Nicole Burton

Nicole Burton has over 20 years of experience in the field of agriculture and is currently the director of the Stockbridge Livestock Program (SLP) at the Agricultural Learning Center.  The objective of this program is to train the next generation of livestock farmers to gain hands-on experience working with sustainable livestock systems.  Currently, the program raises turkeys on pasture and integrated into silvopasture systems, broilers on pasture, sheep in a chestnut silvopasture and pigs rotationally revitalizing a woodland.  SLP allows students to also take the next step in production with legal poultry slaughter, and the marketing and finances of these production systems.  This program involves the courses taught as well as a collaboration with the UMass Student Farm and the Carbon Farming Initiative. 

M.S. in Sustainability Science, with Concentration in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2016)

B.A. in Outdoor Education, Johnson State College, Johnson, VT (1999)

• STOCKSCH 268: Small Farm Husbandry: Cows, Sheep and Goats for Meat Production (2015–present, online: 2018–present)
• STOCKSCH 269: Small Farm Husbandry: Pigs and Poultry (2015–present, online: 2018–present)
• STOCKSCH 397: Marketing and Finance Farm Animal Program

• HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points Certified (2018)
• Servsafe Manager Certified (2018)
• MPPU Mobile Poultry Processing Unit Trained (2017)
• CIRTL Associate, Center for Integrative Research, Teaching and Learning  (2015)
• FAMACHA Faffa Malan Chart, Sustainable Control of Nematodes in Small Ruminants (2008)

• Livestock in Silvopasture Systems, Tri-State SARE Grant, Nutrition’s Role in Sustainable Livestock Production Practices, Webinar, (August, 2020)
• Academic Programming on the Farm, Campus Farmer’s Summit, Stonehill College, MA (February, 2020)
• Integrative Livestock Management, Agricultural Fencing Workshop, Amherst, MA (July, 2019)
• Silvopasture & Carbon Farming to Combat Climate Change, Interview, Connecting Point, WGBY TV, Springfield, MA (July, 2019)
• Silvopasture & Carbon Farming, NOFA Conference (June, 2019)
• Agricultural Fencing & Silvopasture Workshop, UMass ALC, 4-H Explore, UMass Amherst (June, 2019)
• Silvopasture Systems, FINE Network Tour, Amherst, MA (April, 2019)
• Silvopasture Regenerative Carbon Emissions & MPPU, 100th Celebration of Stockbridge ALC Tour (October, 2018)
• Silvopasture Systems, UMass Pasture Management Class, Dr. Hashemi (September, 2018)
• Silvopasture Regenerative Carbon Emissions, UMass ALC, McGovern Tour (August, 2018)
• Poultry Production, Industrial to Alternative systems, Food Writers Class (October, 2017)
• Agricultural Fencing Techniques and Animal Power used on the Farm, National Science Foundation Summer Course, Amherst, MA (June, 2017; June, 2016; and June, 2015)
• The UMass Student Farming Enterprise / Animal Incorporation on Farms, Opening Presentation for the New State Apiary to Celebrate Pollinator Week in Mass, Amherst, MA (June, 2016)