Nicole E. Burkhard

I have just started my graduate work at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro (February 2005). During the next two summers, I will be looking at the effects of organic mulches on soil fertility and weed management for highbush blueberries in the Annapolis Valley.

This is my first time in Nova Scotia and it is quite a change from central Canada. I grew up in Québec and completed my B.Sc. in Environmental Science at Trent University (Peterborough, ON). In addition to having been exposed to agro-ecological issues in my courses, I had the opportunity to do agricultural research in Mexico and Cuba. My projects focused on household livestock production systems in three villages of central Mexico and organic urban agriculture in Havana, respectively.

It was truly inspiring to witness what can be done in agriculture using a fraction of the resources that are available here. These experiences, along with my attendance at related organic conferences, participation in Community Supported Agriculture, and WWOOFing in Portugal, have directed my interests more and more towards ecological agriculture.

I am extremely excited and proud to be part of a research field which supports organic producers and seeks to find ways in which to expand the scope of organic management systems.

neburkhard@nsac.ca