Margaret G Lloyd

Margaret received her PhD from UC Davis in Plant Pathology, 2015.  Under Tom Gordon, she researched non-chemical alternatives to soilborne disease management in strawberries.  She focused on the role of legume rotation crops in Verticiliium dahliae management, the effect of 4 different composts on strawberry production, and a social study understanding the level of adoption of soilborne disease management tools among producers. She also received a masters in International Agricultural Development and Plant Pathology from UC Davis.  While at UC Davis, she established the Salad Bowl Garden, an edible garden at the entrance to the Plant and Environmental Sciences (PES) building on the main campus.

Her first agricultural job was as a farm hand on a vineyard in the Santa Cruz mountains in California.  It was such an inspiration that she redirected her course of work towards agriculture.  After completing her undergraduate degree from Tufts University, she worked on a mixed vegetable farm in Hawaii for 9 months and then returned to start an apprenticeship with John Jeavons in Willits, CA.  For three years, she lived and studied at the research farm which was off-the-grid, and farmed the 5-acre mixed vegetable farm, selling weekly at the Willits farmers market. Seeing the opportunity for Biointensive practices in the urban and suburban landscapes, she started a small Bay Area business called Home Farming International which provided workshops and one-on-one training in closed-system, complete diet farming. 

Margaret's hobbies include her goats, guitar, garden, two children and simple living.