Last week, staff from Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment traveled to New York City for Climate Week 2026 events. Our staff joined conversations, meetings and gatherings throughout the week focused on the connections between food systems and agriculture and the climate crisis, and to connect with fellow farmers, organizations, government agencies and leaders working across the field.
As a convener working to build a more resilient food system across the Northeast, it was important for Wolfe’s Neck Center to participate in Climate Week and represent the region in these broader conversations. The week provided an opportunity to learn more about organizations and initiatives working across the U.S. and globally, bringing new ideas and perspectives back to inform our own approaches and programming.
Across the week, sessions explored the many facets of regenerative agriculture, from regenerative systems and scaling dairy operations to young farmer leadership and what we can learn from Indigenous agricultural practices.
“Meaningful change toward a more resilient food system takes all of us,” said Dave Herring, Executive Director at Wolfe’s Neck Center. “It was valuable to have so many perspectives represented at Climate Week, from farmers to food companies and supply chain partners, because building resilience on farms and in our food system requires collaboration across the entire value chain.”
Annie Watson, Director of Farmer Training & Partnerships, joined Food Tank’s “The Roots of Organic: From Soil to Shelf” Summit to share her perspective on dairy farming and organic agriculture.
As the owner of Sheepscot Valley Farm and a Stonyfield producer, Annie brought a farmer’s perspective to conversations about organic standards, climate, markets and innovation, sharing what these issues look like on the ground and in the day-to-day work of farming.
Watch her full presentation here.
Dave Herring also presented the “Northeast Farm Report” as part of Why Regenerative’s State of Regenerative Agriculture, joined by Russ Wallach of Breadtree Farms. The presentation provided an overview of Wolfe’s Neck Center’s work across the Northeast and connected that work to the experiences of farmers and organizations working on the ground throughout the region.
Together, these presentations highlighted how regional efforts to support farmers translate into practical, farm-level work, bringing the perspectives and experiences of Northeast farmers into the broader Climate Week conversation.
“Sometimes we get so caught up in what we’re fighting against that we lose sight of what we’re fighting for.”
Matthew Dominguez, ED of Compassion in World Farming (Ag Policy Summit)
“One seed can save all of humanity. That’s all it takes.”
Angela Ferguson, Oneida Eel Clan and founder of Braiding the Sacred (Partnerships in Indigenous Agriculture session, Seed Saving panel)
Farmer Voices
Climate Week also created an opportunity for 25 farmers participating in Wolfe’s Neck Center’s Northeast Farmers Fund to attend meetings and discussions focused on the state of regenerative agriculture, the role of farmers in addressing climate change, policy, Indigenous partnerships and opportunities to work with food buyers and retailers. Their perspectives and experiences helped ground these broader conversations in the realities of farming and the challenges and opportunities facing farmers across the Northeast.
“Supporting farmers’ participation in Climate Week was an important part of our work through the Northeast Farmers Fund and holistically at Wolfe’s Neck Center,” said Ellen Griswold, Managing Director of Programs at Wolfe’s Neck Center. “Farmers need to be at the table, bringing their unique experiences and perspectives to these important conversations.”
“Attending Why Regenerative’s Climate Week events opened my eyes to the diversity of stakeholders attracted to regenerative farming. I came away from the events feeling encouraged by a future where organizations are full of people who are not afraid to care, even in public, and a future where maintaining and renewing our un-appraisable assets, the real public goods, can be status quo.”
Sam Gautier of Gautier Farm in Rochester, NH
“As a farmer who spends much of my time working alone, I found it energizing to be among so many people working on these issues. The changing climate, and how to protect biodiversity amid those changes, is always top of mind for me, and it was helpful to hear how other farmers are approaching these challenges. Seeing the work so many organizations are doing to mitigate and adapt to climate change was heartening.”
Elena Zachary of Wing and a Prayer Nursery in Cummington, MA.
The conversations and connections made in New York will continue beyond Climate Week. Conversations with funders, food companies and academics will inform our Research & Market Transformation work, which includes the Northeast Farmers Fund. The experiences of our farmer partners feed into the programming and curriculum development carried out by our Farmer Training & Partnerships team, which facilitates the New England Grazing Network bringing together regional voices and resources as we work to build a more resilient food system.
