Delaney joined the Center for Land Based Learning in December 2024 as the Carbon Farm Manager. Prior to starting this role, she was pursuing a master’s in International Agricultural Development at UC Davis with a designated emphasis in agroecology and soil health. Delaney spent the majority of her time as a graduate student at the UC Davis Student Farm getting her hands dirty in the soil. At the farm, she took on various roles and responsibilities: starting out as a Lead Student Farmer for the farm’s certified organic market garden, moving into a staff position to oversee the farm’s internship program, and concurrently conducting an on-farm research project on no-till cover crop termination in organic vegetable cropping systems.
Before heading to graduate school, Delaney spent two farming seasons in Shelter Island, NY at Sylvester Manor Educational Farm. There she gained skills and experience in small-scale organic crop production and raising hogs and layer hens on 60-acres of pasture. Additionally, Delaney worked in collaboration with the non-profit farm to establish a community compositing program, providing island residents with a drop-off site for food scraps and the farm with nutrient-rich compost to support its soil fertility needs.
Delaney’s interest in agriculture, specifically soil fertility and organic nutrient management, stems from her early days working at Baldor Specialty Foods, a produce and specialty food distributor in the Bronx, NY. Hired onto the company’s sustainability team, Delaney was tasked with both identifying and reducing food waste in the company’s supply chain. Witnessing the amount of food waste produced on farms, in food processing facilities, within the company’s warehouse, and at the post-consumer level, brought up many questions around ways to better utilize organic ‘wastes’ as a resource on farms, as well as the impact organic waste diversion could have on mitigating GHG emissions.
Delaney is thrilled to be part of the Farm & Climate Program at Center for Land Based Learning, working collaboratively with various partners to explore innovative ways to store carbon and implement climate-friendly practices.
