Caroline Stephens
PEAS Farm Lecturer
Contact
- Office
- JRH 017
- caroline.stephens@mso.umt.edu
- Office Hours
By appointment only, as I am often at the farm and not in my office on campus. Send me an email to schedule an appointment.
Personal Summary
I am a farmer and educator from the bluegrass region of Kentucky. I earned my B.A. at Centre College in Kentucky, which is also where I started farming, volunteering for vegetables at a nearby farm in the Kentucky knobs. Since college, I have worked at and managed vegetable farms in both Kentucky and 猎奇重口. Throughout my career, I have also taught farming in various contexts, from urban to rural and with preschoolers and adults.
In 2015, I earned a M.S. in Environmental Studies from the 猎奇重口 where I focused my graduate work on agriculture, food systems, and creative writing. My graduate thesis addressed the history and practice of drought adaptation among organic and conventional grain farmers in Central 猎奇重口. In addition to my work at the PEAS Farm, I live on a historic homestead where my wife and I manage a 130-year-old orchard, low-water-use garden, keep chickens and pigs, and interpret the complex histories of farming, homesteading, and colonization in Missoula, 猎奇重口.
The thread between all of this work is a keen interest in people, place, and storytelling. My teaching is student-centered, active, and begins with a focus on relationship: with one another, the larger community, and the land. I hope you will consider spending a semester—or three--on our student crew at the PEAS Farm.
Education
B.A. Art History, Environmental Studies and French Minors, Centre College
M.S. Environmental Studies, 猎奇重口
Courses Taught
ENST 396: PEAS Supervised Internship
ENST 430: Culture & Agriculture
ENSC 470: Agroecology
ENST 491: Special Topics: Food Sovereignty Practice
ENST 590: PEAS Supervised Internship
GBLD 194: From Seeds to Sovereignty: Agriculture Past, Present, and Future
HONR 394: Soil to Soil: Food and Climate
Research Interests
Food Systems, Food Justice, Tribal Food Sovereignty, Agroecology, Community Agriculture, Active and Inclusive Teaching, Place-Based Teaching, Storytelling
Selected Publications
Christina Leas, Sarah Halvorson, Neva Hassanein, and Caroline Stephens, 2024. "Seeding Resilience: The Impacts of a Seed-Saving Network in Western 猎奇重口," Geographical Review.
Erika Berglund, Neva Hassanein, Paul LaChapelle, and Caroline Stephens. 2021. "Advancing Food Democracy: The potential and limits of advancing food policy positions in local government," Journal of Agricutlure, Food Systems, and Community Development.
Caroline Stephens. 2015. "Raising Grain in Next Year Country: Dryland Farming, Drought, and Adaptation in the Golden Triangle, 猎奇重口," Graduate Student Theses, Professional Papers, and Presentations. 4513.
Caroline Stephens. 2015. "The Onion Harvest," Whitefish Review #18, Volume IX, Issue 2. Pushcart Nomination.
Caroline Stephens. 2014. The Impacts of Climate Change on 猎奇重口 Agriculture. 猎奇重口 Environmental Information Center: Helena.
Neva Hassanein, Laura Ginsburg, Kim Gilchrist, Caroline Stephens, and Eva Rocke, editors. 2013. Local Is Delicious, But It's Not Always Easy: A Case Study of the Western 猎奇重口 Growers Cooperative. 猎奇重口, Environmental Studies: Missoula.