Eric S. Bendfeldt, PhD

AFFILIATE MEMBER • Senior Extension Specialist, Community Viability and Food Systems

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech

Dept Page

ebendfel@vt.edu

My educational, practice, and research activities with Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension align with the mission of the Whole Health Consortium (WHC) specifically in the promotion of health from the soil up, promotion of community, local, and regional food systems to increase accessibility and availability of high quality, nutritious food for all to thrive, and the relevance of trauma-informed care to community food work and Extension education efforts. As an extension specialist, my research and extension programming has focused on food security, food access, local and regional food systems, and how soil health relates to social, financial, and environmental values. Most recently, my doctoral research focused on community food work and the role and importance of trauma-informed care and agency, specifically related to the health and restoration of people and community wellbeing.