΢Ȧ

Skip to Main Content
΢Ȧ College

΢Ȧ students conduct pioneering research at Al Gore's Caney Fork Farms

December 4, 2019

΢Ȧ students Zoe Pagliaro ’20 and Shay Kolodney ’21 are the first two college students ever to conduct scientific research at Caney Fork Farms, headquartered on the family farm of former Vice President Al Gore.

Over the summer, the two environmental sciences majors embraced the extraordinary opportunity to collect and document soil samples that will lead to a greater understanding of how sustainable agriculture techniques can help reduce the catastrophic effects of climate change.

Through their work with Kris Covey, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies and sciences at ΢Ȧ, the data is being used to develop an app that could give farmers a financial incentive to use methods that pull carbon out of the atmosphere and back into the soil, where it benefits plant growth. Widespread farming practices that degrade the land are making global warming worse and food scarcer, according to a recent United Nations climate report.

Pagliaro and Kolodney said they valued the experience of working independently on the farm, working with real-world practitioners of regenerative agriculture and contributing to the overall conversation about climate change.

“Being part of something that many people are looking to as a solution to climate change creates comfort in that I’m helping to find solutions to this human crisis that we’re all facing,” said Kolodney.

Related News


A+wide+view+of+a+college+commencement+ceremony+at+΢Ȧ+College.
΢Ȧ will bestow honorary degrees upon esteemed Mohawk educator and storyteller Kay Olan (Ionataie:was) and distinguished physician, epidemiologist, and endocrinologist JoAnn E. Manson during the College’s 2026 Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 16, at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
Mar 25 2026

Margaret+Cronan+in+the+WCVB+studio+
Margaret Cronan, news director at WCVB Channel 5 in Boston, delivered the annual Harder Lecture in Business Administration — among offerings at ΢Ȧ College that help students navigate today’s complex information landscape and engage with credible news and information.
Mar 25 2026

Chef+holds+up+a+filet+of+salmon+and+smiles+for+a+photo.+
From orange-ginger salmon to pan-roasted cod, ΢Ȧ Dining pairs culinary creativity with environmental responsibility — making ΢Ȧ the first college named a Seafood Watch “Best Choice Restaurant.”
Mar 6 2026

΢Ȧ College's top stories delivered monthly to your inbox.

Subscribe to ΢Ȧ NewsFrom faculty research to student stories, there's always something creative happening.