Understanding Agroecology
This piece is co-authored by Tony VanWinkle, Director of the Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, Faculty in Sustainable Food Systems and Nicole Civita, Vice President of…
View moreSterling’s Self-Sufficiency Task Force & the Role of Low-Carbon Storage Crops in Increasing Community Food Sovereignty
In response to COVID-19, Sterling College mobilized a number of context-specific task forces to assess a way forward for the College amid the public health and economic crises that will…
View moreCommunity Connections Keep Students Learning
At 6 am, Lara Weise, a then senior at Sterling, is feeding the horses. She cleans their stalls, and enjoys the quiet morning routine. On this July morning in 2020,…
View moreNew Sterling College Land Unit: The Farm Between, Jeffersonville, Vermont
Sterling has been granted a fantastic opportunity to be the stewards of The Farm Between in Jeffersonville, Vermont, just over thirty miles from Craftsbury on the west side of the…
View moreWhat is Next for Chestnuts at Sterling College and in Vermont?
We are on the northern range of where the big majestic tree – American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) – used to call home. We have all heard amazing stories about what…
View moreFrom the Alfond Barn: The Value of Quiet Time With Our Animals, Ourselves
As I approached the Alfond Barn on a cool August morning this summer at Sterling College, all was quiet. Our students were at home, so it was just farm staff…
View morePre and Post COVID-19 Reflections on Andean Diversity & Resilience
As co-instructor for Sterling’s winter intensive course, Mountain Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, I was joined in Peru by Outdoor Education faculty member Josh Bossin and a group of Sterling students. There…
View moreLessons from the Coronavirus Seed Rush
On a grocery shopping trip in advance of Governor Phil Scott’s “stay home, stay safe” order here in Vermont, I noticed the installation of a new seed rack in the…
View moreSterling Farm Responses to COVID-19 Food Security Challenges
In the spring of 2020, as the reality of COVID-19 settled in, the Rian Fried Center (RFC) faced both a challenge and a great opportunity. As corporate food production and…
View moreBittersweet, A Student Retrospective on the Food: Community Provisioning and Action Pod
As Block One draws to its inevitable conclusion, I find myself thinking back on the experience in a fond yet bittersweet way. It seems so odd to think that only…
View moreDawnland Garden & Black River Seed Library
In partnership with the non-profit organization Abenaki Helping Abenaki and the Seeds of Renewal Project, the Rian Fried Center established in 2018 a heritage garden on the Sterling College campus….
View moreHeritage Livestock & Rotational Grazing Systems
In addition to efforts focused on crop varieties, the Rian Fried Center is also deepening our commitment to heritage livestock breeds. This includes a transition toward on-farm breeding of dual-purpose…
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