most rewarding aspects of working here. Being able to set the stands of wellness and fresh produce is what it’s all about,” said Key.
