{"id":6734,"date":"2025-02-18T09:49:12","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T14:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/?p=6734"},"modified":"2025-02-18T09:49:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T14:49:14","slug":"home-grown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/2025\/home-grown\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Grown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-lead\">On a narrow gravel road a few miles from campus, and out past NC&#160;State\u2019s beef and poultry education units, sits a six-acre plot of land with a colorful hand-painted sign: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/agroecologyeducationfarm.wordpress.ncsu.edu\/\">Agroecology Education Farm<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s the place where Ann Bybee-Finley, director of the farm and manager of the agroecology program, made the decision to come to NC&#160;State during a job interview. \u201cI ate a fig. It was warmed by the sun,\u201d she says. \u201cI was like, \u2018How can I not take this job?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cI ate a fig. It was warmed by the sun &#8230; I was like, \u2018How can I not take this job?\u2019\u201d  <\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>She arrived last summer to supervise the agroecology major, teach agroecology courses and direct the farm. The farm currently produces five tons of produce using organic practices each year, from beets and spinach to squash and tomatoes, most of which goes to the Fountain Dining Hall on campus. There, chefs turn it into farm-to-table goodness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That will continue, Bybee-Finley says, but she plans to double the size of the farm, incorporating an adjacent six-acre plot now used for traditional row crops. Bybee-Finley came to NC&#160;State from the USDA\u2019s Agricultural Research Service, where she concentrated on how practices like crop rotation can help improve yields and buffer against extreme weather. Expanding the agroecology farm, she says, will help students learn to incorporate some aspects of agroecology into traditional farming practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BK_Measure-seedlings_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BK_Measure-seedlings_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BK_Measure-seedlings_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BK_Measure-seedlings_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BK_Measure-seedlings_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC&#160;State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For row crops, she envisions demonstration plots that use mineral fertilizer and biological pest control. \u201cI want to come up with solutions that some of our students might be able to say, \u2018Here\u2019s how I can apply this to my family farm.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The current farm is a classroom for the 45\u200a\u2013\u200a50 students majoring in agroecology, a program created five years ago. It\u2019s also become a popular attraction for students with open hours on Friday afternoons to come and unwind (or help weed). There\u2019s even a \u201cYoga at the Farm\u201d program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bybee-Finley hopes all that continues, even as the farm grows. And she\u2019s hoping to improve the signage, as well, adding markers telling visitors more about what kind of crops are growing\u2009\u2014\u2009and replace that hand-painted sign on the gravel road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-sandwich-narrative has-aqua-400-background-color with-image\"><div class=\"ncst-sandwich-narrative\"><div class=\"sandwich-narrative__image-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" class=\"sandwich-narrative__image wp-image-6875\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RedOkra_72_RGB-tight-crop.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RedOkra_72_RGB-tight-crop.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RedOkra_72_RGB-tight-crop-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RedOkra_72_RGB-tight-crop-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RedOkra_72_RGB-tight-crop-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/div><div class=\"sandwich-narrative__text-container\"><h2 class=\"sandwich-narrative__heading\">What is agroecology?<\/h2>\n\n<p>Agroecology emphasizes an approach that minimizes the negative effects of food production on both the environment and on the people who are involved without sacrificing economic benefits. Traditionally, it has been seen as very different from large-scale food production. But, Bybee-Finley says, agroecology operates on a spectrum. \u201cI reject the dichotomy of organic farming versus conventional farming,\u201d she says. \u201cThe principles of agroecology can be applied to any crop system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/aside>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-ncst-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-heading\">Tell Us What You Think<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have a personal connection to this story? Did it spark a memory? Want to share your thoughts? Send us a letter, and we may include it in an upcoming issue of <em>NC&#160;State<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-buttons\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-button\"><a href=\"magazine.ncsu.edu\/letter\" class=\"btn ncst-block__button-link\" data-ncst-lightbox=\"false\" data-ua-cat=\"Button Block\" data-ua-action=\"Button Click\" data-ua-label=\"magazine.ncsu.edu\/letter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"text\">Send a Letter to the Editor<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\">\n<svg class=\"wp-block-ncst-wolficon wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\"\/><\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-ncst-separator\"\/>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<!-- wp:ncst\/dynamic-header {\"block\":\"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header\"} -->\n<!-- wp:ncst\/default-immersive-post-header {\"caption\":\"Ann Bybee-Finley is the manager of the agroecology program. Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State.\",\"displayCategoryID\":9,\"subtitle\":\"The Agroecology Education Farm is a place where crops\u2009\u2014\u2009and possibilities\u2009\u2014\u2009flourish.\"} \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"className\":\"is-style-lead\"} -->\n<p class=\"is-style-lead\">On a narrow gravel road a few miles from campus, and out past NC State\u2019s beef and poultry education units, sits a six-acre plot of land with a colorful hand-painted sign: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/agroecologyeducationfarm.wordpress.ncsu.edu\/\">Agroecology Education Farm<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>That\u2019s the place where Ann Bybee-Finley, director of the farm and manager of the agroecology program, made the decision to come to NC State during a job interview. \u201cI ate a fig. It was warmed by the sun,\u201d she says. \u201cI was like, \u2018How can I not take this job?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \u201cI ate a fig. It was warmed by the sun ... I was like, \u2018How can I not take this job?\u2019\u201d  \"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cI ate a fig. It was warmed by the sun ... I was like, \u2018How can I not take this job?\u2019\u201d  <\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>She arrived last summer to supervise the agroecology major, teach agroecology courses and direct the farm. The farm currently produces five tons of produce using organic practices each year, from beets and spinach to squash and tomatoes, most of which goes to the Fountain Dining Hall on campus. There, chefs turn it into farm-to-table goodness.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>That will continue, Bybee-Finley says, but she plans to double the size of the farm, incorporating an adjacent six-acre plot now used for traditional row crops. Bybee-Finley came to NC State from the USDA\u2019s Agricultural Research Service, where she concentrated on how practices like crop rotation can help improve yields and buffer against extreme weather. Expanding the agroecology farm, she says, will help students learn to incorporate some aspects of agroecology into traditional farming practices.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6737,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BK_Measure-seedlings_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6737\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>For row crops, she envisions demonstration plots that use mineral fertilizer and biological pest control. \u201cI want to come up with solutions that some of our students might be able to say, \u2018Here\u2019s how I can apply this to my family farm.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The current farm is a classroom for the 45\u200a\u2013\u200a50 students majoring in agroecology, a program created five years ago. It\u2019s also become a popular attraction for students with open hours on Friday afternoons to come and unwind (or help weed). There\u2019s even a \u201cYoga at the Farm\u201d program.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Bybee-Finley hopes all that continues, even as the farm grows. And she\u2019s hoping to improve the signage, as well, adding markers telling visitors more about what kind of crops are growing\u2009\u2014\u2009and replace that hand-painted sign on the gravel road.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/sandwich-narrative {\"heading\":\"What is agroecology?\",\"backgroundColor\":\"aqua_400\",\"imageID\":6875,\"imageURL\":\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RedOkra_72_RGB-tight-crop.jpg\",\"imageAlt\":\"\"} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-sandwich-narrative has-aqua-400-background-color with-image\"><div class=\"ncst-sandwich-narrative\"><div class=\"sandwich-narrative__image-container\"><img class=\"sandwich-narrative__image wp-image-6875\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RedOkra_72_RGB-tight-crop.jpg\"\/><\/div><div class=\"sandwich-narrative__text-container\"><h2 class=\"sandwich-narrative__heading\">What is agroecology?<\/h2><!-- wp:ncst\/text-heading-section -->\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Agroecology emphasizes an approach that minimizes the negative effects of food production on both the environment and on the people who are involved without sacrificing economic benefits. Traditionally, it has been seen as very different from large-scale food production. But, Bybee-Finley says, agroecology operates on a spectrum. \u201cI reject the dichotomy of organic farming versus conventional farming,\u201d she says. \u201cThe principles of agroecology can be applied to any crop system.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/text-heading-section --><\/div><\/div><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/sandwich-narrative -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-ncst-separator\"\/>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:block {\"ref\":6729} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:block {\"ref\":6728} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:block {\"ref\":6699} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-ncst-separator\"\/>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/separator -->"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Agroecology Education Farm is a place where crops\u2009\u2014\u2009and possibilities\u2009\u2014\u2009flourish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":6738,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"red_400\",\"caption\":\"Ann Bybee-Finley is the manager of the agroecology program. 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