Originally from Des Moines, IA, and then moving to Minnesota in elementary school, I've been able to see lots of outdoor environments and spaces. My sustainability journey started when I was 5 and my parents got me an American Girl reduce, reuse, and recycle book which shot me into this amazing world!
Bio
John Beaton is the UMD Land Lab Farm Manager and brings to this role over a decade of agricultural experience. His mission is to maintain and operate an efficient farming operation at the Land Lab that provides value and meaning to students, faculty, researchers, and community visitors.
Growing up, I was a PBS kid. I think Zoboomafoo and Wild Kratts really piqued my interest in wildlife and the environment. I’m from Eden Prairie/Minnetonka, Minnesota so there’s not a ton of nature. But, I was pretty close to the state capital, which had its perks. I was able to participate in protests with Climate Strike and other political organizations. Despite being from the suburbs, I do really enjoy my outside time. Some of my favorite outdoor activities are hiking, outdoor photography, and swimming.
The UMD Land Lab is a food justice and environmental research and outreach center located just five miles from the UMD campus. It consists of 10 acres of transitional organic farmland and a five-acre apple orchard. The Land Lab is connected to the larger Research and Field Studies Center (RFSC) which houses other UMD research and outreach projects. The purpose of the Land Lab is to explore research that assists growers in our community, educate students around food and agriculture, and to serve as an incubator for community and university interactions.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 as a 15-year plan for global sustainable development. The SDGs framework includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, and drives efforts at local, national, and global partnership levels. The SDGs offer an inherently integrative and interdisciplinary approach highlighting linkages between ending poverty, improving health and education, and addressing climate change and other environmental degradation.
