The Harvest Trail
Fall 2020 | Northeastern United Statesinstructed by Amy Whitesides
How can the northeast transition to sustainable food production and support farmers, create green jobs, and combat climate change in the process?
In a part of the country where farming is central to the region’s heritage, farmers are facing increased pressures from a changing climate and a failing economic model. The Harvest Trail responds by linking these agricultural landscapes, connecting farmers to workers, and ultimately, people to their food. A new Work & Hike labor program enables migrant workers to secure jobs and housing along the 700-mile trail, providing farmers with an accessible and affordable source of labor. A corps of Havest Trail workers is enlisted to construct the trail and its supporting infrastructures, including a team of trail cultivators that will grow edible plants along the trail using permaculture techniques, increasing the productivity of wild and residual spaces while encouraging a culture of foraging. Together, these interventions will provide an estimated 1,750 green jobs while simultaneously increasing regional food production, combating climate change, boosting rural economies, and equipping the next generation with useful skills for the global change era.
