On this episode of Climate Check, we get to chat with Chris Nickell, a community organizer and a member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s (NOFA) Soil Subcommittee. We learn about soil health, farming practices, and the cultural and societal impact of food in today’s ecosystem. Take a listen to learn why you should trust your mouth!

Chris is a Farmhand & Member Services Attendant at Stone Barns Center. They come to farming from a lifetime in the kitchen and a childhood in the hills and hollers of north central Appalachia. Training as a light lyric tenor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill led them to the academic study of music, and after spending several years researching with independent musicians in Beirut, Lebanon, they completed a doctorate in ethnomusicology at New York University in 2019. Most recently, a background in labor and community organizing led Chris to serve for three years as Deputy Chief of Staff for their local elected official, State Senator Robert Jackson. Chris is thrilled to pivot to food and agriculture done right in relation to our surroundings.