On August 9, 2023, the Hudson Valley Farm Hub hosted a half-day event showcasing the work of researchers from the Applied Farmscape Ecology Research Collaborative (AFERC).
This event was targeted at farmers, conservation professionals, land managers, and others interested in on-farm ecology to learn about the different research projects that occur at the Farm Hub and discuss their potential applications for farms and land in the region.
Attendees came away with strategies and techniques for land management and conservation.
“I learned about plantings that can be in place to foster diversity both in plant species and insect species, and with that will come other species such as a diversity of bird species,” says Diane Duffus, a biologist, and educator at Hepworth Ag, referencing the plants that she learned about from the Native Meadow Trial.
AFERC, a partnership between the Applied Farmscape Ecology Program at the Farm Hub and the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program, works together across disciplines with the goal of better understanding the complex interactions between on-farm habitats, biodiversity, and crop production in the region.
Click here for resources and handouts in both English and Spanish from the Event.