Born on November 22, 1951, Dr. John Gerber grew up on Long Island and earned degrees from the University of Rhode Island (B.S. Botany, 1973) and Cornell University (M.S. Vegetable Crops Physiology, 1976; Ph.D. Vegetable Crops Physiology, 1978). Dr. Gerber begins his interview by explaining how his involvement in the environmental movement during the early 1970s stimulated his interest in organic farming. He goes on to discuss his experiences as Assistant Director of the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station and Program Leader for Sustainable Agriculture in the Illinois Cooperative Extension Service from 1989-1992, as Director of the University of Massachusetts Extension System and Associate Dean in the College of Food and Natural Resources from 1992 to 2000, and as Program Coordinator for the Sustainable Food and Farming program in the Stockbridge School of Agriculture since 2003. He reflects on the challenges he faced in promoting sustainable farming as a university administrator in Illinois and Massachusetts, as well as his accomplishments, and those of his students, since his return to teaching in 2000. Highlights from the interview include Dr. Gerber’s reflections on teaching about sustainability, food, and farming; his participation in Grow Food Amherst and other local non-profit organizations; and his involvement in student-led movements to promote sustainability at UMass, including those culminating the formation of UMass Permaculture in 2010 and the University’s May 2013 decision to sign on to the Real Food Challenge.
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