Ada Smith

Growing up on a farmstead in rural Wisconsin and spending summers on her grandparents ranch in Montana were formative in developing Ada’s interest in food systems. In Ada’s current research as a PhD Candidate at the University of Montana, she is working with ranchers to understand how adaptive rangeland management practices are being utilized to support ecological and economic sustainability in Montana. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Environmental Studies at Wellesley College and her M.A. in Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia working in partnership with Gitxaala Nation to understand and support a community food sovereignty program, which included efforts to integrate Indigenous knowledge into food literacy curriculum.