On Thursday, November 15 at 6:30 PM., Chris Grataski will present “What Vermont’s Earliest Working Landscapes Might Teach Us: Imagining Resilient Agriculture in the Age of Climate Chaos”. How a closer look at the agricultural and land-use practices of pre-contact indigenous people in New England, as well as the diversified farms of pre-20th century Vermonters, offers a window into what kinds of shifts are necessary to enhance biodiversity, develop stable food systems, and cultivate vibrant working landscapes even as we will likely begin to increasingly feel the social and ecological impacts of climate change.

Chris is a farmer and ecological design professional working at the nexus of regenerative food systems and wilderness management. His work in design is focused on holistic land-planning and agro-ecology, with special attention to bioregional food systems, wildlife ecology, and cultural renewal. As an educator he has taught across North America on the intersection of social and ecological concerns, urging a re-engagement with traditional skills and ecological design as integral components of a renewed social imagination. In 2017 he started The Stone River Homestead and Research Farm, which is currently focused on raising pastured meats and eggs, and in the coming years will develop a focus on agroforestry, herbal medicine and regionally adapted seed.