Caitlin Slay earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies, with a concentration in agroecology, from UC Santa Cruz in 2011. Now, she works as a Certification Services Manager at California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), a Santa Cruz-based certifier that offers a suite of certification services to agricultural members in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Caitlin currently manages CCOF’s OCal “comparable-to-organic” program for licensed cannabis in California, and their Regenerative Organic Certified ® program, which covers animal welfare, social compliance, and soil health practices beyond the organic standards. The UC Santa Cruz news team spoke with Slay to learn more about her work and how her experience at UCSC shaped her career.
Q: When did you realize agroecology was something you wanted to pursue as a career?
A: I knew in transferring to UCSC that I wanted to major in environmental studies, but I wasn’t sure where to focus. Honestly, the program was heavy. Learning about all the environmental and social issues day in and day out could feel at times depressing and overwhelming. However, when I started to dabble in Agroecology, I felt inspired. Food is powerful; it brings us together, it sustains us, it gives us pleasure. It can cause us and the planet harm, and it can heal us and the planet. Agroecology was a solution to so many issues that I was learning about every day, and I could clearly see it in practice in all its glory around me at the farms, restaurants, and markets in Santa Cruz. The professors and classes at UCSC were amazing, and the internship opportunities in the community were endless. Because of all this, I could see a clear career path forward and could move towards it with hope.
Q: What motivated/inspired you to pursue certification services after graduating?
A: I wanted to stay in Santa Cruz, and luckily the nation’s largest, and one of the oldest certifiers (CCOF) was right in my backyard. I understood that certification could help to support farmer’s livelihoods and set a standard for practices that I valued. I knew that I loved analysis, technical reading/writing, and could navigate databases, so standards work was a good fit. CCOF basically wrote the organic standards back in the 70’s, decades before there was a national organic rule, and I loved their history and mission. I was also motivated to have a stable career with a company that took care of its workers and worked hard to uphold its values.
Q: In what ways did your undergraduate research experiences help prepare you for your career?
A: I was an intern through the Environmental Studies Department and through the Center for Agroecology for four years, conducting integrated pest management research. My time as an intern, and later as a staff researcher, exposed me to a diverse network of professionals in the industry and to farms in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. These were essential opportunities to have while building my career fresh out of college. I was able to see both conventional and organic farming systems in practice, understand how challenging farming is, and see the positive outcomes of our research for farmers’ livelihoods and the natural resources around us. I learned that I enjoyed problem solving, creating systems, and analysis. I also learned that I appreciated interacting and collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds and demographics. This helped me to understand where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do next in my career.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student?
A: 2010 Alternative Spring Break! We travelled to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico where we lived with host families and studied the biodiversity of agriculture and livelihoods in Tzucacab. It was definitely life changing. Also, riding my bike to and from campus. There is no better reward for making it up that hill than flying down the bike path at the end of day with that epic view spread out in front of you. Steve Gliessman’s Agroecology class and labs were always fun and inspiring. And spending countless hours dissecting lygus bugs for parasitism in the portable lab at the UCSC farm.
Q: What advice would you give to ENVS students at UCSC? A: Do as many internships as you can. Everyone alongside you has a degree, but not everyone has work experience. You will never know what you like and what you are good at until you try it. And the more you try and put yourself out there, the more people you will meet who become part of your network and can provide you with recommendations, introductions, advice, and friendship.