Research
Willamette Valley Sustainable Agriculture
This research program is a long-term, multifaceted project that will be
largely student driven. The Willamette Valley is one of the most
productive agricultural areas in the United States. Portland is
increasingly being recognized for its high concentration of top
restaurants and progressive chefs. What is drawing this attention and
talent to the Portland food scene is the recent focus on local, seasonal
and fresh produce: produce that is grown in the Willamette Valley.
The purpose of this research program is to build connections that will
allow Willamette students to become involved with sustainable agriculture
projects in the Willamette Valley and Portland area and develop valuable
connections for the Willamette community as a whole. Individual research
projects will be based on the following topics:
• The local food movement; including defining local, uncovering the
obstacles to eating locally, and field experiments on local production;
• Working with Oregon Tilth at their two education and research facilities
to increase research on crops relevant for home gardeners and to apply
results to their education program; and,
• Working with Bon Appétit to increase student awareness of where their
food comes from and facilitate Bon Appétit in their Farm to Fork program.
Chiltepins
This investigation into wild chile pepper harvesting covers topics such as
non-wood forest products, landscape management, Latin American geography
and culture, sustainable economic initiatives, food, and the relationship
between cultural diversity and biodiversity. Chiltepins are harvested in
large quantities from the Rio Sonora Valley for commercial sale throughout
Northern Mexico and into the United States. This non-wood forest product
is a major source of income for communities in the southern section of the
valley. The commercial sale of chiltepins is a relatively new phenomenon
and as a result there is a great diversity of interdisciplinary research
to be done on the community management protocols, ecological impacts of
harvesting, and the demographics of chiltepín markets.
Maize
Geographic Contributions to In-Situ Conservation: The Landscape of Maize
(Zea mays L.) in the Bajío of Mexico
The Bajío, Guanajuato, Mexico, and University of California, Davis
This research involved an interdisciplinary research protocol to examine
maize landrace diversity in the Bajío. Research components included: 1)
field surveys to document maize persistence, environmental, and social
variables at early collection locations; 2) household surveys in
communities where landraces persist; and, 3) a common garden experiment
with varieties collected during fieldwork.
Principal Collaborators:
Dr S.B. Brush, Depart. of Human and Community Development, Univ. of
California, Davis
Dr J.H. Momsen, Depart. of Human and Community Development, Univ. of California, Davis
Dr J.A. Aguire G., Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales y
Agropecuarias, Mexico
Dr P. Gepts, Department of Agronomy and Range Science, University of
California, Davis
Pacific Northwest Ethnoecology
Autecology, Ethnobotany and Agronomy of Balsamorhiza sagittata:
Northwestern Plateau, British Columbia
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, Xaxl’ep First Nation, Lillooet,
Univ. of Victoria
I completed my MSc research in British Columbia working with Indigenous
Peoples and their management and uses of a native plant species. I
Conducted research to better understand the importance of a culturally and
ecologically significant species (Balsamorhiza sagittata). Research
included: 1) documentation of ethnobotanical uses based on literature
reviews and interviews with Indigenous Peoples; 2) field surveys to assess
common variables; and, 3) germination and transplanting experiments.
Principal Collaborators:
Dr N. Turner, Department of Environmental Studies, Univ. of Victoria,
British Columbia
Dr P. Bowen, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, British Columbia
Chief A. Adolph, Xaxl’ep First Nation, Lillooet, British Columbia