Stockbridge Tradition

The Stockbridge School of Agriculture, founded in 1918, is a distinctive academic unit within the College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst, grounded in the land-grant tradition of applied education, research, and Extension. Stockbridge combines the close-knit environment of a school with the teaching, research, and public engagement functions of a department, preparing students to address real-world challenges in sustainable food systems, plant health, soils, agriculture, and managed landscapes.

Through residential and online degree and certificate programs, Stockbridge emphasizes experiential “learning by doing,” a tradition established by founder Levi Stockbridge and carried forward through hands-on laboratories, field research, student enterprises, internships, and Extension engagement across Massachusetts and beyond. The School integrates interdisciplinary teaching, research, and outreach through its focus areas in Soil and Environmental Health, Sustainable Food and Landscapes, and Plant Health, while collaborating closely with UMass Extension, the School of Earth and Sustainability, and the Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment.

Today, Stockbridge continues to evolve as a forward-looking academic community committed to workforce development, scientific innovation, environmental stewardship, and strengthening resilient agricultural and food systems for the Commonwealth and the world.

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